30-04-09
THE Ghana Health Service (GHS) is dispatching health personnel to the New Bortiano (Mile 11) area where dead bodies and body parts have been exposed in mass graves to ensure that people in the area are protected from a possible epidemic.
The Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias Sory, who made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday, warned that an epidemic was possible.
He expressed worry over the situation and said environmental health officers, officers from the regional and district health directorates, as well as other relevant institutions, were being prompted to go the area to save the situation.
“We have to be proactive to ensure that the people are safe. In the end, the buck stops with us because when they fall ill they will have to go the hospital,” he said.
Dr Sory said the concerns being expressed by the people in the area were genuine, since there was a high possibility of contamination of water and other food items in the area.
He said as part of the visit to the area, the environmental health officers should be able to determine whether it was suitable to dump unclaimed bodies in the area.
Residents of the Mile 11 area woke up on Monday to a horrific scene and overpowering stench of rotten human parts at the cemetery in the area.
That followed a heavy downpour that exposed the parts of human bodies buried in shallow mass graves at the cemetery.
At the scene, human skulls, teeth and other parts were scattered around, while legs protruded from the graves. Residents feared that the rotten bodies could easily have adverse effects on their lives.
According to them, the mass burial of dead bodies which apparently had not been claimed by the relatives of the deceased was a daily occurrence at the cemetery.
They indicated that it was a common spectacle to see trucks from morgues discharging dead bodies into mass graves at the cemetery.
One resident, Mr Benjamin Asiedu, said the overpowering stench which emanated from the dead bodies often rendered residents uncomfortable and incapable of sleeping well.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
41 Per cent of primary school teachers untrained
29-04-09
Page 11
THE Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is worried that about 41 per cent of primary school teachers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) are untrained.
According to GNAT, the level of training and expertise of educators have serious effects on the quality of education that is given to the youth and adults, and stressed the need for the government to invest in the teachers, since they drive the wheels of education.
The General Secretary of GNAT, Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, expressed the worry at a one-day reading clinic organised by the association for 24 pupils from eight basic schools at Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) and sponsored by EPP Books Limited as part of the Global Action Week celebration.
She said it was through qualified and well-motivated teachers that Ghanaian children could gain quality public education.
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah noted that the most effective way through which the youth and adults could gain the knowledge they were searching for, was through correct reading habits.
She observed that while there were millions of people across the world who could not read, there were 75 million children across the world out of school and 776 million adults illiterates, with two thirds being women.
Literacy, she said, was a human right, a tool for personal development, adding that “providing adults with access to literacy programmes and children with access to school are both fundamental steps in tackling poverty”.
She said the 2007 Chief Examiner’s Report of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) indicated that the average Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) pass rate of only 60 per cent achieved nationally over the past five years, was partly due to the inability of students to read and understand simple English.
“Sixty per cent of children in school are unable to read or write simple sentences after six years of basic education. This implies that Ghana cannot achieve the Education for All Goal by 2015.”
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah indicated that the high prevalence of illiteracy exposed millions of Ghanaian children to poverty and deprived them of a life of dignity and fundamental freedoms, as well as their effective development in the national development efforts.
The General Secretary touched on the issue of the single spine salary structure and warned that GNAT would not tolerate its delay and non-implementation.
“The delay in implementation is aggravating matters. Let it be clearly understood that no excuses of delay on non-implementation of the new salary system on the part of government will be tolerated,” she stated.
She said the “loud silence” on the implementation of the single spine salary structure seriously affected the stability of labour relations in the education sector and this was a “de-motivator” and GNAT viewed the government’s silence as nothing but lack of concern.
The Ga West Municipal Director of Education, Mr Daniel Budu Asiedu, commended GNAT for organising the programme.
The Ga West Municipal Chairman of GNAT, Mr Kwame Sakyi, said there was the need to prepare the youth for “this fast changing world”.
Page 11
THE Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is worried that about 41 per cent of primary school teachers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) are untrained.
According to GNAT, the level of training and expertise of educators have serious effects on the quality of education that is given to the youth and adults, and stressed the need for the government to invest in the teachers, since they drive the wheels of education.
The General Secretary of GNAT, Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, expressed the worry at a one-day reading clinic organised by the association for 24 pupils from eight basic schools at Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) and sponsored by EPP Books Limited as part of the Global Action Week celebration.
She said it was through qualified and well-motivated teachers that Ghanaian children could gain quality public education.
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah noted that the most effective way through which the youth and adults could gain the knowledge they were searching for, was through correct reading habits.
She observed that while there were millions of people across the world who could not read, there were 75 million children across the world out of school and 776 million adults illiterates, with two thirds being women.
Literacy, she said, was a human right, a tool for personal development, adding that “providing adults with access to literacy programmes and children with access to school are both fundamental steps in tackling poverty”.
She said the 2007 Chief Examiner’s Report of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) indicated that the average Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) pass rate of only 60 per cent achieved nationally over the past five years, was partly due to the inability of students to read and understand simple English.
“Sixty per cent of children in school are unable to read or write simple sentences after six years of basic education. This implies that Ghana cannot achieve the Education for All Goal by 2015.”
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah indicated that the high prevalence of illiteracy exposed millions of Ghanaian children to poverty and deprived them of a life of dignity and fundamental freedoms, as well as their effective development in the national development efforts.
The General Secretary touched on the issue of the single spine salary structure and warned that GNAT would not tolerate its delay and non-implementation.
“The delay in implementation is aggravating matters. Let it be clearly understood that no excuses of delay on non-implementation of the new salary system on the part of government will be tolerated,” she stated.
She said the “loud silence” on the implementation of the single spine salary structure seriously affected the stability of labour relations in the education sector and this was a “de-motivator” and GNAT viewed the government’s silence as nothing but lack of concern.
The Ga West Municipal Director of Education, Mr Daniel Budu Asiedu, commended GNAT for organising the programme.
The Ga West Municipal Chairman of GNAT, Mr Kwame Sakyi, said there was the need to prepare the youth for “this fast changing world”.
Headteacher faces demotion
30-04-09
Head teacher to be demoted for collecting unapproved fees
THE Head Teacher of the Kaneshie Bishop Two Junior High School (JHS), Ms Comfort Nyarko, is to be demoted for asking pupils to pay an unapproved levy of GH¢5 each as their contribution towards the funeral of a dead teacher.
While some of the pupils were able to make the payment, others could not pay and they were sacked from school by the head teacher.
Ms Nyarko is being demoted from her current position to that of a class teacher.
The Accra Metropolitan Director of Education, Nii Okaidja Dinsey, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, said the decision had been taken to demote Ms Nyarko because the findings of a committee set up to investigate the matter revealed that she collected the money from some students and asked those who could not pay to go home.
He said in the course of the investigations into the matter, following media reports, the head teacher accepted the charges made against her, adding that although she apologised and pleaded for leniency, the decision to demote her had been taken to serve as a deterrent to other teachers.
Mr Dinsey described the action of the head teacher as unnecessary, since the Ghana Education Service (GES) had warned head teachers and teachers against the collection of unapproved levies.
He said apart from circulars issued to that effect, advertisers’ announcements had been made in the newspapers warning teachers against engaging in such acts.
He said during the investigations, the head teacher said the dead teacher had been good and that the collection of the money was to help support his family.
Mr Dinsey said the demotion was part of disciplinary measures contained in the GES code of conduct and that although the action was yet to be communicated to the head teacher, the decision had been taken and sanctioned.
He said Ms Nyarko would be written to when school reopened.
The director appealed to teachers who hid behind parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to collect or extort money from pupils to stop that practice, since disciplinary action would be taken against them when they were caught.
Mr Dinsey said the GES recognised and appreciated the contributions of the PTAs and asked them to seek approval from the service before collecting any money from parents.
“We cannot do without the PTAs because we are fighting for the common goal of pupils,” he said, and indicated that the current action against Ms Nyarko was not witch-hunt but administrative.
Head teacher to be demoted for collecting unapproved fees
THE Head Teacher of the Kaneshie Bishop Two Junior High School (JHS), Ms Comfort Nyarko, is to be demoted for asking pupils to pay an unapproved levy of GH¢5 each as their contribution towards the funeral of a dead teacher.
While some of the pupils were able to make the payment, others could not pay and they were sacked from school by the head teacher.
Ms Nyarko is being demoted from her current position to that of a class teacher.
The Accra Metropolitan Director of Education, Nii Okaidja Dinsey, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, said the decision had been taken to demote Ms Nyarko because the findings of a committee set up to investigate the matter revealed that she collected the money from some students and asked those who could not pay to go home.
He said in the course of the investigations into the matter, following media reports, the head teacher accepted the charges made against her, adding that although she apologised and pleaded for leniency, the decision to demote her had been taken to serve as a deterrent to other teachers.
Mr Dinsey described the action of the head teacher as unnecessary, since the Ghana Education Service (GES) had warned head teachers and teachers against the collection of unapproved levies.
He said apart from circulars issued to that effect, advertisers’ announcements had been made in the newspapers warning teachers against engaging in such acts.
He said during the investigations, the head teacher said the dead teacher had been good and that the collection of the money was to help support his family.
Mr Dinsey said the demotion was part of disciplinary measures contained in the GES code of conduct and that although the action was yet to be communicated to the head teacher, the decision had been taken and sanctioned.
He said Ms Nyarko would be written to when school reopened.
The director appealed to teachers who hid behind parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to collect or extort money from pupils to stop that practice, since disciplinary action would be taken against them when they were caught.
Mr Dinsey said the GES recognised and appreciated the contributions of the PTAs and asked them to seek approval from the service before collecting any money from parents.
“We cannot do without the PTAs because we are fighting for the common goal of pupils,” he said, and indicated that the current action against Ms Nyarko was not witch-hunt but administrative.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Mentoring ensures staff development
Page 14
March 20, 2009
THE Head of Professional Development of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, Mr Tony Osude, has underscored the need for organisations to establish an effective mentoring system for staff development.
He said they should also make coaching and mentoring processes available to all staff members.
Mr Osude made the call in a presentation on “Importance of Coaching and Mentoring to Finance Professionals” in Accra last Tuesday.
He said it was incumbent upon organisations to develop finance professionals as coaches and include coaching as part of the training available to all finance professionals.
He stressed the need to establish an external and/or internal coach faculty, and “formally appoint and accredit coaches, establish objectives, methodologies, milestones and measurable outcomes”.
“If this is successful, coaching should become a way of doing business,” he said.
The Country Manager of ACCA, Ms Gifty Ofori, said the programme had been designed for “our approved employers as well as potential employers”.
She said it was to help build the capacity in managing and mentoring the finance person, saying that ensuring the high performance of all employees of the association was paramount.
“This is particularly true for the finance profession as we see greater responsibility and reliance on accountants and finance professionals in making critical business decisions in safeguarding the future success of organisations” he said, adding that “the role of the finance professional has become critically important, now more than ever.”
Ms Ofori said presently the world was facing challenges as the global economy was facing its most severe test in many years, and as the future looked uncertain, “history tells us that those companies that are best placed to survive the economic challenges are those organisations that have continued to invest in recruiting, developing and retaining talented people”.
She said the ACCA approved employment programme had been designed to help employers to derive maximum value from their finance staff, and that the programme enabled professionals to benchmark their training and development practices against ACCA’s best practice training standards.
March 20, 2009
THE Head of Professional Development of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, Mr Tony Osude, has underscored the need for organisations to establish an effective mentoring system for staff development.
He said they should also make coaching and mentoring processes available to all staff members.
Mr Osude made the call in a presentation on “Importance of Coaching and Mentoring to Finance Professionals” in Accra last Tuesday.
He said it was incumbent upon organisations to develop finance professionals as coaches and include coaching as part of the training available to all finance professionals.
He stressed the need to establish an external and/or internal coach faculty, and “formally appoint and accredit coaches, establish objectives, methodologies, milestones and measurable outcomes”.
“If this is successful, coaching should become a way of doing business,” he said.
The Country Manager of ACCA, Ms Gifty Ofori, said the programme had been designed for “our approved employers as well as potential employers”.
She said it was to help build the capacity in managing and mentoring the finance person, saying that ensuring the high performance of all employees of the association was paramount.
“This is particularly true for the finance profession as we see greater responsibility and reliance on accountants and finance professionals in making critical business decisions in safeguarding the future success of organisations” he said, adding that “the role of the finance professional has become critically important, now more than ever.”
Ms Ofori said presently the world was facing challenges as the global economy was facing its most severe test in many years, and as the future looked uncertain, “history tells us that those companies that are best placed to survive the economic challenges are those organisations that have continued to invest in recruiting, developing and retaining talented people”.
She said the ACCA approved employment programme had been designed to help employers to derive maximum value from their finance staff, and that the programme enabled professionals to benchmark their training and development practices against ACCA’s best practice training standards.
Horrific, 21 perish in two accidents
Twenty-one people were killed on Wednesday night and in the early hours of yesterday in two separate accidents at Bewadze, near Winneba in the Central Region and Akyem-Nkronso, near Apedwa on the Accra-Kumasi road in the Eastern Region.
Sixteen people died in the Bewadze accident a five in the Akyem-Nkronso incident.
In the first accident, a gas tanker collided with a saloon car, exploded and burst into flames, resulting in people getting burnt, some of them beyond recognition. Those killed included two children and a pregnant woman. About 27 others who sustained various degrees of injury were sent to the Korle-Bu and the 37 Military hospitals.
One of the 11 people referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was pronounced dead on arrival, while three others, two females and a male, died yesterday morning, bringing the total number of people who died in the first accident to 16.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, among the seven surviving victims of the Bewadze accident were five males and two females.
He mentioned those on admission as Anthony Sam, 33; Kezia Krampa, 18; Sadatu Muntari, whose age is unknown; Yussif Mohammed, 30; Kwaku Edwin, 42; Joshua Odartey Lamptey, 14, and Bright Nyarko Nkoom, 19.
The deceased include 10-year-old Kofi, Adisa Kobura, 50; Christine Buah, 50, and an unidentified adult.
The driver of the tanker and one of his mates who managed to survive the accident are in the grips of the police.
The accident, which occurred about 7.30 p.m., involved the tanker, with registration number GE 2115 Z, and a saloon car, with registration number GR 8962 U.
At the time the Daily Graphic team got to the scene about 6.30 a.m. yesterday, smoke was still coming out of a 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus which was about 100 metres away from where the tanker collided with the saloon car.
A few metres from the Benz was the charred body of a woman who had fallen into a trench along the road.
Opposite the spot of the accident was a burnt area stretching about 200 metres.
Two other vehicles that were affected by the raging fire and got burnt in the process were a 33-seater Benz, with registration number GR 8944 B, and an Urvan bus, with registration number CR 461 Z.
Also at the scene of the accident was the tank containing liquefied petroleum gas which had disengaged from the vehicle stuck in between a culvert.
