Page 21
27-11-08
THE Ministry of Health has presented 25 double cabin pickups valued at $570,000 to health training institutions in the country.
Some of the institutions that benefited from the package include the Sefwi Wiawso Health Assistants Training School, Keta Health Training School, Bolgatanga Health Assistants Training School and the Yendi Health Assistants Training School.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Health, Major (retd) Courage Quashigah, charged the institutions to adhere to a good maintenance culture to ensure that the vehicles lasted long.
Once the vehicles were maintained, he said, the training of health personnel would be enhanced as the vehicles would help facilitate their training.
He said the ministry was also in the process of securing library books for the institutions to ensure effective teaching and learning.
The Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Health Training Institutions (COHHETI), Mr James Yambor, assured the minister that the vehicles would be used for their intended purpose.
The Managing Director of CFAO Ghana Limited, Mr Thomas Peletier, through whose company the vehicles were secured, pledged his company’s continued support for the ministry.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Elias Sory, underscored the need to motivate teachers of health training institutions.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Multi-million dollar agric initiative launched
27-11-08
Back Page
Multimedia Group Limited (MGL) has launched an Education Trust Fund to support brilliant, needy senior high school (SHS) students.
Beneficiaries of the “MGL Educare Trust Fund” will each be given GH¢300 and some ‘pocket money’ a term during their course of studies.
The first batch of 10 beneficiaries from six SHSs are T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School (Potsin), Ebenezer Senior High School, Odorgonno Senior High School, Methodist High School, West Africa Senior High School and the Aburi Girls Senior High School were yesterday presented with their scholarship packages at the ceremony.
The beneficiary students are Thomas Amoah, Henry Nii Quarshie, Doris Korama, Stella Antwi Konadu, Harold Neequaye, Issifu Gariba, Derrick Agbemazi, Shantel Iris Nunoo, Dominic Acquah and Beatrice Morrison.
MGL are the owners of myjoyonline, Joy FM, Adom FM, Luv FM, Asempa FM, Hitz FM, Nyhira FM and mypaddies.com.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, commended the MGL for coming out with such a bold initiative to encourage children to be in school.
She urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them to develop themselves in order to become responsible citizens in future.
The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the fund, Very Rev. Ama Afo-Blay, said the fund, which was part of the company’s social responsibility, was to help give back to society what the company received from it.
According to her, the MGL was committed to transforming the lives of needy, brilliant students, and that the target of the fund was to cover 100 students in the next five years.
Back Page
Multimedia Group Limited (MGL) has launched an Education Trust Fund to support brilliant, needy senior high school (SHS) students.
Beneficiaries of the “MGL Educare Trust Fund” will each be given GH¢300 and some ‘pocket money’ a term during their course of studies.
The first batch of 10 beneficiaries from six SHSs are T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School (Potsin), Ebenezer Senior High School, Odorgonno Senior High School, Methodist High School, West Africa Senior High School and the Aburi Girls Senior High School were yesterday presented with their scholarship packages at the ceremony.
The beneficiary students are Thomas Amoah, Henry Nii Quarshie, Doris Korama, Stella Antwi Konadu, Harold Neequaye, Issifu Gariba, Derrick Agbemazi, Shantel Iris Nunoo, Dominic Acquah and Beatrice Morrison.
MGL are the owners of myjoyonline, Joy FM, Adom FM, Luv FM, Asempa FM, Hitz FM, Nyhira FM and mypaddies.com.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, commended the MGL for coming out with such a bold initiative to encourage children to be in school.
She urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them to develop themselves in order to become responsible citizens in future.
The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the fund, Very Rev. Ama Afo-Blay, said the fund, which was part of the company’s social responsibility, was to help give back to society what the company received from it.
According to her, the MGL was committed to transforming the lives of needy, brilliant students, and that the target of the fund was to cover 100 students in the next five years.
Multi-million dollar agric initiative launched
Back Page lead
27-11-08
AN ambitious $2.5 million agriculture initiative, the Ghana Agro-Dealer Development Project (GAAD), aimed at supporting 2,200 agro-dealers and 150 seed producers to increase agriculture productivity has been launched in Accra.
