Story: Mary Ankrah & Dominic Moses Awaih
A 27-year-old man met his tragic end when two vehicles ran over him at Atico Junction in Accra in the early hours of yesterday.
The victim, identified as Daniel Ayiredi, was said to have been knocked down by a vehicle when he was crossing the road, while another vehicle, moving at top speed, crushed his head.
Ayiredi left behind a widow, Efua, and two children, Isaac Kwaku Osei, seven, and Joyce Abbey, four.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred about 3:30 a.m. but the body was left on the road until 8:30 a.m. when it was conveyed to the mortuary by policemen from the Odorkor Police Station and some relatives of the deceased.
Ayiredi’s mother, Mama Lizzy, told the Daily Graphic that about 5 a.m. she saw a crowd gathered around a dead body and asked some of them whether the dead person was male or female.
She said when she was told the body was that of a male, she exclaimed, and because she could not stand the shock, she continued to board a “trotro” to the market to buy some foodstuffs for her shop.
She said little did she know that the body was that of her son.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, the body had been wrapped with plastic, while the scene of the accident was stained with blood.
An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Abdullah Mumuni, said the police would carry out investigations to establish which vehicles knocked and killed the young man.
According to him, a similar accident occurred at the Beento Complex before the Awoshie Junction last month when a woman was knocked and killed by a truck.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Tuesday, February 28, 2012, Pg. Archbishop Palmer-Buckle advises students to acquire moral, spiritual values... Alongside book knowledge
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, has urged students to acquire book knowledge in addition to religious, moral and spiritual values.
He said the acquisition of book knowledge, facts and figures alone could not make a student a successful and upright citizen who was ready to contribute to the development of the country.
Religious and moral values, he said, could be acquired from teachers, especially from what they give outside the school curriculum, adding that every school must ensure that students were exposed to every form of knowledge from people who possessed it or from role models.
According to him, the religious, moral and spiritual component of education is essential and the fear of God must be inculcated in the students so that in anything they do, they would do it with a deep sense of responsibility and would answer to a higher authority someday.
He made this call at the 60th anniversary ceremony of the St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School last weekend in Accra.
The anniversary was on the theme: “60 Years of holistic Catholic education towards national development: The Day school experience.”
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle drew his advice from the youthful life of Jesus Christ and said obedience, healthy stature, wisdom, growing in the presence of God and love for one another were five indispensable qualities that ought to be inculcated into students.
On obedience, he urged the students to play their roles assigned them, noting that obedience would lead them to develop a sense of self discipline and control, a necessary engine to propel them in life.
In addition, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said every student required being physically healthy for “a healthy mind is in a healthy body” and that was why the school had provided them with physical training and sports activities.
He urged teachers and parents to ensure that the students would grow in an atmosphere of love for one another.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Guest Speaker, Dr George Afeti, the Chief Inspector of Schools who read a speech on behalf of the Acting Minster of Education, Mr E. T. Mensah, urged the Old Toms to give back to the school what the school had given them and added that it was opportune for Old Toms to share their memories, sweet and sour, with the young ones so that the young Toms could learn from their spirit of hard work, fortitude and determination to uphold the truth.
“The dreams of the founding fathers can best continue to yield excellent fruits when Old Toms get more committed to their alma mater,” he said.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Francis K. Ahiafor, said although the school had faced lots of challenges in the past 60 years, it had succeeded in living up to the tenets of academic excellence laid down by the founding fathers.
He said the school attained 96 per cent pass in the 2011 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Mr Ahiafor also stated that the school had received lots of infrastructure development from the government, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and other organisations.
He said the government was upgrading power supply in the school, with the school having its own transformer and streets lights to ensure maximum security on campus.
He said the PTA had built a modern art shop for the Visual Arts Department and donated a 58-seater bus to the school.
With a student population of 1,800, the headmaster said there was the need for a boarding facility to respond to the present demand of the educational system.
THE Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, has urged students to acquire book knowledge in addition to religious, moral and spiritual values.