The Winneba Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ASP Nana Ofori, told the Daily Graphic that the police were yet to establish the cause of the accident.
He said the driver of the tanker and his mate were giving conflicting statements as to how the accident occurred, adding that the police had since begun investigations into the matter.
However, eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was travelling from Accra towards Apam, burst its left tyre and in the process ran into the lane of the saloon car which was coming from the Apam end towards Winneba.
Following that, they said, there was a loud explosion from the tanker, which caught fire which, in turn, engulfed other vehicles behind it.
The Winneba Municipal Fire Officer, DOI B. K. Nketiah, told the Daily Graphic that it took firemen two hours to put out the fire.
At the Winneba Government Hospital, the officer in charge of the Accidents Unit, Ms Victoria Eduafo, said 34 victims had been brought to the hospital.
Out of the number, seven passed away. Three others died on the spot, while the rest died at the hospital.
In the second accident, a 20-footer container on a DAF truck fell onto the lane of an oncoming 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus, crushing it and killing four persons on the spot.
The accident occurred about 3.45 a.m. yesterday when the trailer of the DAF truck, which was carrying the container which contained several gallons of acid, detached from the main body of the truck, with registration number GE 2882 Z.
It rolled on the road for several metres in the lane of the oncoming Benz bus, crushed it and spilled its contents on those on board the bus.
The DAF truck was said to be travelling from the Tema Port to Niamey, the capital of Niger, while the Benz bus, with registration number ER 611 N, was heading towards Accra from Kwahu Tafo.
Among those who died on the spot were the driver of the Benz bus, who was identified as Richard Kwame Yeboah, and his mate, who was not immediately identified.
Another dead person, who had been rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where eight others who had sustained injuries had been taken to, have also not been identified yet.
Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred when the driver of the DAF truck, driven by one Abdul Razak, by-passed a stationary Mercedes truck, with registration number GR 605 B, parked in a curve on the shoulders of the road.
They said the driver of the truck, who was said to have spotted the oncoming bus while in the process of by-passing the stationery truck, attempted to slow down and moved back into his lane and, in the process, the trailer detached itself from the main body and fell on the path of the oncoming bus.
The witnesses said while the head of the truck was in the bush, the 20-footer container rolled several yards in the lane of the Benz bus before crashing into the oncoming bus and mangling it in the process.
They said before the accident occurred, the driver of the bus had directed it off its lane in order to avoid the container but rather ran into it. The black plume emanating from the leaking acid also engulfed the area, hampering rescue operations.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from Suhum who went to the scene, however, managed to rescue others and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.
The Suhum District Police Commander, Superintendent Paul Kontomah, confirmed the story and cautioned drivers to be disciplined on the road.
Mr Timothy Gobah also reports that President J.E.A. Mills yesterday visited victims of the Bewadze accident at the 37 Military Hospital Emergency Trauma and Surgical Department to empathise with them.
The President, who was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, and some ministers of state, was at the hospital to also have firsthand information on the accident.
President Mills was taken round the emergency ward by the Commanding Officer of the hospital, Brigadier-General Wade Whani, where he wished the victims speedy recovery.
Dr Yankey, who addressed the media after the visit, said the government would put emergency measures in place to save the lives of those who survived.
He said recent accidents on the Accra-Winneba road had revealed the inadequacies in the health sector and
mentioned the lack of ambulances to deal with emergency cases on the roads and medical equipment in the hospitals as some of the inadequacies that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Dr Yankey said his ministry had plans to meet transport owners, as well as players in the industry, to fashion out an inter-sectoral measure to deal with the situation.
He used the occasion to appeal to drivers to be careful on the roads, while urging the public to call on the Fire Service particularly in accidents involving inflammable materials, such as gas and petroleum products.
He commended the medical staff on duty at the Winneba, Suhum, Korle-Bu and 37 Military hospitals for their swift responses to the situation and singled out Dr Armah of Korle-Bu and Major Dr Appiah of the 37 Military Hospital for mention.
Sixteen people died in the Bewadze accident a five in the Akyem-Nkronso incident.
In the first accident, a gas tanker collided with a saloon car, exploded and burst into flames, resulting in people getting burnt, some of them beyond recognition. Those killed included two children and a pregnant woman. About 27 others who sustained various degrees of injury were sent to the Korle-Bu and the 37 Military hospitals.
One of the 11 people referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was pronounced dead on arrival, while three others, two females and a male, died yesterday morning, bringing the total number of people who died in the first accident to 16.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, among the seven surviving victims of the Bewadze accident were five males and two females.
He mentioned those on admission as Anthony Sam, 33; Kezia Krampa, 18; Sadatu Muntari, whose age is unknown; Yussif Mohammed, 30; Kwaku Edwin, 42; Joshua Odartey Lamptey, 14, and Bright Nyarko Nkoom, 19.
The deceased include 10-year-old Kofi, Adisa Kobura, 50; Christine Buah, 50, and an unidentified adult.
The driver of the tanker and one of his mates who managed to survive the accident are in the grips of the police.
The accident, which occurred about 7.30 p.m., involved the tanker, with registration number GE 2115 Z, and a saloon car, with registration number GR 8962 U.
At the time the Daily Graphic team got to the scene about 6.30 a.m. yesterday, smoke was still coming out of a 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus which was about 100 metres away from where the tanker collided with the saloon car.
A few metres from the Benz was the charred body of a woman who had fallen into a trench along the road.
Opposite the spot of the accident was a burnt area stretching about 200 metres.
Two other vehicles that were affected by the raging fire and got burnt in the process were a 33-seater Benz, with registration number GR 8944 B, and an Urvan bus, with registration number CR 461 Z.
Also at the scene of the accident was the tank containing liquefied petroleum gas which had disengaged from the vehicle stuck in between a culvert.
The Winneba Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), ASP Nana Ofori, told the Daily Graphic that the police were yet to establish the cause of the accident.
He said the driver of the tanker and his mate were giving conflicting statements as to how the accident occurred, adding that the police had since begun investigations into the matter.
However, eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was travelling from Accra towards Apam, burst its left tyre and in the process ran into the lane of the saloon car which was coming from the Apam end towards Winneba.
Following that, they said, there was a loud explosion from the tanker, which caught fire which, in turn, engulfed other vehicles behind it.
The Winneba Municipal Fire Officer, DOI B. K. Nketiah, told the Daily Graphic that it took firemen two hours to put out the fire.
At the Winneba Government Hospital, the officer in charge of the Accidents Unit, Ms Victoria Eduafo, said 34 victims had been brought to the hospital.
Out of the number, seven passed away. Three others died on the spot, while the rest died at the hospital.
In the second accident, a 20-footer container on a DAF truck fell onto the lane of an oncoming 33-seater Mercedes Benz bus, crushing it and killing four persons on the spot.
The accident occurred about 3.45 a.m. yesterday when the trailer of the DAF truck, which was carrying the container which contained several gallons of acid, detached from the main body of the truck, with registration number GE 2882 Z.
It rolled on the road for several metres in the lane of the oncoming Benz bus, crushed it and spilled its contents on those on board the bus.
The DAF truck was said to be travelling from the Tema Port to Niamey, the capital of Niger, while the Benz bus, with registration number ER 611 N, was heading towards Accra from Kwahu Tafo.
Among those who died on the spot were the driver of the Benz bus, who was identified as Richard Kwame Yeboah, and his mate, who was not immediately identified.
Another dead person, who had been rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where eight others who had sustained injuries had been taken to, have also not been identified yet.
Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred when the driver of the DAF truck, driven by one Abdul Razak, by-passed a stationary Mercedes truck, with registration number GR 605 B, parked in a curve on the shoulders of the road.
They said the driver of the truck, who was said to have spotted the oncoming bus while in the process of by-passing the stationery truck, attempted to slow down and moved back into his lane and, in the process, the trailer detached itself from the main body and fell on the path of the oncoming bus.
The witnesses said while the head of the truck was in the bush, the 20-footer container rolled several yards in the lane of the Benz bus before crashing into the oncoming bus and mangling it in the process.
They said before the accident occurred, the driver of the bus had directed it off its lane in order to avoid the container but rather ran into it. The black plume emanating from the leaking acid also engulfed the area, hampering rescue operations.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from Suhum who went to the scene, however, managed to rescue others and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.
The Suhum District Police Commander, Superintendent Paul Kontomah, confirmed the story and cautioned drivers to be disciplined on the road.
Mr Timothy Gobah also reports that President J.E.A. Mills yesterday visited victims of the Bewadze accident at the 37 Military Hospital Emergency Trauma and Surgical Department to empathise with them.
The President, who was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, and some ministers of state, was at the hospital to also have firsthand information on the accident.
President Mills was taken round the emergency ward by the Commanding Officer of the hospital, Brigadier-General Wade Whani, where he wished the victims speedy recovery.
Dr Yankey, who addressed the media after the visit, said the government would put emergency measures in place to save the lives of those who survived.
He said recent accidents on the Accra-Winneba road had revealed the inadequacies in the health sector and
mentioned the lack of ambulances to deal with emergency cases on the roads and medical equipment in the hospitals as some of the inadequacies that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Dr Yankey said his ministry had plans to meet transport owners, as well as players in the industry, to fashion out an inter-sectoral measure to deal with the situation.
He used the occasion to appeal to drivers to be careful on the roads, while urging the public to call on the Fire Service particularly in accidents involving inflammable materials, such as gas and petroleum products.
He commended the medical staff on duty at the Winneba, Suhum, Korle-Bu and 37 Military hospitals for their swift responses to the situation and singled out Dr Armah of Korle-Bu and Major Dr Appiah of the 37 Military Hospital for mention.
Govt clears arrears of NIA operators
March 19, 2009
Page 3
THE government has released GH¢2,057,400 for the payment of outstanding allowances to the mobile registration workstation (MRW) operators of the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof Ken Attafuah, who announced this at a press conference in Accra yesterday, said the allowances covered the period November and December 2008 and January 2009.
He said the money was released by the Bank of Ghana to the ARB Apex Bank for onward transfer to rural banks through which the operators were paid.
He said the authority had since communicated to the 1,521 operators and CD controllers that they could access their money from March 23, 2009.
He attributed the problem associated with the release of allowances to the elections and the transition from the previous to the current government.
The MRW operators who were contracted by the NIA, on March 2, 2009, embarked on a demonstration in Accra to press home their demand for unpaid allowances.
Dr Attafuah expressed concern over the attitude of the MRW operators who embarked on the demonstration for the release of the money, arguing that at the time they embarked on the demonstration, approval had been given for the release of the money.
He said the authority was a law-abiding institution and had to abide by the processes through which the money had to be released, saying the authority “acted prudently with sensitivity”.
He said the NIA would vary the contract of the operators and that under the variation, the operators would be paid per day when they reported for work.
Dr Attafuah said the payment per day would total GH¢450 to be paid to each operator per month.
He said with the release of the money, the authority would continue with the mass registration exercise in the Volta Region and that equipment had been deployed to the northern part of the region to commence the exercise from March 31, 2009.
The authority has so far undertaken the mass registration exercise in the Central, Western and Eastern regions.
Dr Attafuah said after the Volta Region, the exercise would move to the Greater Accra Region and then to the Ashanti Region.
He said the NIA was satisfied with the exercise carried out in the three regions, saying that its target was to capture 65 per cent of people in a given area.
He said regional and district offices would be set up to continue with the exercise, which was to register both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians.
All things being equal, Dr Attafuah said, the NIA would start issuing the national ID cards from July this year.
Page 3
THE government has released GH¢2,057,400 for the payment of outstanding allowances to the mobile registration workstation (MRW) operators of the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof Ken Attafuah, who announced this at a press conference in Accra yesterday, said the allowances covered the period November and December 2008 and January 2009.
He said the money was released by the Bank of Ghana to the ARB Apex Bank for onward transfer to rural banks through which the operators were paid.
He said the authority had since communicated to the 1,521 operators and CD controllers that they could access their money from March 23, 2009.
He attributed the problem associated with the release of allowances to the elections and the transition from the previous to the current government.
The MRW operators who were contracted by the NIA, on March 2, 2009, embarked on a demonstration in Accra to press home their demand for unpaid allowances.
Dr Attafuah expressed concern over the attitude of the MRW operators who embarked on the demonstration for the release of the money, arguing that at the time they embarked on the demonstration, approval had been given for the release of the money.
He said the authority was a law-abiding institution and had to abide by the processes through which the money had to be released, saying the authority “acted prudently with sensitivity”.
He said the NIA would vary the contract of the operators and that under the variation, the operators would be paid per day when they reported for work.
Dr Attafuah said the payment per day would total GH¢450 to be paid to each operator per month.
He said with the release of the money, the authority would continue with the mass registration exercise in the Volta Region and that equipment had been deployed to the northern part of the region to commence the exercise from March 31, 2009.
The authority has so far undertaken the mass registration exercise in the Central, Western and Eastern regions.
Dr Attafuah said after the Volta Region, the exercise would move to the Greater Accra Region and then to the Ashanti Region.
He said the NIA was satisfied with the exercise carried out in the three regions, saying that its target was to capture 65 per cent of people in a given area.
He said regional and district offices would be set up to continue with the exercise, which was to register both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians.
All things being equal, Dr Attafuah said, the NIA would start issuing the national ID cards from July this year.
Grant tax relief for teachers in deprived areas
Page 43
March 19, 2009
A CIVIL society organisation, the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), has called on the government to grant tax relief to teachers posted to deprived areas of the country.
That, it said, was to serve as an incentive to attract teachers, especially quality ones, to such areas to address the geographical disparity of teacher distribution, as well as improve educational delivery in the country.
“GNECC believes that the teacher is at the centre of education in Ghana for which reason we welcome moves by the government to motive them.
“We are also enthused by the recognition of huge disparities in teacher deployment along rural and urban lines,” the National Co-ordinator of the GNECC, Mr Leslie Tettey, said at a news conference in Accra last Monday.
The news conference was organised by the coalition to enable it to comment on some of the educational policies and programmes announced by the government in its 2009 budget.
Mr Tettey said the government should be realistic and give true meaning to its commitment in ensuring equity in the distribution of teachers in the country by mustering the political will to implement proposals which had seen no consideration over the past five years.
“Lessons from the past indicate that any other ad-hoc and ineffective incentive mechanism will only amount to a drain on scarce educational resources as it may not produce the desired outcome,” he said.
He said the coalition was also disturbed about the fact that 41 per cent of primary school teachers were untrained, and that most of those teachers were Community Education Teaching Assistants who had been engaged under the National Youth Employment Programme.
Mr Tettey said the GNECC was of the view that some key issues relating to the provision of quality education as provided by the government in the 2009 budget was commendable, and mentioned such issues as the abolishing of all unapproved levies and the provision of school uniforms for children in basic schools in deprived communities.
The coalition welcomed the government’s intention to subsidise the registration fees for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and abolish fees in basic schools.