The three-year project, which is funded by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is expected to increase the income and well-being of 850,000 small holder farmers in the country.
Its objectives include providing training and technical support to agro dealers, encourage agro dealers to join agro-input trade associations, facilitate access to agro-input dealers to finance and train dealers in the value and methods of providing services to farmers.
Launching the project on Tuesday, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Ernest Debrah, in an address read on his behalf, pledged the government's support for making the project a success.
“The project’s goal is to increase availability, accessibility and affordability of quality agro-inputs in rural areas and we as a government, will provide the regulatory framework through the passage and implementation of the seed, fertiliser and crop protection laws in Ghana,” he said.
He said with farmers dealing in fertilisers and other inputs, it was the responsibility of the ministry to ensure that inputs were secured in a safe environment.
The President of AGRA, Dr Namanga Ngongi, said having improved seedlings would lead to dramatic increase in food production in the country.
He said the project was also to assist beneficiaries to have access to credit guarantees, adding that there was no use in training a dealer who could not have access to finances.
The Country Representative of the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC), Dr Kofi Debrah, said the project would be implemented by the IFDC and a consortium, the Ghana Agricultural Associations Business Information Centre (GAABIC).
In an address read on his behalf, the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson Benjamin, said the body had a key objective in reducing poverty through agriculture development.
AGRA is a dynamic partnership working across the African continent to help millions of small-scale farmers and their families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. Its programmes develop practical solutions to significantly boost farm productivity and incomes for the poor, while safeguarding the environment.
It advocates policies that support its work across all key aspects of the African agricultural value chain, from seeds, soil health and water to markets and agricultural education. AGRA's Board of Directors is chaired by Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK's Department for International Development and other donors, AGRA works across sub-Saharan Africa and maintains offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Accra, Ghana.
27-11-08
AN ambitious $2.5 million agriculture initiative, the Ghana Agro-Dealer Development Project (GAAD), aimed at supporting 2,200 agro-dealers and 150 seed producers to increase agriculture productivity has been launched in Accra.
The three-year project, which is funded by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is expected to increase the income and well-being of 850,000 small holder farmers in the country.
Its objectives include providing training and technical support to agro dealers, encourage agro dealers to join agro-input trade associations, facilitate access to agro-input dealers to finance and train dealers in the value and methods of providing services to farmers.
Launching the project on Tuesday, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Ernest Debrah, in an address read on his behalf, pledged the government's support for making the project a success.
“The project’s goal is to increase availability, accessibility and affordability of quality agro-inputs in rural areas and we as a government, will provide the regulatory framework through the passage and implementation of the seed, fertiliser and crop protection laws in Ghana,” he said.
He said with farmers dealing in fertilisers and other inputs, it was the responsibility of the ministry to ensure that inputs were secured in a safe environment.
The President of AGRA, Dr Namanga Ngongi, said having improved seedlings would lead to dramatic increase in food production in the country.
He said the project was also to assist beneficiaries to have access to credit guarantees, adding that there was no use in training a dealer who could not have access to finances.
The Country Representative of the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC), Dr Kofi Debrah, said the project would be implemented by the IFDC and a consortium, the Ghana Agricultural Associations Business Information Centre (GAABIC).
In an address read on his behalf, the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson Benjamin, said the body had a key objective in reducing poverty through agriculture development.
AGRA is a dynamic partnership working across the African continent to help millions of small-scale farmers and their families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. Its programmes develop practical solutions to significantly boost farm productivity and incomes for the poor, while safeguarding the environment.
It advocates policies that support its work across all key aspects of the African agricultural value chain, from seeds, soil health and water to markets and agricultural education. AGRA's Board of Directors is chaired by Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK's Department for International Development and other donors, AGRA works across sub-Saharan Africa and maintains offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Accra, Ghana.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
15 timber companies challenge legality of permit by Commission
24-11-08
Page 21
Some of the forest plantations that the 15 aggrieved timber companies said they won through competitive bidding are now being operated in by some other firms.