He said the acquisition of book knowledge, facts and figures alone could not make a student a successful and upright citizen who was ready to contribute to the development of the country.
Religious and moral values, he said, could be acquired from teachers, especially from what they give outside the school curriculum, adding that every school must ensure that students were exposed to every form of knowledge from people who possessed it or from role models.
According to him, the religious, moral and spiritual component of education is essential and the fear of God must be inculcated in the students so that in anything they do, they would do it with a deep sense of responsibility and would answer to a higher authority someday.
He made this call at the 60th anniversary ceremony of the St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School last weekend in Accra.
The anniversary was on the theme: “60 Years of holistic Catholic education towards national development: The Day school experience.”
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle drew his advice from the youthful life of Jesus Christ and said obedience, healthy stature, wisdom, growing in the presence of God and love for one another were five indispensable qualities that ought to be inculcated into students.
On obedience, he urged the students to play their roles assigned them, noting that obedience would lead them to develop a sense of self discipline and control, a necessary engine to propel them in life.
In addition, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said every student required being physically healthy for “a healthy mind is in a healthy body” and that was why the school had provided them with physical training and sports activities.
He urged teachers and parents to ensure that the students would grow in an atmosphere of love for one another.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Guest Speaker, Dr George Afeti, the Chief Inspector of Schools who read a speech on behalf of the Acting Minster of Education, Mr E. T. Mensah, urged the Old Toms to give back to the school what the school had given them and added that it was opportune for Old Toms to share their memories, sweet and sour, with the young ones so that the young Toms could learn from their spirit of hard work, fortitude and determination to uphold the truth.
“The dreams of the founding fathers can best continue to yield excellent fruits when Old Toms get more committed to their alma mater,” he said.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Francis K. Ahiafor, said although the school had faced lots of challenges in the past 60 years, it had succeeded in living up to the tenets of academic excellence laid down by the founding fathers.
He said the school attained 96 per cent pass in the 2011 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Mr Ahiafor also stated that the school had received lots of infrastructure development from the government, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and other organisations.
He said the government was upgrading power supply in the school, with the school having its own transformer and streets lights to ensure maximum security on campus.
He said the PTA had built a modern art shop for the Visual Arts Department and donated a 58-seater bus to the school.
With a student population of 1,800, the headmaster said there was the need for a boarding facility to respond to the present demand of the educational system.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Saturday, February 24, 2012, Pg.28. New policy to raise household enterprise productivity
Story: Mary Ankrah
A POLICY matrix and action plan for the consideration of government towards raising productivity and reducing risk of household enterprises in Ghana has been drafted.
The matrix, dubbed: “National Strategy and Action plan for Informal Enterprises (IEs),” which is expected to support government-initiated programmes and actions, was drafted by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW) in partnership with the World Bank.
It is anticipated that the policy would help develop and sustain the growth of the IEs and position them as the pivot for job creation, poverty reduction and national development.
The policy is also aimed at creating the enabling environment for IEs to thrive in order to boost local economic development.
At a consultation workshop held in Accra, the Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, in an address read on his behalf said the informal economy of Ghana constituted about 84 per cent of active labour force whose incomes depended on income from household enterprises and that productivity of the enterprises could be enhanced to improve the household living standards for many Ghanaians.
The workshop aimed to solicit the input of stakeholders into the drafted informal sector policy action plan and make recommendations to improve on it.
According to Mr Sekyere, about a third of the Ghanaian labour force work in informal enterprises, and it was against this background that the national committee on informal economy was established with the mandate to lead and co-ordinate the process of policy formulation on the informal economy.
He observed that the National Pension Act (2008), Act 766, which provided for a three-tier pension scheme, was geared towards the inclusion of the informal economy into the National Pension Scheme while efforts were made to include the informal sector in the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
He gave an assurance that the government had not relented in its quest for a sustainable solution to the problem of employment in the country and that all measures that would help generate employment would be exploited.
In addition, Ms Louise Fox, a representative from the World Bank, encouraged the government and stakeholders to build on the successes created and educate operators of IEs to be able to exploit other opportunities.
