Page 40
July 1, 2008
TWELVE people who were arrested by the Osu Police for breaking into and vandalising the Osu Mantse’s palace have been granted bail to appear before court.
Eight out of the 12 were hired from Nima by one of the factions in the chieftaincy dispute in the area.
DSP Samuel Punobyin, who led the police team to arrest the 12, told the Daily Graphic that the police had concluded investigations into the matter and that the “culprits would be put before court soon”.
He said they would be charged with conspiracy to commit crime, rioting and causing unlawful damage.
According to him, one of the intruders confessed that they were hired from Nima and promised GH¢8000 to carry out the disturbances.
The 12 invaded the palace last Thursday night with the intention of occupying it, after one of the factions (Dowuona) in the chieftancy dispute told the police that it had an extract from the National House of Chiefs withdrawing recognition for Nii Nortey Owuo III, the occupant of the palace, for which reason they did not want him to occupy the palace.
After asking for assistance to occupy the palace, which was turned down by the police unless there was a court order to that effect, some members of the faction, contracting people from Nima, stormed the palace in a bid to carry out their intention.
The police, however, moved in and arrested them.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Galaxy School holds 5th graduation
Page 11
June 30, 2008
GALAXY International School has held its fifth graduation with a call on private education providers to step up their complimentary role in the provision of education.
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, who made the call, said the service acknowledged the contribution of the private sector in education delivery, hence the need to do more.
At the ceremony, certificates were presented to pre-school as well as junior and senior high school graduates.
The school also presented gifts to teachers for their role in producing quality students.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah commended the school for placing a high premium on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and thus equipping students with the requisite skills.
He said students of the school should count themselves lucky since there were many children who did not have such opportunity, and, therefore, urged them to develop themselves adequately for the task ahead.
He asked them to show respect to authority as well as obey rules and regulations, adding that "character should be of a high standard".
Mr Bannerman-Mensah charged the students to have ambition to succeed in life.
The General Manager of the school, Mr Tamer Kirca, said the school which was established in 2001, could now boast students of 41 nationalities pursuing local and foreign courses, thereby reflecting its true international status.
"Ours is a multi-cultural school where students with diverse cultural backgrounds come to understand the diversity of cultures and work in harmony,” he said.
He announced that six students won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at various international competitions the school participated in. The competitions included Energy and Engineering competition in the United States, ICT competition in Turkey, ICT competition in Georgia and a Physics competition in Bosnia.
Mr Kirca said the successes chalked up were only a tip of the iceberg, and that plans were afoot to increase the number of entries for more of such competitions.
The school, he said, scored 100 per cent in both the 2007 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Mr Michael Nsowah, who chaired the function, said Galaxy had become the leader in science and mathematics education.
He commended the management for instilling a high level of discipline in the students.
June 30, 2008
GALAXY International School has held its fifth graduation with a call on private education providers to step up their complimentary role in the provision of education.
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, who made the call, said the service acknowledged the contribution of the private sector in education delivery, hence the need to do more.
At the ceremony, certificates were presented to pre-school as well as junior and senior high school graduates.
The school also presented gifts to teachers for their role in producing quality students.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah commended the school for placing a high premium on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and thus equipping students with the requisite skills.
He said students of the school should count themselves lucky since there were many children who did not have such opportunity, and, therefore, urged them to develop themselves adequately for the task ahead.
He asked them to show respect to authority as well as obey rules and regulations, adding that "character should be of a high standard".
Mr Bannerman-Mensah charged the students to have ambition to succeed in life.
The General Manager of the school, Mr Tamer Kirca, said the school which was established in 2001, could now boast students of 41 nationalities pursuing local and foreign courses, thereby reflecting its true international status.
"Ours is a multi-cultural school where students with diverse cultural backgrounds come to understand the diversity of cultures and work in harmony,” he said.
He announced that six students won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at various international competitions the school participated in. The competitions included Energy and Engineering competition in the United States, ICT competition in Turkey, ICT competition in Georgia and a Physics competition in Bosnia.
Mr Kirca said the successes chalked up were only a tip of the iceberg, and that plans were afoot to increase the number of entries for more of such competitions.
The school, he said, scored 100 per cent in both the 2007 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Mr Michael Nsowah, who chaired the function, said Galaxy had become the leader in science and mathematics education.
He commended the management for instilling a high level of discipline in the students.