This came to light when a leading member of the aggrieved companies took journalists on a tour of the plantations at Jasikan in the Volta Region last week.
At the sites were chopped lumbers, tractors and other earth moving machines used for the harvesting of trees.
The 15 companies which have challenged the legality of permits issued by the Forestry Commission (FC) to 40 timber firms operating in some of the country’s forest plantations, accused the Commission of circumventing the relevant Legislative Instrument (LI 1721) to allocate concessions to timber firms which did not go through any bidding processes.
The companies alleged that those concessions were taken away from those who genuinely won them through the bidding process as required by law.
In addition, they said, the FC allocated the plantations at the price of GH¢140.00, which was 50 per cent less than the prices won during the bidding for the plantations, adding that prices won for the lots/plantations ranged between GH¢250 and GH¢350 per cubic metre.
The aggrieved firms have, therefore, called on the government to immediately withdraw all illegal timber permits issued by FC to all timber firms that did not go through the bidding process.
Failure to do that, they said, they would go to court to stop the operations of what they said were illegal operators, Mr Bright Nkeyasen, spokesperson for the aggrieved companies, told journalists during the tour.
He took journalists to 14 lot/plantations and claimed the area was won by Alacrety International during the bidding but was given to another firm. At the site workers were seen busily working when the team of journalists got there.
Mr Nkeyasen again took the press to lot 12, he said was originally won by Talento Wood Processing Limited, but was again given to another firm.
He said lots 11 which was won by Nkebright and lot 13 won by Engineering and Technical Services during the bidding were all allocated to other firms by the FC through permit which was wrong, adding that lots 1 won by Isberg and lot 2 won by Ghana Tropical were yet again given to other firms illegally.
The 15 companies challenging the legality of permits issued by the FC are In God’s Service Company Limited, Aframco Limited, Carlnormal Limited, House of Kay, Unclewad Company Limited, Tiger Exports Limited, Talento Limited and Belltop Company Limited.
The rest are Isbeg Company Limited, Ghana Tropical Limited, Nkebright Agencies, B.MS. Limited, Engineering and Technical Limited, Jeewap Company Limited and Alacraty International.
Page 21
Some of the forest plantations that the 15 aggrieved timber companies said they won through competitive bidding are now being operated in by some other firms.
This came to light when a leading member of the aggrieved companies took journalists on a tour of the plantations at Jasikan in the Volta Region last week.
At the sites were chopped lumbers, tractors and other earth moving machines used for the harvesting of trees.
The 15 companies which have challenged the legality of permits issued by the Forestry Commission (FC) to 40 timber firms operating in some of the country’s forest plantations, accused the Commission of circumventing the relevant Legislative Instrument (LI 1721) to allocate concessions to timber firms which did not go through any bidding processes.
The companies alleged that those concessions were taken away from those who genuinely won them through the bidding process as required by law.
In addition, they said, the FC allocated the plantations at the price of GH¢140.00, which was 50 per cent less than the prices won during the bidding for the plantations, adding that prices won for the lots/plantations ranged between GH¢250 and GH¢350 per cubic metre.
The aggrieved firms have, therefore, called on the government to immediately withdraw all illegal timber permits issued by FC to all timber firms that did not go through the bidding process.
Failure to do that, they said, they would go to court to stop the operations of what they said were illegal operators, Mr Bright Nkeyasen, spokesperson for the aggrieved companies, told journalists during the tour.
He took journalists to 14 lot/plantations and claimed the area was won by Alacrety International during the bidding but was given to another firm. At the site workers were seen busily working when the team of journalists got there.
Mr Nkeyasen again took the press to lot 12, he said was originally won by Talento Wood Processing Limited, but was again given to another firm.
He said lots 11 which was won by Nkebright and lot 13 won by Engineering and Technical Services during the bidding were all allocated to other firms by the FC through permit which was wrong, adding that lots 1 won by Isberg and lot 2 won by Ghana Tropical were yet again given to other firms illegally.