It, however, advised the government to ensure that terminal and promotional examination fees were abolished.
“Most children in deprived communities are unable to afford terminal and promotional examination fees of up to GH¢3 a term. These unfortunate children are prevented from writing examinations on the grounds of defaulting in the payment of examination fees,” Mr Tettey emphasised.
He said in the spirit of the Constitution, the coalition was calling on the government to expand its policy of distributing free exercise books to pupils in public schools to include private schools “to give true meaning to the public/private sector partnership to basic education”.
Mr Tettey, on behalf of the coalition, applauded the government for the increment in the Capitation Grant from GH¢3 to GH¢4.5 per child per term, saying that although the GNECC had advocated an increment of the grant from GH¢3 to GH¢5, “we consequently wish to reiterate the fact that the creation of a threshold for rural schools is very essential in ensuring equity in the disbursement of the Capitation Grant”.
The GNECC is a network of civil society organisations, professional bodies, education and research institutions and individuals interested in promoting quality basic education for all.
March 19, 2009
A CIVIL society organisation, the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), has called on the government to grant tax relief to teachers posted to deprived areas of the country.
That, it said, was to serve as an incentive to attract teachers, especially quality ones, to such areas to address the geographical disparity of teacher distribution, as well as improve educational delivery in the country.
“GNECC believes that the teacher is at the centre of education in Ghana for which reason we welcome moves by the government to motive them.
“We are also enthused by the recognition of huge disparities in teacher deployment along rural and urban lines,” the National Co-ordinator of the GNECC, Mr Leslie Tettey, said at a news conference in Accra last Monday.
The news conference was organised by the coalition to enable it to comment on some of the educational policies and programmes announced by the government in its 2009 budget.
Mr Tettey said the government should be realistic and give true meaning to its commitment in ensuring equity in the distribution of teachers in the country by mustering the political will to implement proposals which had seen no consideration over the past five years.
“Lessons from the past indicate that any other ad-hoc and ineffective incentive mechanism will only amount to a drain on scarce educational resources as it may not produce the desired outcome,” he said.
He said the coalition was also disturbed about the fact that 41 per cent of primary school teachers were untrained, and that most of those teachers were Community Education Teaching Assistants who had been engaged under the National Youth Employment Programme.
Mr Tettey said the GNECC was of the view that some key issues relating to the provision of quality education as provided by the government in the 2009 budget was commendable, and mentioned such issues as the abolishing of all unapproved levies and the provision of school uniforms for children in basic schools in deprived communities.
The coalition welcomed the government’s intention to subsidise the registration fees for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and abolish fees in basic schools.
It, however, advised the government to ensure that terminal and promotional examination fees were abolished.
“Most children in deprived communities are unable to afford terminal and promotional examination fees of up to GH¢3 a term. These unfortunate children are prevented from writing examinations on the grounds of defaulting in the payment of examination fees,” Mr Tettey emphasised.
He said in the spirit of the Constitution, the coalition was calling on the government to expand its policy of distributing free exercise books to pupils in public schools to include private schools “to give true meaning to the public/private sector partnership to basic education”.
Mr Tettey, on behalf of the coalition, applauded the government for the increment in the Capitation Grant from GH¢3 to GH¢4.5 per child per term, saying that although the GNECC had advocated an increment of the grant from GH¢3 to GH¢5, “we consequently wish to reiterate the fact that the creation of a threshold for rural schools is very essential in ensuring equity in the disbursement of the Capitation Grant”.
The GNECC is a network of civil society organisations, professional bodies, education and research institutions and individuals interested in promoting quality basic education for all.
Legon discusses new master's programmes
Page 11
March 18, 2009
THE authorities of the University of Ghana, Legon, have started discussions on the introduction of non-dissertation Master’s degree programmes.
The philosophy behind this is to boost completion rates for Master’s students, particularly those enrolled on sandwich programmes which runs during vacation periods.
“The majority of these students are already practitioners in their various fields, and the thinking is that this category of students would benefit more from a strong theoretical base in their respective fields of study, which could be obtained from the term paper format, or a series of shorter assignments, rather than the process of dissertation proposal, development, completion and defence,” the Vice Chancellor, Prof. C. N. B. Tagoe, said at the 2009 congregation of the university last Saturday.
He said during the year under review, programmes in Pharmacy were approved to augment the programmes offered by other schools and institutes in the College of Health Sciences.
Other programmes which were approved during the past academic year include a Master of Arts degree programme in Social Policy Studies, run by the Centre for Social Policy Studies, an elective course in Health Communication and a sandwich Master of Arts programme in Communication Studies.
A Master of Arts programme in Museum and Heritage Studies has also revised its undergraduate programmes to meet the demands of the market.
Prof. Tagoe said approval had been given for the establishment of the Ghana Cocoa Board Chair in Agriculture, to start in August this year, adding that $500,000 had been provided by the Ghana Cocoa Board to start an endowment fund for such purpose.
He indicated that in the 2007/2008 academic year, the university disbursed GH¢500,000 from its own coffers to members of staff to conduct research and attend conferences.
In its 2009 budget, he said the university had again made an allocation of GH¢500,000 from its own resources for research, and that “we expect the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to match this amount”.
Prof. Tagoe said in order to improve the quality of teaching and research as well as enhance the international standing of the university, steps were being taken to enforce the requirement that applicants for appointment to lectureships should hold PhDs.
On financial support for students, he said the Students Financial Aid Office (SFAO) awarded financial aid to 319 students from the three campuses for the 2007/2008 academic year, and that for the 2008/2009 academic year the SFAO had awarded scholarship to 200 students.
“Total scholarship disbursement by the office increased from GH¢12,100 in the 2005/2006 academic year to GH¢45,331.52 for the 2007/2008 academic year, with significant increases in the number of students applying for and being awarded assistance. Since the 2004/2005 academic, almost 1000 students from senior high schools classified as less endowed by the Ministry of Education have benefited from fee waivers awarded by the university, amounting to over GH¢130,000,” he said.
March 18, 2009
THE authorities of the University of Ghana, Legon, have started discussions on the introduction of non-dissertation Master’s degree programmes.
The philosophy behind this is to boost completion rates for Master’s students, particularly those enrolled on sandwich programmes which runs during vacation periods.
“The majority of these students are already practitioners in their various fields, and the thinking is that this category of students would benefit more from a strong theoretical base in their respective fields of study, which could be obtained from the term paper format, or a series of shorter assignments, rather than the process of dissertation proposal, development, completion and defence,” the Vice Chancellor, Prof. C. N. B. Tagoe, said at the 2009 congregation of the university last Saturday.
He said during the year under review, programmes in Pharmacy were approved to augment the programmes offered by other schools and institutes in the College of Health Sciences.
Other programmes which were approved during the past academic year include a Master of Arts degree programme in Social Policy Studies, run by the Centre for Social Policy Studies, an elective course in Health Communication and a sandwich Master of Arts programme in Communication Studies.
A Master of Arts programme in Museum and Heritage Studies has also revised its undergraduate programmes to meet the demands of the market.
Prof. Tagoe said approval had been given for the establishment of the Ghana Cocoa Board Chair in Agriculture, to start in August this year, adding that $500,000 had been provided by the Ghana Cocoa Board to start an endowment fund for such purpose.
He indicated that in the 2007/2008 academic year, the university disbursed GH¢500,000 from its own coffers to members of staff to conduct research and attend conferences.
In its 2009 budget, he said the university had again made an allocation of GH¢500,000 from its own resources for research, and that “we expect the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to match this amount”.
Prof. Tagoe said in order to improve the quality of teaching and research as well as enhance the international standing of the university, steps were being taken to enforce the requirement that applicants for appointment to lectureships should hold PhDs.
On financial support for students, he said the Students Financial Aid Office (SFAO) awarded financial aid to 319 students from the three campuses for the 2007/2008 academic year, and that for the 2008/2009 academic year the SFAO had awarded scholarship to 200 students.
“Total scholarship disbursement by the office increased from GH¢12,100 in the 2005/2006 academic year to GH¢45,331.52 for the 2007/2008 academic year, with significant increases in the number of students applying for and being awarded assistance. Since the 2004/2005 academic, almost 1000 students from senior high schools classified as less endowed by the Ministry of Education have benefited from fee waivers awarded by the university, amounting to over GH¢130,000,” he said.
Ghanan to host international cadet conference
Page 34
March 17, 2009
A TOTAL of 10,200 students have been recruited into the 180 cadet corps currently operating in educational institutions across the country.
The cadet corps are made up of the army, navy, police, airforce and fire service.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, made this known when he inaugurated a seven-member committee to plan for the 48th International Air Cadet Exchange Association (IACEA) conference to be hosted by Ghana in September this year.
The event, which will be held from September 27 to October 2, 2009, will be attended by the 21 member countries of the IACEA.
The event in Ghana will be the first time an African country is hosting the conference. The event was held in Hong Kong last year.
The seven-member committee is chaired by Mr Charles Aheto-Tsegah, Director of Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ministry of Education.
The others are: Mr Kweku Rockson, acting Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism; Mr P.A.K. Danyo, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Education; Mr N.N. Tettey-Amarteifio, National Cadet Co-ordinator; Ms Doris Kuwornu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation; Nii Lantey Quarcoopome of the Funds, Procurement and Management Unit of the Ministry of Education and Ms Monica Blebo, a Communications Consultant.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said the government would ensure that more cadet corps were established to promote discipline in schools, and that school heads should not hesitate to contact the ministry in that regard.
“The time has come for us as a people to come together to fight indiscipline in society and be conscious of time in all our endeavours. We can achieve this successfully by encouraging the formation of more of these cadet corps in our educational institutions,” he said.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said the government and the ministry would ensure the successful hosting of the event.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Aheto-Tsegah, thanked the ministry for entrusting them with the task of planning for the conference and gave the assurance that the members would work successfully to justify the confidence reposed in them.
March 17, 2009
A TOTAL of 10,200 students have been recruited into the 180 cadet corps currently operating in educational institutions across the country.
The cadet corps are made up of the army, navy, police, airforce and fire service.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, made this known when he inaugurated a seven-member committee to plan for the 48th International Air Cadet Exchange Association (IACEA) conference to be hosted by Ghana in September this year.
The event, which will be held from September 27 to October 2, 2009, will be attended by the 21 member countries of the IACEA.
The event in Ghana will be the first time an African country is hosting the conference. The event was held in Hong Kong last year.
The seven-member committee is chaired by Mr Charles Aheto-Tsegah, Director of Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ministry of Education.
The others are: Mr Kweku Rockson, acting Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism; Mr P.A.K. Danyo, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Education; Mr N.N. Tettey-Amarteifio, National Cadet Co-ordinator; Ms Doris Kuwornu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation; Nii Lantey Quarcoopome of the Funds, Procurement and Management Unit of the Ministry of Education and Ms Monica Blebo, a Communications Consultant.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said the government would ensure that more cadet corps were established to promote discipline in schools, and that school heads should not hesitate to contact the ministry in that regard.
“The time has come for us as a people to come together to fight indiscipline in society and be conscious of time in all our endeavours. We can achieve this successfully by encouraging the formation of more of these cadet corps in our educational institutions,” he said.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said the government and the ministry would ensure the successful hosting of the event.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Aheto-Tsegah, thanked the ministry for entrusting them with the task of planning for the conference and gave the assurance that the members would work successfully to justify the confidence reposed in them.
No Full Cost Recovery
Page 1 Lead
March 16
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has stressed that the government would not espouse the full cost recovery in tertiary institutions.
“Providing quality education, the cycle would never be complete without quality tertiary education. That is why the NDC’s social democratic agenda does not believe in full cost recovery," he said.
President Mills said this at the 2009 congregation of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday.
The congregation was the second for the 2008/2009 academic year, the first having been held on November 1, 2008 for students of the faculties of Engineering, Law and Science, as well as the Business School, the School of Agriculture and the Graduate School.
A total of 4,737 students, comprising 351 diplomates, 4,135 undergraduates and 251 postgraduates graduated. Eighteen per cent of the diplomates obtained distinction, with 9.5 per cent of the undergraduates obtaining First Class, 31 per cent Second Class (Upper Division) and 51.8 per cent Second Class (Lower Division).
The Immediate Past United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, who was made the Chancellor of the university in August last year, presided over the ceremony, which saw the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, graduating with an Executive Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) degree.
“I particularly understand how critical tertiary education is for our nation, not only by developing our skilled human resource but also building our research centres, which are very critical to our forward march in all spheres," he said.
President Mills called on the graduates to let the principles of honesty, integrity and fair play be their guide.
He said they should put their knowledge and skills to good use “so that together we can build a better Ghana for ourselves and for generations to come”.
He noted that the government, for its part, would provide the needed resources to train the manpower of the country, adding that education was on top of the government’s priority list as it forged ahead in building a better Ghana.
Prof Mills said one of the core principles of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was investing in people and that there was no better way to invest in people than to give them quality education.
“Indeed, the training, research, extension and service functions of the university are intertwined and collectively significant for our national development and my administration will ensure that, to the extent possible, adequate financial and material resources are provided to optimally support tertiary education and research,” he said.
Prof Mills reiterated that the government would address the management inefficiencies and bottlenecks that affected equity and quality in the educational system, adding, “We will also critically examine the utilisation practices and processes of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to improve efficiency and ensure that the fund is used for its stipulated objectives.”
He said the government would make sure that infrastructure projects that were ongoing would be completed within the shortest possible time and new ones started.
The President congratulated the University of Ghana on the leadership role it had played and continued to play in the provision of tertiary education in Ghana, the sub-region, the continent and beyond.
“The future belongs to you and the positive mental attitudes you will develop this day onwards will go a long way to determine the kind of future you will build for yourselves. As a leader, I will do all my best to give opportunities to the youth,” he told the graduands.
He said it was up to the youth to position themselves properly and positively so that their full potential could be tapped.
The government, he said, was working to provide an enabling environment for business development and build support mechanisms that would facilitate the growth of businesses.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof C.N.B. Tagoe, announced that the university had started implementing some of the key recommendations of the Visitation Panel Report.
He said they included the abolition of sitting allowances at all statutory meetings of the university, appointees to lectureship positions should have doctorate degrees and the appointment of a consultant, Dr Peter French, to assist the university to review the course-credit system which had been in operation since the 1990s and was facing challenges.
He, however, said the implementation of several policy decisions and recommendations arising from the Visitation Report had to await the promulgation of the revised University of Ghana Act by Parliament.
The Chancellor, Mr Annan, for his part, reiterated that the right to education was one of the basic and fundamental rights enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“It gives me great pleasure to note that most Ghanaians, whatever their political persuasion, agree that the surest path to development for our great nation is through education,” he said.
In a valedictory speech, Mr Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie urged his colleagues to volunteer their ideas, skills, knowledge and physical strength to help to make society a better place.
March 16
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has stressed that the government would not espouse the full cost recovery in tertiary institutions.