'Make quality your main agenda'
Page 11
June 30, 2008
THE General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, has stressed the need for teachers to make quality the main agenda under the current education reform.
According to her, teachers should be more concerned with the delivery of quality education when in the classroom to ensure that the reform achieved the desired objectives.
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah stated this at a colloquium organised by the Consultative Council for Teachers Association (CCTA) of GNAT.
The programme, which was attended by teachers from the 10 regions, was on the theme “The Educational Reform of Ghana-Challenges”.
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah noted that the issue of education challenges were being discussed all over the world, hence the need to find solutions to them so as to move forward as a nation.
According to her, a lot of resources would be required to achieve the Education For All (EFA) goals, adding that early childhood education for instance should not be left to care givers alone since it was a speciality that required professionals.
A lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Mr Jakalia Abdulai, who presented a paper on “Ensuring Effective Development of Language Skills at the Pre-tertiary Level”, suggested the institution of an extensive reading policy.
That, he said, should be carried out from the national to the community level, saying that time should be allocated in schools for sustained silent reading to ensure the effective development of language skills.
He said the academic language of some students was not encouraging, especially in the use of English.
The acting Dean of the Faculty of Educational Studies at UEW, Prof Grace Yawo Gadagbui, who spoke on “Lifting Aspirations in Special Needs Education”, underscored the need for all to embrace inclusive education .
She said when children studied together, it ensured an inclusive society.
Speaking on the topic, “Strengthening Early Childhood Education in the Country”, Mrs Ruth Addison of the Ghana National Commission on Children said about 22,000 teachers had been trained in early childhood development.
She called for the attachment of kindergartens to all basic schools, and implored teachers at that level to have a change of mindset and provide quality education.
The educational reform, which took off in September last year, focuses, among other things, on content and structure, teacher education, Informational and Communication Technology (ICT), technical and vocational education training, as well as management efficiency and effectiveness.
June 30, 2008
THE General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusah, has stressed the need for teachers to make quality the main agenda under the current education reform.
According to her, teachers should be more concerned with the delivery of quality education when in the classroom to ensure that the reform achieved the desired objectives.
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah stated this at a colloquium organised by the Consultative Council for Teachers Association (CCTA) of GNAT.
The programme, which was attended by teachers from the 10 regions, was on the theme “The Educational Reform of Ghana-Challenges”.
Mrs Duncan-Adanusah noted that the issue of education challenges were being discussed all over the world, hence the need to find solutions to them so as to move forward as a nation.
According to her, a lot of resources would be required to achieve the Education For All (EFA) goals, adding that early childhood education for instance should not be left to care givers alone since it was a speciality that required professionals.
A lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Mr Jakalia Abdulai, who presented a paper on “Ensuring Effective Development of Language Skills at the Pre-tertiary Level”, suggested the institution of an extensive reading policy.
That, he said, should be carried out from the national to the community level, saying that time should be allocated in schools for sustained silent reading to ensure the effective development of language skills.
He said the academic language of some students was not encouraging, especially in the use of English.
The acting Dean of the Faculty of Educational Studies at UEW, Prof Grace Yawo Gadagbui, who spoke on “Lifting Aspirations in Special Needs Education”, underscored the need for all to embrace inclusive education .
She said when children studied together, it ensured an inclusive society.
Speaking on the topic, “Strengthening Early Childhood Education in the Country”, Mrs Ruth Addison of the Ghana National Commission on Children said about 22,000 teachers had been trained in early childhood development.
She called for the attachment of kindergartens to all basic schools, and implored teachers at that level to have a change of mindset and provide quality education.
The educational reform, which took off in September last year, focuses, among other things, on content and structure, teacher education, Informational and Communication Technology (ICT), technical and vocational education training, as well as management efficiency and effectiveness.
Rumpus at Osu, Chief's palace vandalised, 12 picked for
Front Page Lead story
June 28-2008
TWELVE people have been arrested by the Osu Police for breaking into and vandalising the Osu Mantse’s palace.
The 12 were picked up by a police patrol team at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday during the disturbances at the palace.
The Osu Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Dassah, made this known to the Daily Graphic when she paid a visit to the palace to assess the state of affairs.
She said she was surprised at the development because she had met the elders of one of the factions in the chieftaincy dispute earlier on Thursday morning to ensure peace, after she had heard that the youth of that faction had assaulted the caretaker of the palace in a bid to occupy it.