The 15 companies challenging the legality of permits issued by the FC are In God’s Service Company Limited, Aframco Limited, Carlnormal Limited, House of Kay, Unclewad Company Limited, Tiger Exports Limited, Talento Limited and Belltop Company Limited.
The rest are Isbeg Company Limited, Ghana Tropical Limited, Nkebright Agencies, B.MS. Limited, Engineering and Technical Limited, Jeewap Company Limited and Alacraty International.
Accra Poly sets up research and innovation centre
24-11-08
Page 55
THE Accra Polytechnic has set up a research and innovation centre to promote research in the areas of applied science and technology.
“With the passing of the Polytechnic Act, polytechnics have now become autonomous. Progression is assured and research is encouraged so as to facilitate innovation and the development of best practices for industry,” the rector of the polytechnic, Dr Festus Addo-Yobo, said at the 16th matriculation of the polytechnic last Saturday.
In all, 2,246 freshmen and women out of the 3,441 qualified applicants were formally admitted to the polytechnic.
Dr Addo-Yobo further announced that the polytechnic had set up a Students Hardship Fund to support students who genuinely needed money for academic activities, and, therefore, urged students who needed support to take advantage of the facility.
He said the polytechnic had embarked on a programme to provide the applied sciences, arts and technology education in a student-centred manner.
According to him, the polytechnic was piloting the competency-based learning scheme in two departments — Fashion Design and Mechanical Engineering.
“We are also implementing an ambitious programme to provide e-library facilities in all our reading rooms. We can down-load textbooks, research papers, among other things, from databases for reading,” he said, adding that “we will soon reach agreements with donors so that we can print copies of relevant pages of books for students”.
Dr Addo-Yobo said the courses offered in the polytechnics were closer to what the market demanded and, therefore, expected “polytechnic graduates to make use of a large percentage of what is taught in the classroom so as to make an impact in the market”.
He said having realised the importance of polytechnic education to its industrialisation process, the country had invested so much in providing infrastructure and other facilities to train more people.
He urged the freshers to overcome academic obstacles and think big while on campus, saying that “I want Accra Polytechnic to become the breeding ground for future entrepreneurs”.
Page 55
THE Accra Polytechnic has set up a research and innovation centre to promote research in the areas of applied science and technology.
“With the passing of the Polytechnic Act, polytechnics have now become autonomous. Progression is assured and research is encouraged so as to facilitate innovation and the development of best practices for industry,” the rector of the polytechnic, Dr Festus Addo-Yobo, said at the 16th matriculation of the polytechnic last Saturday.
In all, 2,246 freshmen and women out of the 3,441 qualified applicants were formally admitted to the polytechnic.
Dr Addo-Yobo further announced that the polytechnic had set up a Students Hardship Fund to support students who genuinely needed money for academic activities, and, therefore, urged students who needed support to take advantage of the facility.
He said the polytechnic had embarked on a programme to provide the applied sciences, arts and technology education in a student-centred manner.
According to him, the polytechnic was piloting the competency-based learning scheme in two departments — Fashion Design and Mechanical Engineering.
“We are also implementing an ambitious programme to provide e-library facilities in all our reading rooms. We can down-load textbooks, research papers, among other things, from databases for reading,” he said, adding that “we will soon reach agreements with donors so that we can print copies of relevant pages of books for students”.
Dr Addo-Yobo said the courses offered in the polytechnics were closer to what the market demanded and, therefore, expected “polytechnic graduates to make use of a large percentage of what is taught in the classroom so as to make an impact in the market”.
He said having realised the importance of polytechnic education to its industrialisation process, the country had invested so much in providing infrastructure and other facilities to train more people.
He urged the freshers to overcome academic obstacles and think big while on campus, saying that “I want Accra Polytechnic to become the breeding ground for future entrepreneurs”.
Monitor academic performance of children - Baiden-Amissah
24-11-08
Page 11
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, has called on parents and teachers to constantly monitor the academic performance of children to ensure that they take their studies seriously.