DARLY GRAPHIC, Saturday, February 25, 2012, Pg.18. SDA church organises clean-up exercise
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| Some members of the church sweeping along a principal street |
Story: Mary Ankrah
Some members of the South Ghana Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventists Church (SDA) cleaning some principal streets of the Accra as part of activities, marking the 125th anniversary celebration of the church, which is next year.
The members, led by their pastors cleaned drains and gutters, weeded, swept and collected garbage from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area to the La Hospital.
The exercise was held in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Zoomlion.
According to the President of the SDA Church in Ghana, Pastor Samuel Adama Larmie, the church believes in quality health and the exercise would help ensure a healthy environment.
Pastor Larmie said the exercise also formed part of the church’s social responsibility and that in their preparation toward the anniversary the church intended to organise such cleaning exercises throughout the country.
The Mayor of Accra, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, who joined the church in the exercise, used the opportunity to affirm the assembly’s readiness to enforce its environmental and sanitation by-laws and prosecute offenders.
He said there was the need for the assembly to formulate strategies that would sustain cleanliness and added that this could be done with the effective participation of the youth.
He, therefore, urged the youth and churches to assist the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to ensure cleanliness since that was the assembly’s priority.
Dr Vanderpuije also commended the SDA Church for joining hands with the AMA to keep the city clean as part of its anniversary celebration.
The President of the South Ghana Conference of the SDA, Pastor Anthony Kessie, said it was about time that church activities were not limited to the spiritual growth of members but rather extended to benefit the society.
“We are all citizens of the country and apart from seeking our spiritual well-being we must also think of our physical development and play our part in building the nation," he said.
DAILY GRAPHIC, Saturday, February 25, 2012, Pg.17. 16th International Trade Fair opens
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE 16th edition of the Ghana International Trade Fair (GITF) opened in Accra yesterday.
Five hundred and twenty exhibitors are participating in the fair, which is on the theme: “Harnessing opportunities for Ghana’s trade and industry”.
The fair is expected to end on March 10, 2012.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Joseph S. Annan, said the theme was opportune at the time that Ghana was about to experience unprecedented economic take-off in its industrial development process with the discovery of oil and gas.
In that vein, he pledged that the Ministry of Trade and Industry would continue to facilitate growth and development and collaborate with others in the industry.
“It is important to note that the focus on trade and industry is appropriate because as we move away from dependency on aid to focus on development, trade will continue to be a critical component,” he observed.
Dr Annan gave an assurance that the government would continue to play its role and ensure the efficient allocation of resources for the overall well-being of the economy and the citizenry.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Board Chairman of the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC), Captain K. Buttah (retd), said this year’s fair would create a wide platform for all economic operators to interact with their clients and customers and identify new ones to enable them to take advantage of the opportunities in trade and industry.
“The cross fertilisation of ideas that takes place during this period leads to increased knowledge on product display, labelling, marketing strategies and competition in the market,” he added.
He said that would enable the private sector to position itself to be more competitive in the local and international business community.
THE 16th edition of the Ghana International Trade Fair (GITF) opened in Accra yesterday.
Five hundred and twenty exhibitors are participating in the fair, which is on the theme: “Harnessing opportunities for Ghana’s trade and industry”.
The fair is expected to end on March 10, 2012.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Joseph S. Annan, said the theme was opportune at the time that Ghana was about to experience unprecedented economic take-off in its industrial development process with the discovery of oil and gas.
In that vein, he pledged that the Ministry of Trade and Industry would continue to facilitate growth and development and collaborate with others in the industry.
“It is important to note that the focus on trade and industry is appropriate because as we move away from dependency on aid to focus on development, trade will continue to be a critical component,” he observed.
Dr Annan gave an assurance that the government would continue to play its role and ensure the efficient allocation of resources for the overall well-being of the economy and the citizenry.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Board Chairman of the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC), Captain K. Buttah (retd), said this year’s fair would create a wide platform for all economic operators to interact with their clients and customers and identify new ones to enable them to take advantage of the opportunities in trade and industry.