Chief Supt Dassah said the elders from the Dowuona faction had said at the meeting that they had an extract from the National House of Chiefs withdrawing recognition for the occupant of the palace, Nii Nortey Owuo III, for which reason they did not want him to occupy the palace. But they said they needed police assistance to do that.
However, she said, she had told the elders that the police could not do that unless there was a court order, adding that the elders then left, promising to get a court order to get the chief out of the place.
She said she was, therefore, shocked to learn later on Thursday evening that some people from that faction, including one of those who had been at the meeting in the morning, had gone to the palace with some young men to force their way into it.
DSP Samuel Punobyin, who led the police team to the palace, said when the patrol team got there, the intruders had locked themselves up to prevent the police from arresting them.
He said the leader of the intruders, whose name he gave as Lawrence Quist, then got down from the building, after which the others were picked up.
He said one of the intruders who tried to escape on seeing the police was beaten up by some members of the opposing faction after he had unknowingly run into their territory.
DSP Punobyin said it was the police who rescued him from further assault.
When the Daily Graphic team got the palace, there was a bullet hole in one of the glass windows, while implements, including an axe, a sword, a hammer, pincers and a butcher’s knife, were found there.
Also there were broken flower pots and louvre blades, among other things. However, drinks on the conference table at the palace and a computer were intact.
A member of the Owuo faction in the protracted dispute, Nii Okwei Nortey, described Thursday night’s incident as unfortunate, saying that an extract from the National House of Chiefs did not mean a chief had been destooled.
He blamed the House of Chiefs for the problem, since it listened to only one of the factions, instead of both.
He said the chief had since responded to the letter from the House of Chiefs.
Nii Nortey said anybody who had a problem with the current chief should go to court and do the honourable thing.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt Dassah said the matter was being investigated, after which the police would decide on the next line of action.
June 28-2008
TWELVE people have been arrested by the Osu Police for breaking into and vandalising the Osu Mantse’s palace.
The 12 were picked up by a police patrol team at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday during the disturbances at the palace.
The Osu Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Dassah, made this known to the Daily Graphic when she paid a visit to the palace to assess the state of affairs.
She said she was surprised at the development because she had met the elders of one of the factions in the chieftaincy dispute earlier on Thursday morning to ensure peace, after she had heard that the youth of that faction had assaulted the caretaker of the palace in a bid to occupy it.
Chief Supt Dassah said the elders from the Dowuona faction had said at the meeting that they had an extract from the National House of Chiefs withdrawing recognition for the occupant of the palace, Nii Nortey Owuo III, for which reason they did not want him to occupy the palace. But they said they needed police assistance to do that.
However, she said, she had told the elders that the police could not do that unless there was a court order, adding that the elders then left, promising to get a court order to get the chief out of the place.
She said she was, therefore, shocked to learn later on Thursday evening that some people from that faction, including one of those who had been at the meeting in the morning, had gone to the palace with some young men to force their way into it.
DSP Samuel Punobyin, who led the police team to the palace, said when the patrol team got there, the intruders had locked themselves up to prevent the police from arresting them.
He said the leader of the intruders, whose name he gave as Lawrence Quist, then got down from the building, after which the others were picked up.
He said one of the intruders who tried to escape on seeing the police was beaten up by some members of the opposing faction after he had unknowingly run into their territory.
DSP Punobyin said it was the police who rescued him from further assault.
When the Daily Graphic team got the palace, there was a bullet hole in one of the glass windows, while implements, including an axe, a sword, a hammer, pincers and a butcher’s knife, were found there.
Also there were broken flower pots and louvre blades, among other things. However, drinks on the conference table at the palace and a computer were intact.
A member of the Owuo faction in the protracted dispute, Nii Okwei Nortey, described Thursday night’s incident as unfortunate, saying that an extract from the National House of Chiefs did not mean a chief had been destooled.
He blamed the House of Chiefs for the problem, since it listened to only one of the factions, instead of both.
He said the chief had since responded to the letter from the House of Chiefs.
Nii Nortey said anybody who had a problem with the current chief should go to court and do the honourable thing.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt Dassah said the matter was being investigated, after which the police would decide on the next line of action.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Shake-up At NACOB, Operations decentralised
Front Page Lead Story
27-06-08
A major restructuring and expansion exercise at the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) has been announced to strengthen the capacity of the board to deal more effectively with the drug trade in the country.
As part of the exercise, new directorates and specialised units have been created, with specific functions in Finance and Administration, Demand Reduction, as well as Enforcement and Control.