“Providing quality education, the cycle would never be complete without quality tertiary education. That is why the NDC’s social democratic agenda does not believe in full cost recovery," he said.
President Mills said this at the 2009 congregation of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday.
The congregation was the second for the 2008/2009 academic year, the first having been held on November 1, 2008 for students of the faculties of Engineering, Law and Science, as well as the Business School, the School of Agriculture and the Graduate School.
A total of 4,737 students, comprising 351 diplomates, 4,135 undergraduates and 251 postgraduates graduated. Eighteen per cent of the diplomates obtained distinction, with 9.5 per cent of the undergraduates obtaining First Class, 31 per cent Second Class (Upper Division) and 51.8 per cent Second Class (Lower Division).
The Immediate Past United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, who was made the Chancellor of the university in August last year, presided over the ceremony, which saw the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, graduating with an Executive Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) degree.
“I particularly understand how critical tertiary education is for our nation, not only by developing our skilled human resource but also building our research centres, which are very critical to our forward march in all spheres," he said.
President Mills called on the graduates to let the principles of honesty, integrity and fair play be their guide.
He said they should put their knowledge and skills to good use “so that together we can build a better Ghana for ourselves and for generations to come”.
He noted that the government, for its part, would provide the needed resources to train the manpower of the country, adding that education was on top of the government’s priority list as it forged ahead in building a better Ghana.
Prof Mills said one of the core principles of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was investing in people and that there was no better way to invest in people than to give them quality education.
“Indeed, the training, research, extension and service functions of the university are intertwined and collectively significant for our national development and my administration will ensure that, to the extent possible, adequate financial and material resources are provided to optimally support tertiary education and research,” he said.
Prof Mills reiterated that the government would address the management inefficiencies and bottlenecks that affected equity and quality in the educational system, adding, “We will also critically examine the utilisation practices and processes of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to improve efficiency and ensure that the fund is used for its stipulated objectives.”
He said the government would make sure that infrastructure projects that were ongoing would be completed within the shortest possible time and new ones started.
The President congratulated the University of Ghana on the leadership role it had played and continued to play in the provision of tertiary education in Ghana, the sub-region, the continent and beyond.
“The future belongs to you and the positive mental attitudes you will develop this day onwards will go a long way to determine the kind of future you will build for yourselves. As a leader, I will do all my best to give opportunities to the youth,” he told the graduands.
He said it was up to the youth to position themselves properly and positively so that their full potential could be tapped.
The government, he said, was working to provide an enabling environment for business development and build support mechanisms that would facilitate the growth of businesses.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof C.N.B. Tagoe, announced that the university had started implementing some of the key recommendations of the Visitation Panel Report.
He said they included the abolition of sitting allowances at all statutory meetings of the university, appointees to lectureship positions should have doctorate degrees and the appointment of a consultant, Dr Peter French, to assist the university to review the course-credit system which had been in operation since the 1990s and was facing challenges.
He, however, said the implementation of several policy decisions and recommendations arising from the Visitation Report had to await the promulgation of the revised University of Ghana Act by Parliament.
The Chancellor, Mr Annan, for his part, reiterated that the right to education was one of the basic and fundamental rights enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“It gives me great pleasure to note that most Ghanaians, whatever their political persuasion, agree that the surest path to development for our great nation is through education,” he said.
In a valedictory speech, Mr Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie urged his colleagues to volunteer their ideas, skills, knowledge and physical strength to help to make society a better place.
INTEL Corporation to train 2,500 teachers
Page 17
March 13, 2009
INTEL Corporation, a computer firm is to train 2,500 teachers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) under its Intel Teach Programme by the end of this year.
The programme which is undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is part of the company’s World Ahead Programme which aims at reaching 1 billion people through ICT to improve their lives.
The Corporate Affairs Manager of Intel Corporation, Mr Ekundare Olubunmi, disclosed this at the opening of a five-day training of trainers programme for 42 teachers in Accra.
The teachers are from both first and second cycle institutions. They were selected by their heads of schools.
The Programme helps teachers to understand how, when and where to bring tools , resources and technology into their classrooms.
“We need to train the teachers who impart knowledge by bringing them up to speed with ICT,” Mr Olubunmi said, adding that the company wanted to train the teachers so that they could integrate technology in the classroom.
He said the World Ahead Programme, focused on four areas; accessibility, content, connectivity and education.
After training the teachers, he said they would also train other teachers in their schools, and indicated that the ministry had been advised to conduct its own independent evaluation of the training.
Mr Olubunmi indicated that the company was in talks with the ministry to start the teacher assisted personnel computer purchase programme, and that the initiative was to enable teachers to own their own computers at affordable prices.
He said, the company had spent about $1 billion world wide. “The programme in Ghana is a critical part of our programmes. For us, we are building the future of the children,” he said.
Mr Olubunmi said the company had received tremendous support from the ministry and would ensure that the desired objectives were achieved.
He said Intel believed that education was key to a productive future. To date, the programme has trained more than five million teachers in more than 40 countries, and is committed to reaching 13 million teachers by 2011.
March 13, 2009
INTEL Corporation, a computer firm is to train 2,500 teachers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) under its Intel Teach Programme by the end of this year.
The programme which is undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is part of the company’s World Ahead Programme which aims at reaching 1 billion people through ICT to improve their lives.
The Corporate Affairs Manager of Intel Corporation, Mr Ekundare Olubunmi, disclosed this at the opening of a five-day training of trainers programme for 42 teachers in Accra.
The teachers are from both first and second cycle institutions. They were selected by their heads of schools.
The Programme helps teachers to understand how, when and where to bring tools , resources and technology into their classrooms.
“We need to train the teachers who impart knowledge by bringing them up to speed with ICT,” Mr Olubunmi said, adding that the company wanted to train the teachers so that they could integrate technology in the classroom.
He said the World Ahead Programme, focused on four areas; accessibility, content, connectivity and education.
After training the teachers, he said they would also train other teachers in their schools, and indicated that the ministry had been advised to conduct its own independent evaluation of the training.
Mr Olubunmi indicated that the company was in talks with the ministry to start the teacher assisted personnel computer purchase programme, and that the initiative was to enable teachers to own their own computers at affordable prices.
He said, the company had spent about $1 billion world wide. “The programme in Ghana is a critical part of our programmes. For us, we are building the future of the children,” he said.
Mr Olubunmi said the company had received tremendous support from the ministry and would ensure that the desired objectives were achieved.
He said Intel believed that education was key to a productive future. To date, the programme has trained more than five million teachers in more than 40 countries, and is committed to reaching 13 million teachers by 2011.
Pokuase accident kills three
Back Page
March 11, 2009
THREE persons died on the spot yesterday and many others sustained injuries when an articulated truck loaded with lumber skidded off the road and hit a tree after running into the rear of an Accra-bound commercial bus at Pokuase, near Accra.
The deceased persons were identified as Kwaku Yeboah, driver of the truck, with registration number GR 7930 N, and his two mates, Wayo and Ben.
The injured persons included those on board the bus as well as schoolchild and an elderly man, who were standing along the road at the spot where the accident occurred.
It took the police/fire service team and other volunteers more than an hour to retrieve the bodies of the dead who were trapped in the front seat of the truck.
The accident occurred at about 7 a.m. and drew a large crowd to that area known as Delali on the Accra-Pokuase road. The police had a hectic time in controlling the crowd which kept increasing as efforts were made to remove the trapped persons.
According to eyewitnesses, the Yutong commercial bus, with the inscription Neoplan Drivers Wives Association and a sticker indicating it was financed by Intercontinental Bank, was on its way from Kumasi to Accra.
They said on reaching the bridge at Delali, the articulated truck, which was travelling from Suhum to a timber market at Pokuase, hit the rear of the bus forcing both vehicles off the road and throwing them into a ditch.
They said in the process the truck hit a tree killing the three persons.
While other eyewitnesses said the truck was being chased by a Forestry task force, others said the vehicle burst a tyre.
When contacted, the Amasaman Police District Commander, DSP Stephen Kwakye, said the police would investigate the cause of the accident.
He said as a result of the manner in which drivers had been speeding on the road, letters had been written to the authorities to erect speed ramps on that portion of the road.
However, he said, nothing had been done and people were being killed indiscriminately on the road.
The Chairman of the Pokuase West Residents Association, Mr Moses Adotey, who deplored the attitude of drivers on the road, also expressed concern about the lack of urgency given to the letters written to the highway authorities to have speed ramps on the road.
March 11, 2009
THREE persons died on the spot yesterday and many others sustained injuries when an articulated truck loaded with lumber skidded off the road and hit a tree after running into the rear of an Accra-bound commercial bus at Pokuase, near Accra.
The deceased persons were identified as Kwaku Yeboah, driver of the truck, with registration number GR 7930 N, and his two mates, Wayo and Ben.
The injured persons included those on board the bus as well as schoolchild and an elderly man, who were standing along the road at the spot where the accident occurred.
It took the police/fire service team and other volunteers more than an hour to retrieve the bodies of the dead who were trapped in the front seat of the truck.
The accident occurred at about 7 a.m. and drew a large crowd to that area known as Delali on the Accra-Pokuase road. The police had a hectic time in controlling the crowd which kept increasing as efforts were made to remove the trapped persons.
According to eyewitnesses, the Yutong commercial bus, with the inscription Neoplan Drivers Wives Association and a sticker indicating it was financed by Intercontinental Bank, was on its way from Kumasi to Accra.
They said on reaching the bridge at Delali, the articulated truck, which was travelling from Suhum to a timber market at Pokuase, hit the rear of the bus forcing both vehicles off the road and throwing them into a ditch.
They said in the process the truck hit a tree killing the three persons.
While other eyewitnesses said the truck was being chased by a Forestry task force, others said the vehicle burst a tyre.
When contacted, the Amasaman Police District Commander, DSP Stephen Kwakye, said the police would investigate the cause of the accident.
He said as a result of the manner in which drivers had been speeding on the road, letters had been written to the authorities to erect speed ramps on that portion of the road.
However, he said, nothing had been done and people were being killed indiscriminately on the road.
The Chairman of the Pokuase West Residents Association, Mr Moses Adotey, who deplored the attitude of drivers on the road, also expressed concern about the lack of urgency given to the letters written to the highway authorities to have speed ramps on the road.
Ward-Brew kicks against moves to expunge names from EC's books
Page 15
March 10, 2009
The Leader and Founder of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr T.N. Ward-Brew, has kicked against any decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) to expunge the names of non-functioning political parties from its books.
Such a move, he said, would thwart efforts at building and sustaining the country’s democracy.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said, if the EC went ahead to implement that decision, he would rally the other smaller political parties to reject the decision.
At the Ashanti Regional Inter-Party Advisory Committee review meeting, a member of the commission, Mrs Pauline Adobea Dadzawa, said some political parties only existed in name and became dormant moments after elections, only to spring up during an election year.
She, therefore, hinted that the EC would expunge the names of non-functioning political parties from the books of the commission.
Mr Ward-Brew said the running of a political party was an expensive venture and that nothing should be done to discourage them from performing the role expected of them.
He said democracy was a process, and that the political parties contributing to sustain and build the country’s democracy needed to be supported and encouraged.
He said he would lead other smaller political parties to form an association to champion their cause and ensure that they were recognised.
During the first round of the general elections on December 7, 2008, the DPP secured 0.10 per cent of the total votes cast. The Reformed Patriotic Democrat (RPD) had 0.08 per cent while the Democratic Freedom Party had 0.33 per cent with the People’s National Convention having 0.87 per cent. An Independent candidate, Mr Kwasi Amoafo-Yeboah had 0.23 per cent of the total votes while the Convention People’s Party (CPP) had 1.34 per cent.
Mrs Dadzawa pointed out that while some of the political parties had functioning offices in all the regional capitals as well as zonal and district levels, “it is very difficult to trace the offices of some other political parties, and even the few ones dotted across the country are filled with coal pots, cooking utensils and other materials”.
March 10, 2009
The Leader and Founder of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr T.N. Ward-Brew, has kicked against any decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) to expunge the names of non-functioning political parties from its books.
Such a move, he said, would thwart efforts at building and sustaining the country’s democracy.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said, if the EC went ahead to implement that decision, he would rally the other smaller political parties to reject the decision.
At the Ashanti Regional Inter-Party Advisory Committee review meeting, a member of the commission, Mrs Pauline Adobea Dadzawa, said some political parties only existed in name and became dormant moments after elections, only to spring up during an election year.
She, therefore, hinted that the EC would expunge the names of non-functioning political parties from the books of the commission.
Mr Ward-Brew said the running of a political party was an expensive venture and that nothing should be done to discourage them from performing the role expected of them.
He said democracy was a process, and that the political parties contributing to sustain and build the country’s democracy needed to be supported and encouraged.
He said he would lead other smaller political parties to form an association to champion their cause and ensure that they were recognised.
During the first round of the general elections on December 7, 2008, the DPP secured 0.10 per cent of the total votes cast. The Reformed Patriotic Democrat (RPD) had 0.08 per cent while the Democratic Freedom Party had 0.33 per cent with the People’s National Convention having 0.87 per cent. An Independent candidate, Mr Kwasi Amoafo-Yeboah had 0.23 per cent of the total votes while the Convention People’s Party (CPP) had 1.34 per cent.
Mrs Dadzawa pointed out that while some of the political parties had functioning offices in all the regional capitals as well as zonal and district levels, “it is very difficult to trace the offices of some other political parties, and even the few ones dotted across the country are filled with coal pots, cooking utensils and other materials”.
Afrijet launches operations
page 43
March 9, 2009
THE Chief Executive Officer of Afrijet Airlines Company Limited, Mr Benjamin Asare Buotu, has observed that the lack of funds is the major problem facing African airlines.
He noted that the lack of funds had adversely affected the operations of the industry on the continent.
Mr Buotu said this during an interaction with members of the press at the launch of Afrijet’s operation in the country.
He said the company’s plane had 146 seats, comprising 16 in the business class and 130 in the economy class.
He indicated that the plane would shuttle between Lagos and Accra six times a week and that after a year its operations would be extended to Monrovia, Dakar, Banjul, among other places.
Mr Buotu said the company would be filling the gap left by other airlines, including Ghana International Airlines and Air Afrique, and that it would extend it operations to Europe and other countries.
“We have well-trained and experienced Ghanaian and Nigerian pilots operating our aircraft. They know the terrain better and are safety conscious,” he said.
He said the company’s aircraft would be punctual, regular and reliable on its routes and that the company would support the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to enable the Kotoka International Airport to get its A1 status.
The fairs of the airline, he said, would be competitive, compared to those of other airlines, and that its staff would be courteous to passengers.
He said the airline would operate strictly according to laid down rules and regulations of the GCAA and the Ghana Airport Company Limited.
Mr Buotu noted that the airline would work in partnership with other European airlines.