“The cross fertilisation of ideas that takes place during this period leads to increased knowledge on product display, labelling, marketing strategies and competition in the market,” he added.
He said that would enable the private sector to position itself to be more competitive in the local and international business community.
DAILY GRAPHIC, Saturday February 25, 2012, Pg.12.'Lack of social accountability......at local level of governance'
Story: Mary Ankrah
A SENIOR fellow of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Mr Francis Tsegah, has expressed concern about the lack of social accountability at the local level of governance in the country.
He said this was due to lack of effective system of information flow with regards to the operations of the district assemblies, especially in relation to resource availability, distribution and service delivery.
Mr Tsegah also observed that the absence of a professional working relationship between local administrators, officials and assembly members had led to the present poor citizens’ participation in local governance.
“It is sad to note that despite the elaborate constitutional, legal and policy interventions, not sufficient attention has been paid to the challenges of participation and representation at the local level, especially issues of responsiveness and accountability”, he stated.
He made this statement at the inauguration and launching ceremony of a three-year social accountability project dubbed “promoting social accountability through citizens’ participation in local governance” in Accra recently.
The project, which is to be carried out in 17 districts across the country, was a grant secured by the CDD-Ghana under the European Union (EU) Non-State Actors and Local Authorities Development Actions in Ghana.
The grant, worth 482,265 euros, seeks to involve stakeholders including traditional authorities, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, youth groups, women organisations, people with disabilities, district and municipal chief executives, assembly members, unit committee members and the media among others.
The project seeks to encourage citizen participation in local governance through active engagement and also strengthening the credibility of local authorities to promote local government accountability.
In this direction, the CDD-Ghana had commissioned a 10-member committee which would initiate sensitisation programmes that would seek to build capacities and cultivate attitudes of local political leaders and citizens.
It is believed that the project would increase citizens’ understanding and participation in governance process in their communities.
Speaking at the ceremony, a delegation of the EU to Ghana, Mr Kurt Cornelis, said the EU was of the firm conviction that accountability of public officials and citizens’ empowerment were the bedrock of good governance and pre-requisites for effective democracy.
For this reason, the project and other similar ones was intended to contribute to governance and increase capacity for social accountability.
Mr Cornelis noted that for the implementation of the decentralisation policy plan, attention would be devoted to the setting up of a social accountability platform to be facilitated by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS).
He said the platform was anticipated to “promote harmonisation and monitoring of the performance and service delivery at districts level by communities and civil society organisations”.
In addition, Mr Cornelis stated that with the EU’s support for civil society as a pillar of good governance and effective democracy, a contract would soon be signed with the ILGS to also facilitate a civil society platform for social accountability.
He advocated that civil societies in the country needed to be resourced and strengthened to play their expected roles in national development.
In promoting social accountability, he said “civil society organisations have a role in helping government to better understand citizen’s priorities and adopt collaboration approach towards meeting their priorities”.
A SENIOR fellow of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Mr Francis Tsegah, has expressed concern about the lack of social accountability at the local level of governance in the country.
He said this was due to lack of effective system of information flow with regards to the operations of the district assemblies, especially in relation to resource availability, distribution and service delivery.
Mr Tsegah also observed that the absence of a professional working relationship between local administrators, officials and assembly members had led to the present poor citizens’ participation in local governance.
“It is sad to note that despite the elaborate constitutional, legal and policy interventions, not sufficient attention has been paid to the challenges of participation and representation at the local level, especially issues of responsiveness and accountability”, he stated.
He made this statement at the inauguration and launching ceremony of a three-year social accountability project dubbed “promoting social accountability through citizens’ participation in local governance” in Accra recently.
The project, which is to be carried out in 17 districts across the country, was a grant secured by the CDD-Ghana under the European Union (EU) Non-State Actors and Local Authorities Development Actions in Ghana.
The grant, worth 482,265 euros, seeks to involve stakeholders including traditional authorities, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, youth groups, women organisations, people with disabilities, district and municipal chief executives, assembly members, unit committee members and the media among others.