The specialised units include Internal Audit, Project and Information Management and Legal and Public Relations.
Furthermore, a rotational system for NACOB personnel and operatives has been introduced, especially for those operating at the Kotoka International Airport.
Operations at NACOB have also been decentralised into the northern, middle and western zones.
The Executive Secretary of NACOB, Mr Benjamin Botwe, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, said, “We want to create a system, not individuals, since it is more difficult to corrupt a system than to corrupt individuals.”
He said the restructuring of the board was to ensure an environment in which offices would be assigned specific jobs with specific objectives.
“We have created a solid organisational base on which future operations can depend,” he said, adding that under the directorates, there were also departments charged with specific responsibilities.
He said the board had to decentralise its activities since the drug problem had ceased to be a problem of only Accra, hence the need to spread its operations to other parts of the country.
Mr Botwe indicated that inter-agency co-ordinating committees, made up of representatives of the board, the security agencies and other institutions, had also been set up to co-ordinate activities.
A new conditions of service document had been developed and approved by the board, he said, and added that the non-financial components of the document had been implemented.
“The financial components are with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Fair Wages Commission, from whom approval is being awaited for implementation,” he said.
Mr Botwe said the right working environment had been established through the provision of new sets of furniture, as well as computers and Internet access for staff, “instead of the situation where only one person used to have access to the Internet”.
The board, he said, had signed an agreement with the Public Sector Reforms Ministry for the establishment of a client service centre where all information on NACOB could be obtained through fax, phone or e-mail.
“Those days NACOB’s operations are closed. We are trying to make it an open organisation,” he said, adding that a document, Standard Operating Procedure for NACOB, had been developed, in addition to a three-year strategic plan (2008-2010).
Mr Botwe, who is on secondment from the Food and Drugs Board, said for the first time, recruitment of staff was done through a public advertisement in the Daily Graphic and that interviews were conducted by representatives from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, the Public Services Commission, the Directorate of Human Resource at the Ministry of the Interior and the Governing Board.
He said there was industrial harmony at NACOB and that when the rumour of a pending strike came to the notice of management, he took the opportunity to explain the steps that had been taken to resolve the salary issue and cautioned especially those who were on probation on the implications of their action in relation to the Labour Law.
According to him, an open administration had been instituted, with a three-tier democratic governance structure comprising top management meetings, middle management meetings and staff durbars, to give staff the opportunity to ask questions bothering them.
Mr Botwe later disclosed that the board had taken delivery of a custom-built toilet for expelling drugs for persons who had swallowed drugs for trafficking, explaining that the facility would be installed in a fortnight’s time.
27-06-08
A major restructuring and expansion exercise at the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) has been announced to strengthen the capacity of the board to deal more effectively with the drug trade in the country.
As part of the exercise, new directorates and specialised units have been created, with specific functions in Finance and Administration, Demand Reduction, as well as Enforcement and Control.
The specialised units include Internal Audit, Project and Information Management and Legal and Public Relations.
Furthermore, a rotational system for NACOB personnel and operatives has been introduced, especially for those operating at the Kotoka International Airport.
Operations at NACOB have also been decentralised into the northern, middle and western zones.
The Executive Secretary of NACOB, Mr Benjamin Botwe, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, said, “We want to create a system, not individuals, since it is more difficult to corrupt a system than to corrupt individuals.”
He said the restructuring of the board was to ensure an environment in which offices would be assigned specific jobs with specific objectives.
“We have created a solid organisational base on which future operations can depend,” he said, adding that under the directorates, there were also departments charged with specific responsibilities.
He said the board had to decentralise its activities since the drug problem had ceased to be a problem of only Accra, hence the need to spread its operations to other parts of the country.
Mr Botwe indicated that inter-agency co-ordinating committees, made up of representatives of the board, the security agencies and other institutions, had also been set up to co-ordinate activities.
A new conditions of service document had been developed and approved by the board, he said, and added that the non-financial components of the document had been implemented.
“The financial components are with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Fair Wages Commission, from whom approval is being awaited for implementation,” he said.
Mr Botwe said the right working environment had been established through the provision of new sets of furniture, as well as computers and Internet access for staff, “instead of the situation where only one person used to have access to the Internet”.
The board, he said, had signed an agreement with the Public Sector Reforms Ministry for the establishment of a client service centre where all information on NACOB could be obtained through fax, phone or e-mail.