March 9, 2009
THE Chief Executive Officer of Afrijet Airlines Company Limited, Mr Benjamin Asare Buotu, has observed that the lack of funds is the major problem facing African airlines.
He noted that the lack of funds had adversely affected the operations of the industry on the continent.
Mr Buotu said this during an interaction with members of the press at the launch of Afrijet’s operation in the country.
He said the company’s plane had 146 seats, comprising 16 in the business class and 130 in the economy class.
He indicated that the plane would shuttle between Lagos and Accra six times a week and that after a year its operations would be extended to Monrovia, Dakar, Banjul, among other places.
Mr Buotu said the company would be filling the gap left by other airlines, including Ghana International Airlines and Air Afrique, and that it would extend it operations to Europe and other countries.
“We have well-trained and experienced Ghanaian and Nigerian pilots operating our aircraft. They know the terrain better and are safety conscious,” he said.
He said the company’s aircraft would be punctual, regular and reliable on its routes and that the company would support the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to enable the Kotoka International Airport to get its A1 status.
The fairs of the airline, he said, would be competitive, compared to those of other airlines, and that its staff would be courteous to passengers.
He said the airline would operate strictly according to laid down rules and regulations of the GCAA and the Ghana Airport Company Limited.
Mr Buotu noted that the airline would work in partnership with other European airlines.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
It's great, significant
March 7, 2009
Page 3
THREE presidential candidates who contested last year’s general election and other high-profile personalities have described this year’s Independence anniversary as significant and great.
They said the occasion was not only unifying but also important in enhancing democracy in the country.
The candidates are Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and Mr T.N. Ward-Brew of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP).
They expressed these views in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic shortly after the parade to mark the country’s 52nd independence.
It was on the theme: "Unity and Peace, Pillars of National Development".
Dr Nduom, who described the event as significant, indicated that it was an occasion when all political party activities were to be put aside.
“This is the day all of us should be here to share in the joy of the country’s independence. This, indeed, is a big day for all of us,” he emphasised.
He said the President’s resolve to ensure peace in the country was also laudable, since without peace no country on the planet could develop or improve upon the lives of its citizens.
Mr Ward-Brew said the occasion was momentous, as it had lived up to its billing as a unifier.
“All the symbols of nationhood have been displayed. I hope the government will take steps to deepen the things that unite us,” he said.
He, however, said it was incumbent on the ruling party to ensure that democracy thrived in the country.
For his part, Mr Ansah-Antwi said the organisation of the event had been okay and that he was proud of the founding fathers of the country.
He expressed the hope that the programmes raised by the President would be followed and implemented.
He underscored the need for the leaders of the country to leave a legacy for future generations.
The Osu Mankrado, Nii Ako Nortei IV, said the event was splendid, as the display of the national colours portrayed unity of purpose.
He said making traditional rulers sit in the stands, instead of making them sit under canopies, was apt.
A former presidential candidate of the CPP, Mr George Aggudey, said the “event was exciting”.
He said the fact that the canopies were not used, as was previously done, made the event unique.
The President of the Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana (COMOG), Major Alhaji Easah Mohammed (retd), called for collaborative efforts among Ghanaians to address the challenges facing the country.
He stressed the need for Ghanaians to exhibit discipline in all their dealings, since that was the only way we could develop as a country.
Page 3
THREE presidential candidates who contested last year’s general election and other high-profile personalities have described this year’s Independence anniversary as significant and great.
They said the occasion was not only unifying but also important in enhancing democracy in the country.
The candidates are Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and Mr T.N. Ward-Brew of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP).
They expressed these views in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic shortly after the parade to mark the country’s 52nd independence.
It was on the theme: "Unity and Peace, Pillars of National Development".
Dr Nduom, who described the event as significant, indicated that it was an occasion when all political party activities were to be put aside.
“This is the day all of us should be here to share in the joy of the country’s independence. This, indeed, is a big day for all of us,” he emphasised.
He said the President’s resolve to ensure peace in the country was also laudable, since without peace no country on the planet could develop or improve upon the lives of its citizens.
Mr Ward-Brew said the occasion was momentous, as it had lived up to its billing as a unifier.
“All the symbols of nationhood have been displayed. I hope the government will take steps to deepen the things that unite us,” he said.
He, however, said it was incumbent on the ruling party to ensure that democracy thrived in the country.
For his part, Mr Ansah-Antwi said the organisation of the event had been okay and that he was proud of the founding fathers of the country.
He expressed the hope that the programmes raised by the President would be followed and implemented.
He underscored the need for the leaders of the country to leave a legacy for future generations.
The Osu Mankrado, Nii Ako Nortei IV, said the event was splendid, as the display of the national colours portrayed unity of purpose.
He said making traditional rulers sit in the stands, instead of making them sit under canopies, was apt.
A former presidential candidate of the CPP, Mr George Aggudey, said the “event was exciting”.
He said the fact that the canopies were not used, as was previously done, made the event unique.
The President of the Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana (COMOG), Major Alhaji Easah Mohammed (retd), called for collaborative efforts among Ghanaians to address the challenges facing the country.
He stressed the need for Ghanaians to exhibit discipline in all their dealings, since that was the only way we could develop as a country.
Govt honours 20 students
Spread
March 6, 2009
Twenty students who distinguished themselves during last year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and exhibited exceptional qualities were given awards yesterday under the President’s Independence Day Awards for schoolchildren.
Under the awards, each student has been given a four-year scholarship to cover boarding and lodging for the period of studies in senior high school.
In addition, each of the students was presented with GH¢400, a special plaque, a book and a certificate signed by the President and the Minister of Education.
Nestle Ghana Limited, through its brand Milo, sponsored all aspects of the awards, except the four-year scholarship package. It was supported by Readwide and Fiesta Royal Hotel.
Each of the 10 regions produced two award winners, a boy and girl.
They are Esther Korkor Addo-Kumi and Leslie Atta Akplah, Central; Gloria Adoma Demitia Mensah and Kwabena Ababio Britwum, Ashanti; Grace Ayiwa Fosu and David Nkansah, Brong Ahafo; Judith Edem Foli and Frimpong Y. Sarpong, Eastern, and Annie Sarah Benson-Tambo and Solomon Nii Martey, Greater Accra.
Ther rest are Chiwasine Hanifa Iddrisu and Abdul-Rashid Alhassan, Northern; Yvonne P. Asomaning and Josbert Abasa Ayamvire, Upper East; Ishak N. Qudiratu and Mahama Baleng Wutor, Upper West; Esther Lilian Opusumah and Lawson Bosso-King, Volta, and Ophelia Esi Dickson and Matusala Kuma, Western.
President John Evans Atta Mills urged the Minister of Education to monitor the performance of the awardees to ensure that the investment the government was making in them yielded the desired results.
He said the award to the students was to honour and encourage the youth to take up the challenge and make the sky the limit in their studies.
“A strong pillar around which the government’s agenda will revolve is investing in people. And there is no better way to invest in people than to give them quality education,” he said, and appealed to Ghanaians to let the things that united them fly above the things that divided them.
He charged the award winners to be humble in all that they did, saying, “I entreat you to be modest and honest in whatever you do as you continue to strive for excellence.”
“Never cease to be respectful to your parents and teachers. Your academic brilliance should not make you think that you are more important than those who gave birth to you and those who are helping you to acquire knowledge,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said as part of the strategy of using education to motivate and develop the youth to effectively take up the mantle of leadership of the country, a number of schemes and programmes had been instituted.
The schemes, he said, included the President’s Independence Day Awards instituted in 1993.
He said the government had demonstrated its total commitment to the provision of accessible, equitable, affordable and quality education for all children, no matter where they were located in the country.
“The government will not relent in its efforts to provide the best form of educational opportunities so that this nation is guaranteed a prosperous future,” he stated.
Mr Semer Chedid, the Managing Director of Nestle Ghana Limited, pledged the commitment of the company to continue supporting education and sports.
In a message presented to the nation through President Mills, schoolchildren underscored the need for the peace the country was enjoying to be sustained to ensure its smooth development.
The message was presented in Akan, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani and English.
March 6, 2009
Twenty students who distinguished themselves during last year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and exhibited exceptional qualities were given awards yesterday under the President’s Independence Day Awards for schoolchildren.
Under the awards, each student has been given a four-year scholarship to cover boarding and lodging for the period of studies in senior high school.
In addition, each of the students was presented with GH¢400, a special plaque, a book and a certificate signed by the President and the Minister of Education.
Nestle Ghana Limited, through its brand Milo, sponsored all aspects of the awards, except the four-year scholarship package. It was supported by Readwide and Fiesta Royal Hotel.
Each of the 10 regions produced two award winners, a boy and girl.
They are Esther Korkor Addo-Kumi and Leslie Atta Akplah, Central; Gloria Adoma Demitia Mensah and Kwabena Ababio Britwum, Ashanti; Grace Ayiwa Fosu and David Nkansah, Brong Ahafo; Judith Edem Foli and Frimpong Y. Sarpong, Eastern, and Annie Sarah Benson-Tambo and Solomon Nii Martey, Greater Accra.
Ther rest are Chiwasine Hanifa Iddrisu and Abdul-Rashid Alhassan, Northern; Yvonne P. Asomaning and Josbert Abasa Ayamvire, Upper East; Ishak N. Qudiratu and Mahama Baleng Wutor, Upper West; Esther Lilian Opusumah and Lawson Bosso-King, Volta, and Ophelia Esi Dickson and Matusala Kuma, Western.
President John Evans Atta Mills urged the Minister of Education to monitor the performance of the awardees to ensure that the investment the government was making in them yielded the desired results.
He said the award to the students was to honour and encourage the youth to take up the challenge and make the sky the limit in their studies.
“A strong pillar around which the government’s agenda will revolve is investing in people. And there is no better way to invest in people than to give them quality education,” he said, and appealed to Ghanaians to let the things that united them fly above the things that divided them.
He charged the award winners to be humble in all that they did, saying, “I entreat you to be modest and honest in whatever you do as you continue to strive for excellence.”
“Never cease to be respectful to your parents and teachers. Your academic brilliance should not make you think that you are more important than those who gave birth to you and those who are helping you to acquire knowledge,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said as part of the strategy of using education to motivate and develop the youth to effectively take up the mantle of leadership of the country, a number of schemes and programmes had been instituted.
The schemes, he said, included the President’s Independence Day Awards instituted in 1993.
He said the government had demonstrated its total commitment to the provision of accessible, equitable, affordable and quality education for all children, no matter where they were located in the country.
“The government will not relent in its efforts to provide the best form of educational opportunities so that this nation is guaranteed a prosperous future,” he stated.
Mr Semer Chedid, the Managing Director of Nestle Ghana Limited, pledged the commitment of the company to continue supporting education and sports.
In a message presented to the nation through President Mills, schoolchildren underscored the need for the peace the country was enjoying to be sustained to ensure its smooth development.
The message was presented in Akan, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani and English.
President awards for school children
Page 11
March 6, 2009
ONE key feature in the country’s independence day celebrations for the past 16 years is the President’s Awards for school children.
The annual event organised to honour school children on independence day, seeks to motivate them and to also inspire their mates to learn harder in order to reach greater heights in their education.
Since it was instituted, 270 school children who have completed basic education have been awarded by a sitting President of the country.
During the Independence Day parade, 20 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates, selected from the 10 regions are presented with scholarships by the government for the duration of their studies in senior high school. Two winners each are selected from a region.
Apart from the scholarship, each winner is also presented with money, a book and a certificate signed by the President and the Minister of Education.
The selection of the award winners starts from the school level through to the district, where District Directors constitute interview panels comprising experienced educationists, School Management Committees (SMCs) and district assembly representatives, among other personalities to interview prospective candidates.
The criteria for selection are: performance in the BECE (not necessarily 10 ones), participation in co-curricular activities, particularly involvement in school or club activities, sports, community services and leadership roles. The rest are: exemplary conduct and good moral behaviour and other special qualities of excellence.
The award winners for last year who are currently in senior high school two (SHS 2) are: Esther Awinpoak Abalua and Emmanuel Wintiig Adakudugu, Upper East Region; Saaka Amina Darimani and Abdul-Kudus Chibu, Upper West Region; Unity Felicia Adua and Sulemana Hafiz Abubakari, Northern Region; Adwoa Ening Adu-Nti and Michael Oppong Antwi, Brong Ahafo Region as well as Linda Ama Bonsu and Robert Baah Yawson from the Ashanti Region.
The others are: Emmanuella Akwaboah and Gabriel Kwesi Dwomoh, Western Region; Vanesa Sangari and Emmanuel Edem Klu, Central Region; Eyram Akosua Dzawu and Sebastian Kwame Gudu, Volta Region; Joyce Asiedua Acheampong and Emmanuel Aboagye Apau, Eastern Region and Ivy Sackey and Robert Nii Atsem Kpakpo, Greater Accra Region.
According to the Coordinator, Mrs Elizabeth Quarmyne, the institution of the award had been beneficial as most of the winners had either completed university or were in university, adding that they had also distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavours.
She said a comprehensive check would be made on the achievements of the award winners to serve as a motivation to others, “but from our little checks they are doing very well”.
She said there had never been an occasion when the award was withdrawn from an award winner as a result of poor performance, and that the winners had always justified the awards given to them.
Mrs Quarmyne explained that between 1993-1999, a student each from the 10 regions was awarded and that the figure was increased from one to two from each region in 2000.
She said apart from the 4-year scholarship being provided by government, Milo is the title sponsor of the Independence Day awards for this year. As part of its sponsorship package, it is providing GH¢ 400.00 cash, special plaque, stationery to each winner and providing accommodation and feeding, as well as taking them on excursions to a few places. Readwide is also presenting them with books.
An Assistant Director of the Public Relations Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Paul Krampah said the award winners were in fields of medicine and engineering.
“They have performed excellently and have justified the trust reposed in them,” he emphasised, saying that the awards have served as motivation to others.
March 6, 2009
ONE key feature in the country’s independence day celebrations for the past 16 years is the President’s Awards for school children.
The annual event organised to honour school children on independence day, seeks to motivate them and to also inspire their mates to learn harder in order to reach greater heights in their education.
Since it was instituted, 270 school children who have completed basic education have been awarded by a sitting President of the country.
During the Independence Day parade, 20 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates, selected from the 10 regions are presented with scholarships by the government for the duration of their studies in senior high school. Two winners each are selected from a region.
Apart from the scholarship, each winner is also presented with money, a book and a certificate signed by the President and the Minister of Education.
The selection of the award winners starts from the school level through to the district, where District Directors constitute interview panels comprising experienced educationists, School Management Committees (SMCs) and district assembly representatives, among other personalities to interview prospective candidates.
The criteria for selection are: performance in the BECE (not necessarily 10 ones), participation in co-curricular activities, particularly involvement in school or club activities, sports, community services and leadership roles. The rest are: exemplary conduct and good moral behaviour and other special qualities of excellence.