The project seeks to encourage citizen participation in local governance through active engagement and also strengthening the credibility of local authorities to promote local government accountability.
In this direction, the CDD-Ghana had commissioned a 10-member committee which would initiate sensitisation programmes that would seek to build capacities and cultivate attitudes of local political leaders and citizens.
It is believed that the project would increase citizens’ understanding and participation in governance process in their communities.
Speaking at the ceremony, a delegation of the EU to Ghana, Mr Kurt Cornelis, said the EU was of the firm conviction that accountability of public officials and citizens’ empowerment were the bedrock of good governance and pre-requisites for effective democracy.
For this reason, the project and other similar ones was intended to contribute to governance and increase capacity for social accountability.
Mr Cornelis noted that for the implementation of the decentralisation policy plan, attention would be devoted to the setting up of a social accountability platform to be facilitated by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS).
He said the platform was anticipated to “promote harmonisation and monitoring of the performance and service delivery at districts level by communities and civil society organisations”.
In addition, Mr Cornelis stated that with the EU’s support for civil society as a pillar of good governance and effective democracy, a contract would soon be signed with the ILGS to also facilitate a civil society platform for social accountability.
He advocated that civil societies in the country needed to be resourced and strengthened to play their expected roles in national development.
In promoting social accountability, he said “civil society organisations have a role in helping government to better understand citizen’s priorities and adopt collaboration approach towards meeting their priorities”.
Friday, February 24, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Friday February 24,2012, Pg. 19. Medical Imaging Company acquires a new scanner
Story: Mary Ankrah
The Medical Imaging Company, a sister company of the MedLab Ghana Limited, has inaugurated a new scanner to improve its health service delivery to the public.
Known as the Computed Tomography (CT), the scanner is a special kind of x-ray machine that provides cross-sectional images or "slices" of the body’s anatomy.
The scanner is particularly good for testing for bleeding in the brain, for aneurysms (when the wall of an artery swells up), brain tumours and brain damage.
It can also find tumours and abscesses throughout the body and is used to assess types of lung disease.
The equipment also allows doctors to inspect the inside of the body without operating patients or performing unpleasant examinations.
CT scans have also proven helpful in pinpointing tumours and planning treatment with radiotherapy.
The company, which has branches in Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi, was established in 1995 in Accra as a clinical medical laboratory to offer scans, x-rays, mammogram and blood tests.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of the company, Dr Rosemary Keatley, said the company was the first and medical laboratory in Ghana to achieve the ISO: 15189 standard of excellence awarded by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) from 2008 to 2012.
Dr Keatley said the company continued to strengthen its capacity and that was more committed to produce quality health delivery to the general public.
She also encouraged women to frequently take a mammogram test to detect breast cancer early to avoid future complications.
The Medical Imaging Company, a sister company of the MedLab Ghana Limited, has inaugurated a new scanner to improve its health service delivery to the public.
Known as the Computed Tomography (CT), the scanner is a special kind of x-ray machine that provides cross-sectional images or "slices" of the body’s anatomy.
The scanner is particularly good for testing for bleeding in the brain, for aneurysms (when the wall of an artery swells up), brain tumours and brain damage.
It can also find tumours and abscesses throughout the body and is used to assess types of lung disease.
The equipment also allows doctors to inspect the inside of the body without operating patients or performing unpleasant examinations.
CT scans have also proven helpful in pinpointing tumours and planning treatment with radiotherapy.
The company, which has branches in Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi, was established in 1995 in Accra as a clinical medical laboratory to offer scans, x-rays, mammogram and blood tests.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of the company, Dr Rosemary Keatley, said the company was the first and medical laboratory in Ghana to achieve the ISO: 15189 standard of excellence awarded by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) from 2008 to 2012.
Dr Keatley said the company continued to strengthen its capacity and that was more committed to produce quality health delivery to the general public.
She also encouraged women to frequently take a mammogram test to detect breast cancer early to avoid future complications.