“Those days NACOB’s operations are closed. We are trying to make it an open organisation,” he said, adding that a document, Standard Operating Procedure for NACOB, had been developed, in addition to a three-year strategic plan (2008-2010).
Mr Botwe, who is on secondment from the Food and Drugs Board, said for the first time, recruitment of staff was done through a public advertisement in the Daily Graphic and that interviews were conducted by representatives from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, the Public Services Commission, the Directorate of Human Resource at the Ministry of the Interior and the Governing Board.
He said there was industrial harmony at NACOB and that when the rumour of a pending strike came to the notice of management, he took the opportunity to explain the steps that had been taken to resolve the salary issue and cautioned especially those who were on probation on the implications of their action in relation to the Labour Law.
According to him, an open administration had been instituted, with a three-tier democratic governance structure comprising top management meetings, middle management meetings and staff durbars, to give staff the opportunity to ask questions bothering them.
Mr Botwe later disclosed that the board had taken delivery of a custom-built toilet for expelling drugs for persons who had swallowed drugs for trafficking, explaining that the facility would be installed in a fortnight’s time.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Guidelines on used electronic import
25-04-08
Back page
THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing guidelines to regulate the importation of used electronic gadgets into the country.
The guidelines are expected to prevent the dumping of such gadgets, a practice which could be harmful to the public.
The Public Relations Officer of the EPA, Mr William Abaidoo, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic yesterday, noted that the guidelines would serve as a standard for what "we want to have and receive as a country in terms of electronic waste".
Mr Abaidoo mentioned electronic gadgets, which he described as ‘electronic waste’, as used television sets, radios, computers, cameras and mobile phone batteries.
He noted that most used electronic gadgets were hazardous, adding that if such waste was not regulated and indiscriminately added to other refuse, the toxic from it could leak into underground water sources.
He said a proposal had been tabled by the Chemical Control and Management Committee to set up a sub-committee of the hazardous waste committee to look at used electronic gadgets separately.
According to him, the committee was going to categorise the types of used electronic gadgets that the country received, after which an inventory would be taken to ascertain the actual situation on the ground by sending questionnaires to importers and end users of those electronic products to see the quantity they received, what they used them for and the way they were disposed of.
Mr Abaidoo said the committee would then use that as a baseline data to come out with the guidelines to regulate the inflow of the items, as well as suggest ways of disposal and recycling of the waste.
He said the committee would comprise the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ministry of Trade, end users of electronic waste, computer technicians, repairers, the Ghana Standards Board and telecommunication companies.
“We have finished all the paperwork. The identification of stakeholders has also been done,” he added.
Back page
THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing guidelines to regulate the importation of used electronic gadgets into the country.
The guidelines are expected to prevent the dumping of such gadgets, a practice which could be harmful to the public.
The Public Relations Officer of the EPA, Mr William Abaidoo, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic yesterday, noted that the guidelines would serve as a standard for what "we want to have and receive as a country in terms of electronic waste".
Mr Abaidoo mentioned electronic gadgets, which he described as ‘electronic waste’, as used television sets, radios, computers, cameras and mobile phone batteries.
He noted that most used electronic gadgets were hazardous, adding that if such waste was not regulated and indiscriminately added to other refuse, the toxic from it could leak into underground water sources.
He said a proposal had been tabled by the Chemical Control and Management Committee to set up a sub-committee of the hazardous waste committee to look at used electronic gadgets separately.
According to him, the committee was going to categorise the types of used electronic gadgets that the country received, after which an inventory would be taken to ascertain the actual situation on the ground by sending questionnaires to importers and end users of those electronic products to see the quantity they received, what they used them for and the way they were disposed of.
Mr Abaidoo said the committee would then use that as a baseline data to come out with the guidelines to regulate the inflow of the items, as well as suggest ways of disposal and recycling of the waste.
He said the committee would comprise the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ministry of Trade, end users of electronic waste, computer technicians, repairers, the Ghana Standards Board and telecommunication companies.
“We have finished all the paperwork. The identification of stakeholders has also been done,” he added.
Seven to probe student's death
25-04-08
Page 3
A SEVEN-member committee has been set up by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to investigate circumstances that led to the death of Master Gafaru Abdul Rahman, a final-year student of Adisadel College.
The committee, which is chaired by Mr Duah Adonteng, Managing Director of Ghana Post, has been given up to May 16, 2008 to submit its report.