She said children should also take advantage of existing opportunities to move up to the highest level of the education ladder.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah made the call at the second presentation of benefits to 30 students under the Junior Achievers Trust International (JATI) programme and the State Insurance Corporation (SIC) Life Education Assurance Policy in Accra.
The beneficiaries were made up of 25 girls and five boys.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah said the education reform programme had made it mandatory for children of school-age to be in school, adding that “presently the government has a project like the school feeding programme with the aim of providing a decent meal, and development of schoolchildren”.
The Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, commended JATI, SIC and heads of senior high schools who took the initiative to get their students enrolled in the scheme.
He said the GES would ensure the sustainability and growth of the scheme by adhering to the tenets of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the organisation so that more students could benefit from the package.
The Board Chairman of JATI, Mr John Yaw Amankrah, said the aim of the programme was to demonstrate the fulfilment of mission of the organisation.
“JATI exists to reduce the incidence of school drop-outs and improve academic performance of students in senior high school”, he explained and pointed out that the organisation exists to teach entrepreneurship to benefit students aged 11 to 18.
Page 11
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, has called on parents and teachers to constantly monitor the academic performance of children to ensure that they take their studies seriously.
She said children should also take advantage of existing opportunities to move up to the highest level of the education ladder.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah made the call at the second presentation of benefits to 30 students under the Junior Achievers Trust International (JATI) programme and the State Insurance Corporation (SIC) Life Education Assurance Policy in Accra.
The beneficiaries were made up of 25 girls and five boys.
Mrs Baiden-Amissah said the education reform programme had made it mandatory for children of school-age to be in school, adding that “presently the government has a project like the school feeding programme with the aim of providing a decent meal, and development of schoolchildren”.
The Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, commended JATI, SIC and heads of senior high schools who took the initiative to get their students enrolled in the scheme.
He said the GES would ensure the sustainability and growth of the scheme by adhering to the tenets of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the organisation so that more students could benefit from the package.
The Board Chairman of JATI, Mr John Yaw Amankrah, said the aim of the programme was to demonstrate the fulfilment of mission of the organisation.
“JATI exists to reduce the incidence of school drop-outs and improve academic performance of students in senior high school”, he explained and pointed out that the organisation exists to teach entrepreneurship to benefit students aged 11 to 18.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Conflicting reports on access to toilets
Page 55
20-11-08
THERE are conflicting reports over the percentage of Ghanaians who really have access to toilet facilities.
While the Joint Monitoring Project (JMP) set up by the UNICEF and the WHO indicates that only 10 per cent of Ghanaians have access to improved toilet facilities, Ghanaian institutions say 61 per cent of the population have access to the facilities.
In view of the discrepancies in figures, Mr Thomas Sayibu, Chairman of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation, appealed to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to set up a task force that would clearly define the indicators, terminologies and minimal standards for measuring what constituted improved toilet and develop a time-frame for all data collection institutions to adhere to the indicators.
That, he said, would help ensure that the country progressed towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on sanitation.
Mr Sayibu made the appeal in an address read for him at a press conference organised by the Coalition of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) in water and sanitation to mark World Toilet Day, which fell yesterday, November 19, 2008.
The day is to remind people, among other things, that clean toilets are crucial to good health. This year’s celebration is on the theme: “We Deserve Better.”
Mr Sayibu observed that a lack of commitment to enforce the building code was the main factor responsible for people not having toilets in their homes.
He underscored the need for MMDAs to not only enforce the code, but to prosecute landlords and landladies who flouted it.
“According to the Ghana Statistical Service Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report for 2006, more than four million Ghanaians defecate in the bush, open drains, water bodies or fields, instead of using the latrine. The report indicates open defecation is prevalent in the 10 regions,” he said.
Mr Sayibu said the practice was most widespread in the Upper East Region with about 82 per cent of the people without any form of latrine, followed by the Upper West Region with about 79 per cent and the Northern Region with about 73 per cent.