The award winners for last year who are currently in senior high school two (SHS 2) are: Esther Awinpoak Abalua and Emmanuel Wintiig Adakudugu, Upper East Region; Saaka Amina Darimani and Abdul-Kudus Chibu, Upper West Region; Unity Felicia Adua and Sulemana Hafiz Abubakari, Northern Region; Adwoa Ening Adu-Nti and Michael Oppong Antwi, Brong Ahafo Region as well as Linda Ama Bonsu and Robert Baah Yawson from the Ashanti Region.
The others are: Emmanuella Akwaboah and Gabriel Kwesi Dwomoh, Western Region; Vanesa Sangari and Emmanuel Edem Klu, Central Region; Eyram Akosua Dzawu and Sebastian Kwame Gudu, Volta Region; Joyce Asiedua Acheampong and Emmanuel Aboagye Apau, Eastern Region and Ivy Sackey and Robert Nii Atsem Kpakpo, Greater Accra Region.
According to the Coordinator, Mrs Elizabeth Quarmyne, the institution of the award had been beneficial as most of the winners had either completed university or were in university, adding that they had also distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavours.
She said a comprehensive check would be made on the achievements of the award winners to serve as a motivation to others, “but from our little checks they are doing very well”.
She said there had never been an occasion when the award was withdrawn from an award winner as a result of poor performance, and that the winners had always justified the awards given to them.
Mrs Quarmyne explained that between 1993-1999, a student each from the 10 regions was awarded and that the figure was increased from one to two from each region in 2000.
She said apart from the 4-year scholarship being provided by government, Milo is the title sponsor of the Independence Day awards for this year. As part of its sponsorship package, it is providing GH¢ 400.00 cash, special plaque, stationery to each winner and providing accommodation and feeding, as well as taking them on excursions to a few places. Readwide is also presenting them with books.
An Assistant Director of the Public Relations Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Paul Krampah said the award winners were in fields of medicine and engineering.
“They have performed excellently and have justified the trust reposed in them,” he emphasised, saying that the awards have served as motivation to others.
HiTi technology introduced in Ghana
Page 28
March 5, 2009
ENUS Enterprise Limited has held a seminar to introduce HiTi International rage of photographic equipment in the country.
They include the HiTi WFT 510 direct wireless printing equipment meant for instant printing and the HiTi photo ID digital camera.
Speaking at the ceremony which was attended by dealers of photographic equipment and photographers, a Senior Sales Engineer of HiTi Incorporated, Mr Wsam Al Hariri, said the equipment were the same as those used in taking photographs for voter identification cards last year.
He said the equipment did not only print under 12 seconds, but were also portable, thereby making it conducive to be taken from one place to another.
He said the use of the equipment was an opportunity for people to set up their own businesses as they could be engaged at various functions to take instant photographs.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alhaji Enusa Sally, said the “printout quality of the equipment is the best”.
He said the pieces of equipment, which were affordable, were to provide the requisite technology as far as photography was concerned to Ghanaians.
He urged all dealers and photographers to take advantage of the equipment and improve upon their businesses.
March 5, 2009
ENUS Enterprise Limited has held a seminar to introduce HiTi International rage of photographic equipment in the country.
They include the HiTi WFT 510 direct wireless printing equipment meant for instant printing and the HiTi photo ID digital camera.
Speaking at the ceremony which was attended by dealers of photographic equipment and photographers, a Senior Sales Engineer of HiTi Incorporated, Mr Wsam Al Hariri, said the equipment were the same as those used in taking photographs for voter identification cards last year.
He said the equipment did not only print under 12 seconds, but were also portable, thereby making it conducive to be taken from one place to another.
He said the use of the equipment was an opportunity for people to set up their own businesses as they could be engaged at various functions to take instant photographs.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alhaji Enusa Sally, said the “printout quality of the equipment is the best”.
He said the pieces of equipment, which were affordable, were to provide the requisite technology as far as photography was concerned to Ghanaians.
He urged all dealers and photographers to take advantage of the equipment and improve upon their businesses.
Increased membership not reflecting in church maturity
PAGE 30
March 3, 2009
The Special Assistant to the President of the Central University College, Rev Dr Kwasi Sampong, says despite the astronomical increase of the membership of the church in Africa such an increase does not reflect in christian maturity.
“Growth seems to be only in numbers but not in the type of nurturing that leads to christian maturity. The spirit of the world has entered the church. Today, success in ministry is determined by the size of the pastor’s vehicle, the size of his church building and the size of his congregation,” he said, adding that some pastors would do anything to own such things.
Rev Dr Sampong made this known last Saturday at the eighth graduation of the Living Word School of Ministry at the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) in Accra.
In all 100 students, 40 of whom pursued diploma programmes and the remaining 60 offering certificate programmes passed out.
Rev Dr Sampong said false prophets were on the prowl teaching all kinds of falsehood, adding that those prophets would sell all manner of items such as anointing oil, koko, salt and canes, among other things to their gullible patrons.
Rev Dr Sampong said apart from that another problem confronting the 21st Century church was the issue of globalisation and all the burdens to the third world.
He cited the problem of pornography being sold openly on the streets, plurality of lifestyles with gay becoming bolder and bolder.
“However, all is not lost yet. Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” he said, and indicated that it was training that would make the pastor relevant, competent and effective in today’s world.
Rev Dr Sampong urged the graduands not to let anyone despised them because “if they do, they would by implication despise your master”.
The President of the Living Word School of Ministry, Rev Dr Mensa Otabil, admonished ministers of the gospel to impact positively the lives of their flock.
In addition, he said, they should impact their communities and wherever they found themselves in the course of their work.
Rev Dr Otabil gave the advice last Saturday at the eighth graduation of the Living Word School of Ministry at the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) in Accra.
He told the graduands that they had no idea where God was taking them to, and so they should prepare themselves to be used in the propagation of the gospel.
He challenged the graduands to be selfless and be committed to their calling, and prayed for God’s support in their ministries.
March 3, 2009
The Special Assistant to the President of the Central University College, Rev Dr Kwasi Sampong, says despite the astronomical increase of the membership of the church in Africa such an increase does not reflect in christian maturity.
“Growth seems to be only in numbers but not in the type of nurturing that leads to christian maturity. The spirit of the world has entered the church. Today, success in ministry is determined by the size of the pastor’s vehicle, the size of his church building and the size of his congregation,” he said, adding that some pastors would do anything to own such things.
Rev Dr Sampong made this known last Saturday at the eighth graduation of the Living Word School of Ministry at the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) in Accra.
In all 100 students, 40 of whom pursued diploma programmes and the remaining 60 offering certificate programmes passed out.
Rev Dr Sampong said false prophets were on the prowl teaching all kinds of falsehood, adding that those prophets would sell all manner of items such as anointing oil, koko, salt and canes, among other things to their gullible patrons.
Rev Dr Sampong said apart from that another problem confronting the 21st Century church was the issue of globalisation and all the burdens to the third world.
He cited the problem of pornography being sold openly on the streets, plurality of lifestyles with gay becoming bolder and bolder.
“However, all is not lost yet. Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” he said, and indicated that it was training that would make the pastor relevant, competent and effective in today’s world.
Rev Dr Sampong urged the graduands not to let anyone despised them because “if they do, they would by implication despise your master”.
The President of the Living Word School of Ministry, Rev Dr Mensa Otabil, admonished ministers of the gospel to impact positively the lives of their flock.
In addition, he said, they should impact their communities and wherever they found themselves in the course of their work.
Rev Dr Otabil gave the advice last Saturday at the eighth graduation of the Living Word School of Ministry at the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) in Accra.
He told the graduands that they had no idea where God was taking them to, and so they should prepare themselves to be used in the propagation of the gospel.
He challenged the graduands to be selfless and be committed to their calling, and prayed for God’s support in their ministries.
Metro Mass Transit workers on strike
Page 31
March 3, 2009
Workers of the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) yesterday began a nation-wide strike to press home their demands for better salary conditions.
The 3,200 workers, who are also calling for the immediate removal of the Managing Director of the company, Mr Visschers Henk, for what they describe as acts of mismanagement, include drivers and conductors of the Metro Mass buses and mechanics.
Following the industrial action, the 1,200 buses of the company are also grounded.
When the Daily Graphic team got to the head office of the MMTL at Kaneshie about 8.10 a.m. yesterday, the main gate to the yard was locked, with the buses parked inside.
With some clad in red attires, the workers were seen in groups discussing the stand-off with management.
"From the action of the workers, the company will lose GH¢100,000 today and this is not good," Mr Henk told the Daily Graphic, after his efforts to talk the workers into calling off their action had failed.
The Chairman of the workers' union, Mr J.K. Ahenkorah, said the action followed management's unilateral decision to pay a 10 per cent increase in workers salaries when the Standing Joint Negotiating Committee had not agreed to that percentage increase.
He said when the Union asked for the 10 per cent increase across board to be stopped until negotiations were concluded, the MD refused and went ahead to pay it at the end of February, adding that even with that payment there were wrongful deductions.
However, a letter signed by the Chairman of the Standing Joint Negotiation Committee, Mr Martin Afram, read, "We would also want to assure you that the difference between the agreed salary levels and the 10 per cent increase already paid to workers shall be paid to the workers as accumulated back pay."
Mr Ahenkorah said the workers were also calling for the immediate removal of Mr Henk because his mismanagement of the company would lead to its collapse.
He said, for instance, that the MD only paid attention to and repaired the buses from Holland, where he was from, and ignored broken down buses from China and India which had developed petty faults.
The Secretary of the Union, Mr J.K. Arthur, who said the workers started wearing red arm bands five weeks ago to signal management of their action, indicated that negotiations started on the matter in November last year.
He said the union and the management had met about 10 times on the matter, with the last being on Friday, February 27, 2008, which ended in a deadlock.
He said the workers were asking for a 50 per cent salary increase across board but management was not prepared to pay that, resulting in the meeting ending in a deadlock, adding that the Trades Union Congress and the National Labour Commission were aware of their action and grievances.
Mr Arthur said the salaries of the workers were nothing to write home about, and that "until we hear something good we will not work".
He said the gross salary for a new conductor was GH¢100; a new mechanic, GH¢110, and a new driver, GH¢120 per month.
For his part, Mr Henk said the demands of the workers could not be met because of the financial position of the company, saying that "we are not making profit, since we are not sustainable yet".
He said management had a mandate from the board to negotiate for a 30 per cent increase.
"Last week we were almost there. We were offering GH¢40 across board and the union was asking for GH¢45," he said, and indicated that management had offered to open its books and present its financial report to the union for it to see the reality on the ground.
Mr Henk said although the 30 per cent salary increase was on a high side, management was ready to pay and indicated that the payment of the 10 per cent was only to cushion the workers as negotiations went on, since the negotiations were taking so much time.
He expressed shock at the turn of events and said although they were still negotiating, the union had decided to go on strike.
Mr Henk apologised to the travelling public for the inconvenience.
He denied the charges of mismanagement and said he treated all the buses equally, since they belonged to one company.
Meanwhile, the letter from the Chairman of the Standing Joint Negotiation Committee (SJNC) said in view of the stalled salary negotiations, management was inviting the union to a SJNC meeting on Wednesday, March 4, 2008 to ensure an expeditious settlement of the matter.
Benjamin Xornam Glover reports from Bolgatanga that staff of the MMTL in the Upper East this morning joined their colleagues elsewhere in a nation-wide sit-down strike in demand for reasonable salaries and conditions of service.
The strike has brought pain and frustration to the travelling public in the region, majority of whom rely on the services of the MMTL.
Speaking to the media, the Upper East Regional Manager of the MMTL, Mr Stephen Abukari, decried the action of the staff, intimating that the strike had really had an effect on the people of the region, especially the poor.
He stressed that the situation could get worse in the coming days if the buses did not get back to the road.
In Kumasi, the workers commenced a peaceful demonstration to draw public attention to their conditions of services, writes Enoch Darfah Frimpong from Kumasi.
They called for Mr Henk’s resignation before they would resume work and accused the MD of contributing to what they termed as “the sinking image of the company as a result of poor management”.
The Vice-Chairman of the Local Union, Mr Curtis Osei Bonsu, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said the worker’s felt that the management headed by the MD had not been able to solve the basic problems of the organisation and the workers, resulting in the grounding of about half of the 1,000 buses they were operating with.
He said another reason for their action was that for the seven years that some of them had been working for the company, their conditions of service had been very poor and that the MD had indicated his preparedness not to work with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
He said salaries were on the low side, with many of the drivers taking home GH¢120 at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, some passengers who were stranded on arrival at the premises of MMTL had no option but join other transport service providers to continue with their journey, though at higher cost.
March 3, 2009
Workers of the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) yesterday began a nation-wide strike to press home their demands for better salary conditions.
The 3,200 workers, who are also calling for the immediate removal of the Managing Director of the company, Mr Visschers Henk, for what they describe as acts of mismanagement, include drivers and conductors of the Metro Mass buses and mechanics.
Following the industrial action, the 1,200 buses of the company are also grounded.
When the Daily Graphic team got to the head office of the MMTL at Kaneshie about 8.10 a.m. yesterday, the main gate to the yard was locked, with the buses parked inside.
With some clad in red attires, the workers were seen in groups discussing the stand-off with management.
"From the action of the workers, the company will lose GH¢100,000 today and this is not good," Mr Henk told the Daily Graphic, after his efforts to talk the workers into calling off their action had failed.
The Chairman of the workers' union, Mr J.K. Ahenkorah, said the action followed management's unilateral decision to pay a 10 per cent increase in workers salaries when the Standing Joint Negotiating Committee had not agreed to that percentage increase.
He said when the Union asked for the 10 per cent increase across board to be stopped until negotiations were concluded, the MD refused and went ahead to pay it at the end of February, adding that even with that payment there were wrongful deductions.
However, a letter signed by the Chairman of the Standing Joint Negotiation Committee, Mr Martin Afram, read, "We would also want to assure you that the difference between the agreed salary levels and the 10 per cent increase already paid to workers shall be paid to the workers as accumulated back pay."
Mr Ahenkorah said the workers were also calling for the immediate removal of Mr Henk because his mismanagement of the company would lead to its collapse.
He said, for instance, that the MD only paid attention to and repaired the buses from Holland, where he was from, and ignored broken down buses from China and India which had developed petty faults.
The Secretary of the Union, Mr J.K. Arthur, who said the workers started wearing red arm bands five weeks ago to signal management of their action, indicated that negotiations started on the matter in November last year.
He said the union and the management had met about 10 times on the matter, with the last being on Friday, February 27, 2008, which ended in a deadlock.
He said the workers were asking for a 50 per cent salary increase across board but management was not prepared to pay that, resulting in the meeting ending in a deadlock, adding that the Trades Union Congress and the National Labour Commission were aware of their action and grievances.