The terms of reference are to investigate the routine Sunday activities of the school, and find out whether the activities breached the school rules and regulation, as well as government policies in education.
In addition, it is to find out whether members of staff on duty were performing their official duties or not, whether there had been any petition either from a student or parent with regard to Sunday morning routine activities and how the students had access to the new block.
The committee would also to find out whether the students found in the block were all Moslems or not, the general state of affairs in the school with regard to discipline, the extent of co-operation among members of staff in enforcing discipline in the school and to investigate any other related issues and make recommendations on the findings.
Master Abdul Rahman allegedly jumped to his death when a senior housemaster of the school went to lock the block, which had been inaugurated a week earlier. The block had not been opened for use but students were said to be using it.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Prof Dominic Fobih, charged the members to come out with the truth to clear the circumstances that led to the death of the student.
He said the inauguration of the committee was an expression of the government’s commitment to ensuring that education was accessible to all, irrespective of race, religion, or status.
“I have considered it expedient to constitute this committee to look at the circumstances that led to the Adisadel College incident and to use this to review generally the management of such situations in all second cycle institutions with the view to establishing appropriate guidelines for all second cycle schools,” he emphasised.
Prof Fobih said issues of discipline had become an important subject in modern times not only because of its effect on the development of the individual and institutions, but because it was a necessary prerequisite for the development of every society.
Mr Adonteng assured the minister that the task given the committee would be carried out effectively.
He said the committee would leave no stone unturned in unravelling the truth, saying that “it is our privilege and obligation to respond to this national calling”.
The other members of the committee are the Omanhene of Mamfe Akuapem, Osabarima Nana Ansah Sasraku III, former head and representative of Conference of Managers of Education Units (COMEU), Very Rev Dr Richard Foli and the General Manager of Islamic Schools, Alhaji Arimeyao Shaibu.
The rest are the parent-teacher association (PTA) Chairman of the school, Dr Fiifi Mensah; the Managing Director of Phonix Insurance, Mrs Aeo Nkani and the Regional Security Co-ordinator, Air Commodore (Retd) Richard Awuku.
Page 3
A SEVEN-member committee has been set up by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to investigate circumstances that led to the death of Master Gafaru Abdul Rahman, a final-year student of Adisadel College.
The committee, which is chaired by Mr Duah Adonteng, Managing Director of Ghana Post, has been given up to May 16, 2008 to submit its report.
The terms of reference are to investigate the routine Sunday activities of the school, and find out whether the activities breached the school rules and regulation, as well as government policies in education.
In addition, it is to find out whether members of staff on duty were performing their official duties or not, whether there had been any petition either from a student or parent with regard to Sunday morning routine activities and how the students had access to the new block.
The committee would also to find out whether the students found in the block were all Moslems or not, the general state of affairs in the school with regard to discipline, the extent of co-operation among members of staff in enforcing discipline in the school and to investigate any other related issues and make recommendations on the findings.
Master Abdul Rahman allegedly jumped to his death when a senior housemaster of the school went to lock the block, which had been inaugurated a week earlier. The block had not been opened for use but students were said to be using it.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Prof Dominic Fobih, charged the members to come out with the truth to clear the circumstances that led to the death of the student.
He said the inauguration of the committee was an expression of the government’s commitment to ensuring that education was accessible to all, irrespective of race, religion, or status.
“I have considered it expedient to constitute this committee to look at the circumstances that led to the Adisadel College incident and to use this to review generally the management of such situations in all second cycle institutions with the view to establishing appropriate guidelines for all second cycle schools,” he emphasised.
Prof Fobih said issues of discipline had become an important subject in modern times not only because of its effect on the development of the individual and institutions, but because it was a necessary prerequisite for the development of every society.
Mr Adonteng assured the minister that the task given the committee would be carried out effectively.
He said the committee would leave no stone unturned in unravelling the truth, saying that “it is our privilege and obligation to respond to this national calling”.
The other members of the committee are the Omanhene of Mamfe Akuapem, Osabarima Nana Ansah Sasraku III, former head and representative of Conference of Managers of Education Units (COMEU), Very Rev Dr Richard Foli and the General Manager of Islamic Schools, Alhaji Arimeyao Shaibu.
The rest are the parent-teacher association (PTA) Chairman of the school, Dr Fiifi Mensah; the Managing Director of Phonix Insurance, Mrs Aeo Nkani and the Regional Security Co-ordinator, Air Commodore (Retd) Richard Awuku.
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