He said such negative practice was caused by the absence of clean household or public latrines and ignorance of the harmful effects of open defecates.
He said Ghana was not any different from the rest of the world and that, according to the World Toilet Organisation, about 2.5 billion people, or 40 per cent of the world’s population lacked basic sanitation, adding that only about 30 per cent of people who have sewerage system have their facilities treated in an environmentally and friendly way with the rest going into gutters, among other places.
Mr Sayibu said sewage was virtually non-existent in the country, and that “Tema and some satellite systems in parts of Accra, Kumasi and other cities were the only places that could boast of sewage systems in the country.
“According to the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD), only about 4.5 per cent of Ghanaians have access to sewage systems. Apart from Tema, many of those satellite systems are found within such institutions as government ministries, academic institutions and hospitals rather than in settlements,” he explained.
Mr Sayibu said improved sanitation services and hygiene practices needed to be emphasised as a major element for the building of human capability in the poverty reduction strategy for the country.
Mr Emmanuel Addai, the Communications Specialist of Water and Sanitation Monitoring Platform of the Ministry of Water Resources Work and Housing, disclosed that Ghana ranked 48 out of 51 African countries with access to household sanitation facilities.
20-11-08
THERE are conflicting reports over the percentage of Ghanaians who really have access to toilet facilities.
While the Joint Monitoring Project (JMP) set up by the UNICEF and the WHO indicates that only 10 per cent of Ghanaians have access to improved toilet facilities, Ghanaian institutions say 61 per cent of the population have access to the facilities.
In view of the discrepancies in figures, Mr Thomas Sayibu, Chairman of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation, appealed to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to set up a task force that would clearly define the indicators, terminologies and minimal standards for measuring what constituted improved toilet and develop a time-frame for all data collection institutions to adhere to the indicators.
That, he said, would help ensure that the country progressed towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on sanitation.
Mr Sayibu made the appeal in an address read for him at a press conference organised by the Coalition of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) in water and sanitation to mark World Toilet Day, which fell yesterday, November 19, 2008.
The day is to remind people, among other things, that clean toilets are crucial to good health. This year’s celebration is on the theme: “We Deserve Better.”
Mr Sayibu observed that a lack of commitment to enforce the building code was the main factor responsible for people not having toilets in their homes.
He underscored the need for MMDAs to not only enforce the code, but to prosecute landlords and landladies who flouted it.
“According to the Ghana Statistical Service Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report for 2006, more than four million Ghanaians defecate in the bush, open drains, water bodies or fields, instead of using the latrine. The report indicates open defecation is prevalent in the 10 regions,” he said.
Mr Sayibu said the practice was most widespread in the Upper East Region with about 82 per cent of the people without any form of latrine, followed by the Upper West Region with about 79 per cent and the Northern Region with about 73 per cent.
He said such negative practice was caused by the absence of clean household or public latrines and ignorance of the harmful effects of open defecates.
He said Ghana was not any different from the rest of the world and that, according to the World Toilet Organisation, about 2.5 billion people, or 40 per cent of the world’s population lacked basic sanitation, adding that only about 30 per cent of people who have sewerage system have their facilities treated in an environmentally and friendly way with the rest going into gutters, among other places.
Mr Sayibu said sewage was virtually non-existent in the country, and that “Tema and some satellite systems in parts of Accra, Kumasi and other cities were the only places that could boast of sewage systems in the country.
“According to the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD), only about 4.5 per cent of Ghanaians have access to sewage systems. Apart from Tema, many of those satellite systems are found within such institutions as government ministries, academic institutions and hospitals rather than in settlements,” he explained.
Mr Sayibu said improved sanitation services and hygiene practices needed to be emphasised as a major element for the building of human capability in the poverty reduction strategy for the country.
Mr Emmanuel Addai, the Communications Specialist of Water and Sanitation Monitoring Platform of the Ministry of Water Resources Work and Housing, disclosed that Ghana ranked 48 out of 51 African countries with access to household sanitation facilities.
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