Mr Arthur said the salaries of the workers were nothing to write home about, and that "until we hear something good we will not work".
He said the gross salary for a new conductor was GH¢100; a new mechanic, GH¢110, and a new driver, GH¢120 per month.
For his part, Mr Henk said the demands of the workers could not be met because of the financial position of the company, saying that "we are not making profit, since we are not sustainable yet".
He said management had a mandate from the board to negotiate for a 30 per cent increase.
"Last week we were almost there. We were offering GH¢40 across board and the union was asking for GH¢45," he said, and indicated that management had offered to open its books and present its financial report to the union for it to see the reality on the ground.
Mr Henk said although the 30 per cent salary increase was on a high side, management was ready to pay and indicated that the payment of the 10 per cent was only to cushion the workers as negotiations went on, since the negotiations were taking so much time.
He expressed shock at the turn of events and said although they were still negotiating, the union had decided to go on strike.
Mr Henk apologised to the travelling public for the inconvenience.
He denied the charges of mismanagement and said he treated all the buses equally, since they belonged to one company.
Meanwhile, the letter from the Chairman of the Standing Joint Negotiation Committee (SJNC) said in view of the stalled salary negotiations, management was inviting the union to a SJNC meeting on Wednesday, March 4, 2008 to ensure an expeditious settlement of the matter.
Benjamin Xornam Glover reports from Bolgatanga that staff of the MMTL in the Upper East this morning joined their colleagues elsewhere in a nation-wide sit-down strike in demand for reasonable salaries and conditions of service.
The strike has brought pain and frustration to the travelling public in the region, majority of whom rely on the services of the MMTL.
Speaking to the media, the Upper East Regional Manager of the MMTL, Mr Stephen Abukari, decried the action of the staff, intimating that the strike had really had an effect on the people of the region, especially the poor.
He stressed that the situation could get worse in the coming days if the buses did not get back to the road.
In Kumasi, the workers commenced a peaceful demonstration to draw public attention to their conditions of services, writes Enoch Darfah Frimpong from Kumasi.
They called for Mr Henk’s resignation before they would resume work and accused the MD of contributing to what they termed as “the sinking image of the company as a result of poor management”.
The Vice-Chairman of the Local Union, Mr Curtis Osei Bonsu, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said the worker’s felt that the management headed by the MD had not been able to solve the basic problems of the organisation and the workers, resulting in the grounding of about half of the 1,000 buses they were operating with.
He said another reason for their action was that for the seven years that some of them had been working for the company, their conditions of service had been very poor and that the MD had indicated his preparedness not to work with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
He said salaries were on the low side, with many of the drivers taking home GH¢120 at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, some passengers who were stranded on arrival at the premises of MMTL had no option but join other transport service providers to continue with their journey, though at higher cost.
MTTU Hits The Road
Front Page
14-03-09
THE Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service has begun the deployment of more highway patrol men to help enforce road regulations as part of efforts to reduce the spate of road accidents in the country.
The exercise, which will be stepped up during the Easter festivities, will cover the highways linking Accra to Takoradi, Accra to Nkawkaw, Accra to Akosombo, Accra to Ho and Accra to Aflao. It will later be replicated in the other regions, according to the MTTU.
The Commander of the unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Daniel Avorga, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday, noted, “We are determined to break this cycle of road accidents which are sending people to their graves before their time.”
He said under the exercise, motorised police personnel in groups of between four and six would be dispatched on the highways.
He said they would not only check the activities of drivers and their vehicles but also talk to and educate the drivers who plied those routes.
Mr Avorga, therefore, appealed to drivers to co-operate with the police during the exercise, since the focus of the latter would not be on arresting the drivers but ensuring sanity on the roads.
He said on March 19, 2009 the police would hold a meeting with transport organisations and other stakeholders in the transport sector to discuss ways of finding solutions to the recent spate of road accidents.
“We are determined to take proactive steps to stop the harrowing spate of accidents,” he said, adding that the police would ensure that there was safety on the roads.
Mr Avorga called for the support of members of the public in the campaign against road accidents.
Since the beginning of this year, the country has witnessed an increasing spate of road traffic accidents, with accidents being recorded almost every week.
Those accidents have not only destroyed property but also claimed the lives of people.
Only last Wednesday, three persons died on the spot, while many others sustained injuries, when an articulated truck loaded with lumber skidded off the road and hit a tree, after running into the rear of an Accra-bound commercial bus at Pokuase, near Accra. A fourth person later died in hospital.
14-03-09
THE Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service has begun the deployment of more highway patrol men to help enforce road regulations as part of efforts to reduce the spate of road accidents in the country.
The exercise, which will be stepped up during the Easter festivities, will cover the highways linking Accra to Takoradi, Accra to Nkawkaw, Accra to Akosombo, Accra to Ho and Accra to Aflao. It will later be replicated in the other regions, according to the MTTU.
The Commander of the unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Daniel Avorga, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday, noted, “We are determined to break this cycle of road accidents which are sending people to their graves before their time.”
He said under the exercise, motorised police personnel in groups of between four and six would be dispatched on the highways.
He said they would not only check the activities of drivers and their vehicles but also talk to and educate the drivers who plied those routes.
Mr Avorga, therefore, appealed to drivers to co-operate with the police during the exercise, since the focus of the latter would not be on arresting the drivers but ensuring sanity on the roads.
He said on March 19, 2009 the police would hold a meeting with transport organisations and other stakeholders in the transport sector to discuss ways of finding solutions to the recent spate of road accidents.
“We are determined to take proactive steps to stop the harrowing spate of accidents,” he said, adding that the police would ensure that there was safety on the roads.
Mr Avorga called for the support of members of the public in the campaign against road accidents.
Since the beginning of this year, the country has witnessed an increasing spate of road traffic accidents, with accidents being recorded almost every week.
Those accidents have not only destroyed property but also claimed the lives of people.
Only last Wednesday, three persons died on the spot, while many others sustained injuries, when an articulated truck loaded with lumber skidded off the road and hit a tree, after running into the rear of an Accra-bound commercial bus at Pokuase, near Accra. A fourth person later died in hospital.
Red alert on swine flu
Back Page Lead
28-04-09
THE government has alerted all health personnel over the swine flu and has directed them to step up surveillance over the possible outbreak of the disease in the country.
“We have the structures to deal with any outbreak. All health officials in the regions have been given guidelines to that effect,” the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, said in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday.
He said there should not be any cause for alarm, since the country was on top of the situation.
He said the country had drugs to deal with the situation, adding that the drugs that were used against the outbreak of bird flu in the country was effective against the swine fever.
Dr Sory said in spite of that, an emergency meeting of the technical committee on health would be meeting to adopt other strategies on the matter.
Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A, which infects pigs. There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing.
Until now, it had not normally infected humans, but the latest form clearly does, and can be spread from person to person, probably through coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Although most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, about 100 lives have been lost in Mexico.
Cases have also been found in Canada, the US and in Spain as of Monday afternoon. On Sunday, the Mexican Health Secretary, Jose Angel Cordova, said suspected swine flu cases in his country had risen to 1,614.
There are 20 confirmed cases in the US, six in Canada and one in Spain, the first case in Europe. In most cases outside Mexico, people have been only mildly ill and have made a full recovery.
The BBC reports that the European Union Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou, has warned against travel to areas hit by outbreak of swine flu, amid growing concern over the spread of the virus.
A number of countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe have begun screening airport passengers for symptoms, while Germany's biggest tour operator has suspended trips to Mexico.
Several countries have banned imports of raw pork and pig products from Mexico and parts of the US, although experts say there is no evidence to link exposure to pork with infection.
28-04-09
THE government has alerted all health personnel over the swine flu and has directed them to step up surveillance over the possible outbreak of the disease in the country.
“We have the structures to deal with any outbreak. All health officials in the regions have been given guidelines to that effect,” the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, said in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday.
He said there should not be any cause for alarm, since the country was on top of the situation.
He said the country had drugs to deal with the situation, adding that the drugs that were used against the outbreak of bird flu in the country was effective against the swine fever.
Dr Sory said in spite of that, an emergency meeting of the technical committee on health would be meeting to adopt other strategies on the matter.
Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A, which infects pigs. There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing.
Until now, it had not normally infected humans, but the latest form clearly does, and can be spread from person to person, probably through coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Although most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, about 100 lives have been lost in Mexico.
Cases have also been found in Canada, the US and in Spain as of Monday afternoon. On Sunday, the Mexican Health Secretary, Jose Angel Cordova, said suspected swine flu cases in his country had risen to 1,614.
There are 20 confirmed cases in the US, six in Canada and one in Spain, the first case in Europe. In most cases outside Mexico, people have been only mildly ill and have made a full recovery.
The BBC reports that the European Union Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou, has warned against travel to areas hit by outbreak of swine flu, amid growing concern over the spread of the virus.
A number of countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe have begun screening airport passengers for symptoms, while Germany's biggest tour operator has suspended trips to Mexico.
Several countries have banned imports of raw pork and pig products from Mexico and parts of the US, although experts say there is no evidence to link exposure to pork with infection.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
No Hope for 106 BECE candidates
April 21, 2009
Spread
The dream of the 106 final-year students of taking part in this years’ BECE finally hit the rocks yesterday, when officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) categorically told the Ghana Education Service (GES) that it was “practically impossible for the students to take part in this year’s BECE because, apart from the fact that the students were not registered, the school itself was not recognised”.
The Ashanti Regional Director of Education Mr J. K. Onyinah, told the Daily Graphic when contacted on the fate of the 106 students, that they were told by WAEC that since they did not have the names of the affected students on their computer, it was practically impossible for them to take part in the examinations.
He said in a meeting with WAEC officials, they indicated that they did not have the requisite logistics to allow the affected students to participate in the examination.
He said since the examination had already started, with English and Religious and Moral Education, nothing could be done to allow the affected students to participate in the rest of the examination “because even if they do, their certificate would not be recognised”.
He pointed out that the GES could have intervened if they had been alerted earlier, “but now it is too late to do anything about the situation”.
Mr Onyinah, who expressed concern about the current state of affairs, gave the assurance that his outfit would look for schools that would admit the students to enable them to take part in next year’s examination.
He, therefore, appealed to the students to accept to write the examination next year.
Mr Onyinah further told the Daily Graphic that Christ the King International “had folded up since last year because they do not have students for both JHS 1 and 2, as well as those from the primary level that feeds the school”.
Mr Onyinah said he was, therefore, surprised that the school authorities succeeded in convincing some final-year students and their parents that it was capable of registering final-year JHS students to participate in the BECE.
Commenting on the issue during a tour of some examination centres in Accra, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, advised parents and guardians to conduct background checks on schools, especially private ones, before sending their children and wards to such schools.
That, he said, was to ensure that the parents and guardians had some knowledge about the status of the schools in order that they did not send their children and wards to schools with questionable backgrounds, which could jeopardise their future.
The minister gave the advice yesterday when he toured some Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) centres in the Ga East Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.
The five-day BECE, which will end on Friday, is being undertaken by final-year junior high school (JHS) students in the country.
About 395,582 candidates from 9,502 JHSs, made up of 214,542 males and 181, 1040 females are expected to write the examination.
Mr Tettey-Enyo gave the advice in reference to a case in Kumasi, where 106 final-year BECE candidates of the Christ the King International School in Kumasi were not registered for this year’s BECE examination.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said the GES had been asked to investigate the background of the Christ the King International School, and that if it was confirmed that it was not registered, it would be closed down.
The minister said private schools that did not regularise their operations with the GES would be closed down.
He said it was an offence, for instance, for a private school not to operate with a licence and within the guidelines of the service, adding that the service would step up its monitoring activities to flush out such schools.
Mr Tettey-Enyo also visited the Ghannata Senior High School centre where 18 schools were writing their examinations and asked them not to harbour any fears in the examination hall.
Spread
The dream of the 106 final-year students of taking part in this years’ BECE finally hit the rocks yesterday, when officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) categorically told the Ghana Education Service (GES) that it was “practically impossible for the students to take part in this year’s BECE because, apart from the fact that the students were not registered, the school itself was not recognised”.
The Ashanti Regional Director of Education Mr J. K. Onyinah, told the Daily Graphic when contacted on the fate of the 106 students, that they were told by WAEC that since they did not have the names of the affected students on their computer, it was practically impossible for them to take part in the examinations.
He said in a meeting with WAEC officials, they indicated that they did not have the requisite logistics to allow the affected students to participate in the examination.
He said since the examination had already started, with English and Religious and Moral Education, nothing could be done to allow the affected students to participate in the rest of the examination “because even if they do, their certificate would not be recognised”.
He pointed out that the GES could have intervened if they had been alerted earlier, “but now it is too late to do anything about the situation”.
Mr Onyinah, who expressed concern about the current state of affairs, gave the assurance that his outfit would look for schools that would admit the students to enable them to take part in next year’s examination.
He, therefore, appealed to the students to accept to write the examination next year.
Mr Onyinah further told the Daily Graphic that Christ the King International “had folded up since last year because they do not have students for both JHS 1 and 2, as well as those from the primary level that feeds the school”.
Mr Onyinah said he was, therefore, surprised that the school authorities succeeded in convincing some final-year students and their parents that it was capable of registering final-year JHS students to participate in the BECE.
Commenting on the issue during a tour of some examination centres in Accra, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, advised parents and guardians to conduct background checks on schools, especially private ones, before sending their children and wards to such schools.
That, he said, was to ensure that the parents and guardians had some knowledge about the status of the schools in order that they did not send their children and wards to schools with questionable backgrounds, which could jeopardise their future.
The minister gave the advice yesterday when he toured some Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) centres in the Ga East Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.
The five-day BECE, which will end on Friday, is being undertaken by final-year junior high school (JHS) students in the country.
About 395,582 candidates from 9,502 JHSs, made up of 214,542 males and 181, 1040 females are expected to write the examination.
Mr Tettey-Enyo gave the advice in reference to a case in Kumasi, where 106 final-year BECE candidates of the Christ the King International School in Kumasi were not registered for this year’s BECE examination.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said the GES had been asked to investigate the background of the Christ the King International School, and that if it was confirmed that it was not registered, it would be closed down.
The minister said private schools that did not regularise their operations with the GES would be closed down.
He said it was an offence, for instance, for a private school not to operate with a licence and within the guidelines of the service, adding that the service would step up its monitoring activities to flush out such schools.
Mr Tettey-Enyo also visited the Ghannata Senior High School centre where 18 schools were writing their examinations and asked them not to harbour any fears in the examination hall.
EI delegation visits Employment, Education Ministers
Page 11
April 22, 2009
A FIVE-member delegation from Education International (EI), a global federation of teachers and educational workers unions has paid courtesy calls on the Minister of Employment and Manpower Development, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao and the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo.
The delegation which was led by the President of the Africa Region of EI, Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, was to introduce the Deputy General Secretary of EI, Mr Charlie Lennon and the EI Chief Regional Co-ordinator of Africa, Mrs Assibi Napoe to the sector ministers.
It was also to solicit the assistance of the two ministers to assist the EI to regularise the stay of its foreign staff who would be working in the country.
Other members of the delegation were: Mr Dan Ayim-Antwi, an executive member of the Africa Region of EI and General Secretary of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) as well as Mr Kwame Alorvi, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and an affiliate of EI.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, who is also the Vice President of EI and General Secretary of GNAT, announced that the Africa Region office of EI had been moved from Togo to Accra, and that it was in that light the officials were being introduced to the ministers.
Mr Lennon said Ghana was chosen for the establishment of the office as a result of its potential to develop.
He said EI was concerned with the promotion of education from early childhood to the postgraduate level, adding that there were 75 million children out of school world wide.
April 22, 2009
A FIVE-member delegation from Education International (EI), a global federation of teachers and educational workers unions has paid courtesy calls on the Minister of Employment and Manpower Development, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao and the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo.
The delegation which was led by the President of the Africa Region of EI, Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, was to introduce the Deputy General Secretary of EI, Mr Charlie Lennon and the EI Chief Regional Co-ordinator of Africa, Mrs Assibi Napoe to the sector ministers.
It was also to solicit the assistance of the two ministers to assist the EI to regularise the stay of its foreign staff who would be working in the country.
Other members of the delegation were: Mr Dan Ayim-Antwi, an executive member of the Africa Region of EI and General Secretary of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) as well as Mr Kwame Alorvi, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and an affiliate of EI.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, who is also the Vice President of EI and General Secretary of GNAT, announced that the Africa Region office of EI had been moved from Togo to Accra, and that it was in that light the officials were being introduced to the ministers.
Mr Lennon said Ghana was chosen for the establishment of the office as a result of its potential to develop.
He said EI was concerned with the promotion of education from early childhood to the postgraduate level, adding that there were 75 million children out of school world wide.
Capitation, Senior High Sschools grants released
Page 1b
April 22, 2009
THE government has released a total of GH¢16,773,155.20 as Capitation Grant for primary schools and subsidy for senior high schools in the country.
Out of the amount, GH¢7,892,285.65 is for the Capitation Grant for the first and second terms of the 2008/2009 academic year and arrears for the 2006/2007 academic year.
The remaining GH¢8,880,869.55 is subsidy for senior high schools for the 2008/2009 academic year.
The Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Education, Mr Paul Krampah, who made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday, said the release of the moneys was expected to ensure smooth academic activities.
He said it was the expectation of the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, that the funds would be used effectively to address the challenges in schools.
The delay over the release of the Capitation Grant for primary schools resulted in heads of some schools charging illegal levies to address problems they were facing in their schools.
The government, on assumption of office, increased the Capitation Grant from GH¢3 to GH¢4.5 to meet the increasing cost of running schools.
The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, welcomed the release of the funds and described it as good news.
He said heads of schools had expected the money to be released before the commencement of the term to enable them to prepare adequately to ensure smooth academic activities.
He said the schools would be able to manage with the funds released, and expressed the hope that the third term subsidy would be released soon.
Heads of senior high schools earlier this month expressed concern about the delay in the release of the subsidies.
According to them, the delay had resulted in some of the schools borrowing in anticipation of the early release of the subsidy. However, when the release of the money delayed some of them threatened to close down their schools.
The subsidy paid by the government per student per term covers general stationery and management, office machinery, first aid, building maintenance, sports fee, culture fee, sanitation fee, postage, textbook user fee, practical fees, furniture maintenance and tools maintenance as well as machinery for technical schools and institutions.
The breakdown is as follows: General stationery and management and office machinery, GH¢1; first aid, 40 Gp; building maintenance, GH¢1.50; sports fee, 80 Gp; culture fee, 30Gp, sanitation fee, 80 Gp; postage, 20Gp; textbook user fee, GH¢1.30; practical fees, GH¢3; furniture maintenance, 60Gp and tools and maintenance of machinery for technical schools and institutions, GH¢4.5.
April 22, 2009
THE government has released a total of GH¢16,773,155.20 as Capitation Grant for primary schools and subsidy for senior high schools in the country.
Out of the amount, GH¢7,892,285.65 is for the Capitation Grant for the first and second terms of the 2008/2009 academic year and arrears for the 2006/2007 academic year.
The remaining GH¢8,880,869.55 is subsidy for senior high schools for the 2008/2009 academic year.
The Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Education, Mr Paul Krampah, who made this known to the Daily Graphic yesterday, said the release of the moneys was expected to ensure smooth academic activities.
He said it was the expectation of the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, that the funds would be used effectively to address the challenges in schools.
The delay over the release of the Capitation Grant for primary schools resulted in heads of some schools charging illegal levies to address problems they were facing in their schools.
The government, on assumption of office, increased the Capitation Grant from GH¢3 to GH¢4.5 to meet the increasing cost of running schools.
The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS), Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, welcomed the release of the funds and described it as good news.
He said heads of schools had expected the money to be released before the commencement of the term to enable them to prepare adequately to ensure smooth academic activities.
He said the schools would be able to manage with the funds released, and expressed the hope that the third term subsidy would be released soon.
Heads of senior high schools earlier this month expressed concern about the delay in the release of the subsidies.
According to them, the delay had resulted in some of the schools borrowing in anticipation of the early release of the subsidy. However, when the release of the money delayed some of them threatened to close down their schools.
The subsidy paid by the government per student per term covers general stationery and management, office machinery, first aid, building maintenance, sports fee, culture fee, sanitation fee, postage, textbook user fee, practical fees, furniture maintenance and tools maintenance as well as machinery for technical schools and institutions.
The breakdown is as follows: General stationery and management and office machinery, GH¢1; first aid, 40 Gp; building maintenance, GH¢1.50; sports fee, 80 Gp; culture fee, 30Gp, sanitation fee, 80 Gp; postage, 20Gp; textbook user fee, GH¢1.30; practical fees, GH¢3; furniture maintenance, 60Gp and tools and maintenance of machinery for technical schools and institutions, GH¢4.5.
Energy Sector Needs $10 billion
Page 1 lead
April 22, 2009
TEN billion dollars is required in the next five years to finance the numerous initiatives in the energy sector, the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, has disclosed.
According to him, oil and gas alone would need about $ 5.5 billion.
He said while the government would continue to inject funds into the sector when available, a major policy shift was to encourage energy sector institutions to raise a substantial portion of their capital investment requirements on their own without recourse to the government.
“Government has, therefore, requested the sector agencies, particularly Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to raise financing from commercial loans and other private sector financing arrangements on their balances. The Ministry of Finance will provide technical support to the agencies,” Dr Oteng-Adjei said.
He was speaking at a meet-the-press encounter in Accra yesterday to present the ministry’s “Energy for Growth-Vision and Agenda”.
He said the involvement of the ministry in the development and management of the energy sector would be guided by the virtues of transparency in all dealings, transaction and commitment to job creation and local content in all energy endeavours and environmental responsiveness in all activities in the sector.
The ministry, he said, was committed to an open-door policy regarding information dissemination and that it intended to institute bi-monthly briefing sessions with the press and the public as much as possible.
Dr Oteng-Adjei noted that the vision of the energy sector was to assure universal access and choice of modern energy forms to all Ghanaians, which was intended to be achieved by 2020.
He said the ministry also envisioned a sector that would contribute significantly to national revenue and economic growth by becoming a net exporter of oil and power by 2012 and 2013.
He said at the inception of the new government in January, the installed operational power generation capacity in the country was 1,810 megawatts, adding that the Emergency Diesel Power Units that were purchased by the previous government were largely unused owing to high cost of operation.
“As we speak, the total installed operational capacity has increased to 1,925 MW from 1,810 owing largely to the completion and commercial operation of the 126 MW Tema Thermal One Power Project [inaugurated] in February, 2009,” he said.
Dr Oteng-Adjei indicated that during the power crisis in 2006/2007, the government procured 126 MW, consisting of 125 small (0.8 kVA and 1.2 kVA) diesel units that were part of the emergency power project, pointing out that “all these units will be made operational and distributed to serve as back-up to the national supply system”.
That, according to him, would bring the total system installed capacity to 2,051 MW, adding that 50 MW of this would be ceded to the VRA to be located in Tema, Kumasi, and Tamale as strategic reserves while the rest would be distributed to strategic state institutions such as hospitals, schools, universities, the military and the police as standby generation.
The objective of the government, he said, was to achieve a target of 5,000 MW of installed power generation capacity in the medium term as that level of capacity would enable the country to supply adequate power to meet growth in national electricity demand and also for export to neighbouring countries.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said although the establishment of GRIDCO had opened a new phase in the power sector, the company required a capital investment of about $500 million over the next five years to reinforce and expand the transmission system, including the building of new bulk supply points in Accra, Kumasi and other sub-stations in the country.
The ECG, he said, required about $1 billion up to 2012 to continue to upgrade and expand the distribution network to improve reliability of supply and also to increase access in the peri-urban areas and rural communities.
“A number of infrastructural development projects to improve supply are being undertaken with multi-donor funding from the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP), the World Bank as well as the French, Swiss and Norwegian governments.
“Contracts under these funding schemes have been awarded and we expect that before the end of the year, all these projects would be completed and electricity supply reliability will improve significantly,” he added.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said in addition to the technical improvement, a number of initiatives were being implemented in order to improve ECG’s customer care, which include the opening of 10 customer service centres in the 10 regions and extension of the ECG Call Centre with the call contact line to all regions.
The call centre, he said, was to enable customers to report faults, complain about a service, make enquiries or give information for prompt attention.
He announced that the government had initiated a programme to install Grid-connected PV solar systems in public institutions, especially ministries, departments and agencies, saying that the government had secured $169 million under GEDAP to improve distribution infrastructure while the US EXIM Bank had granted the government a $350 million loan facility to extend electricity to rural communities.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said $300 million would be invested in the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to increase its refinery capacity by about 100,000 barrels per day from its current level of 45,000.
In addition, the minister said about $685.3 million would be injected into the operations of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) in the medium period up to 2015 to improve bulk transportation of petroleum products to the northern parts of the country.
“Government is fully aware of the many challenges associated with the distribution of premix to its esteemed customers. We are reviewing the rules and regulations associated with the administration of premix,” he said, adding that the government would continue to encourage the development of bio-fuels as alternative transportation fuels.
He said the government was taking immediate steps to ensure the speedy refurbishment and operation of the Osagyefo Power Barge Plant, which had an installed capacity of 125 MW.
April 22, 2009
TEN billion dollars is required in the next five years to finance the numerous initiatives in the energy sector, the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, has disclosed.
According to him, oil and gas alone would need about $ 5.5 billion.
He said while the government would continue to inject funds into the sector when available, a major policy shift was to encourage energy sector institutions to raise a substantial portion of their capital investment requirements on their own without recourse to the government.
“Government has, therefore, requested the sector agencies, particularly Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to raise financing from commercial loans and other private sector financing arrangements on their balances. The Ministry of Finance will provide technical support to the agencies,” Dr Oteng-Adjei said.
He was speaking at a meet-the-press encounter in Accra yesterday to present the ministry’s “Energy for Growth-Vision and Agenda”.
He said the involvement of the ministry in the development and management of the energy sector would be guided by the virtues of transparency in all dealings, transaction and commitment to job creation and local content in all energy endeavours and environmental responsiveness in all activities in the sector.
The ministry, he said, was committed to an open-door policy regarding information dissemination and that it intended to institute bi-monthly briefing sessions with the press and the public as much as possible.
Dr Oteng-Adjei noted that the vision of the energy sector was to assure universal access and choice of modern energy forms to all Ghanaians, which was intended to be achieved by 2020.
He said the ministry also envisioned a sector that would contribute significantly to national revenue and economic growth by becoming a net exporter of oil and power by 2012 and 2013.
He said at the inception of the new government in January, the installed operational power generation capacity in the country was 1,810 megawatts, adding that the Emergency Diesel Power Units that were purchased by the previous government were largely unused owing to high cost of operation.
“As we speak, the total installed operational capacity has increased to 1,925 MW from 1,810 owing largely to the completion and commercial operation of the 126 MW Tema Thermal One Power Project [inaugurated] in February, 2009,” he said.
Dr Oteng-Adjei indicated that during the power crisis in 2006/2007, the government procured 126 MW, consisting of 125 small (0.8 kVA and 1.2 kVA) diesel units that were part of the emergency power project, pointing out that “all these units will be made operational and distributed to serve as back-up to the national supply system”.
That, according to him, would bring the total system installed capacity to 2,051 MW, adding that 50 MW of this would be ceded to the VRA to be located in Tema, Kumasi, and Tamale as strategic reserves while the rest would be distributed to strategic state institutions such as hospitals, schools, universities, the military and the police as standby generation.
The objective of the government, he said, was to achieve a target of 5,000 MW of installed power generation capacity in the medium term as that level of capacity would enable the country to supply adequate power to meet growth in national electricity demand and also for export to neighbouring countries.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said although the establishment of GRIDCO had opened a new phase in the power sector, the company required a capital investment of about $500 million over the next five years to reinforce and expand the transmission system, including the building of new bulk supply points in Accra, Kumasi and other sub-stations in the country.
The ECG, he said, required about $1 billion up to 2012 to continue to upgrade and expand the distribution network to improve reliability of supply and also to increase access in the peri-urban areas and rural communities.
“A number of infrastructural development projects to improve supply are being undertaken with multi-donor funding from the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP), the World Bank as well as the French, Swiss and Norwegian governments.
“Contracts under these funding schemes have been awarded and we expect that before the end of the year, all these projects would be completed and electricity supply reliability will improve significantly,” he added.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said in addition to the technical improvement, a number of initiatives were being implemented in order to improve ECG’s customer care, which include the opening of 10 customer service centres in the 10 regions and extension of the ECG Call Centre with the call contact line to all regions.
The call centre, he said, was to enable customers to report faults, complain about a service, make enquiries or give information for prompt attention.
He announced that the government had initiated a programme to install Grid-connected PV solar systems in public institutions, especially ministries, departments and agencies, saying that the government had secured $169 million under GEDAP to improve distribution infrastructure while the US EXIM Bank had granted the government a $350 million loan facility to extend electricity to rural communities.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said $300 million would be invested in the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to increase its refinery capacity by about 100,000 barrels per day from its current level of 45,000.
In addition, the minister said about $685.3 million would be injected into the operations of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) in the medium period up to 2015 to improve bulk transportation of petroleum products to the northern parts of the country.
“Government is fully aware of the many challenges associated with the distribution of premix to its esteemed customers. We are reviewing the rules and regulations associated with the administration of premix,” he said, adding that the government would continue to encourage the development of bio-fuels as alternative transportation fuels.
He said the government was taking immediate steps to ensure the speedy refurbishment and operation of the Osagyefo Power Barge Plant, which had an installed capacity of 125 MW.
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