DAILY GRAPHIC, Friday February 24, 2012, Pg.11. AWDF explores new thematic areas for social justices
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| Nneka Lucia Egbuna AWDF’s Ambassador for the Arts, playing the guiter. |
THE African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has introduced arts, culture and sports as new thematic areas in order to expand support for the arts as a tool for the attainment of social justice.
According to the Interim Chief Executive Officer of the AWDF, Ms Theo Sowa, arts is an amazing catalyst for social change that could bring individuals together for that purpose.
She said since women, children and communities deserved better and an effective positive change, it was just not enough to talk about international convention, adding that “rather good domestic legislation should be implemented, since real change has to come from the mind and heart and arts and culture would raise the profile of women empowerment”.
The AWDF is a grant-making foundation which supports local, national and regional organisations in Africa in the area of women’s empowerment. Through institutional capacity building and programme development, AWDF seeks to build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement.
The vision of AWDF is for African women to live in a world in which there is social justice, equality and respect for women’s human rights.
The organisation had been in existence for about 11 years and since 2001, AWDF had provided US$17 million in grants to 800 women’s organisations in 42 African countries.
Ms Sowa explained that arts and culture including images, paintings, songs and writings was the most effective way of reaching the soul and heart of people and that arts had the power to effect behavioural change.
To promote this course, a Nigerian-German singer, Nneka Lucia Egbuna has been chosen as the AWDF’s Ambassador for the Arts.
The young singer’s genre of music is hip hop and soul music artist and also a guitarist, who has clinched several awards both in Nigeria and abroad. These include the 2009 Music of Black Origin (MOBO), Nigeria Entertainment Award, and a South African Award, among others.
At the introductory ceremony in Accra, Egbuna said music was the easiest way to reach the hearts of people and would use her music to change the minds and hearts of people to express their feelings on political issues to improve their surroundings.
She also advised the younger generation not to allow themselves to be manipulated but should rather identify their talent in order not to loose concentration on any good thing they embarked on.
The singer gave a captivating performance at the event which brought together some prominent women including the Dompiahene of Akwapem and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Nana Oye Mansa Yeboaa, and an Author and Playwright, Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Thursday, February 23, 2012, Pg. Women's participation in governance still low-------Mrs Gbedemah
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Rector of the Law Institute, Mrs Hilary Gbedemah, has said that women’s participation in national governance falls short of the constitutional requirement.
The 1992 Constitution makes provision for 30 percent of women participation in the governance process but the status quo is below that minimum target.
She observed that women continue to be under-represented in all levels of government due to historical and cultural factor, lack of resources and political parties structure among others.
On historical and cultural factor, she explained that women were generally not taught to be acceptive and coupled with the relatively low educational background of most women; they lack the confidence to take political will.
Again, she said due to the low educational level of most women, they do not have the financial resources that are needed to go into politics and the legal regime do not really protect their properties.
Mrs Gbedemah explained that although in the past elections, several political parties were committed to fielding between 30 to 40 per cent women candidates, it was not achieved and consequently contributed to a decrease in women’s representation of 11 per cent following the 2004 elections to the current eight per cent women in parliament.
“Disproportionate gender representation is a challenge for Ghana and the lack of support for women who could not make it is also a critical area that needs to be addressed”, she added.
She also believed that the district assembly level needs to be strengthened and that when women start occupying political position from the district level, they would have the confidence, networks and the knowledge of the community and that would build them to attain national position in politics.
She made this known at a two-day training of trainers’ workshop in Accra organised by the ABANTU for Development in partnership with the Canadian Crossroad International dubbed “preparing women candidate for the campaign trail”.
The workshop, which was attended by women leaders from the 10 regions of the country, was intended to sharpen the knowledge of the participants to effectively participate in politics and replicate the knowledge to other women candidates in their respective regions.
It was also to enhance the campaign skills and strategies of women candidates in the upcoming election campaign.
Speaking at the workshop, the Director of ABANTU for Development, Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, said Ghana needs an affirmative action as a strategy for increasing women’s participation in politics.
The affirmation action, she said, was a set of measures that needed to be adopted by government, public and private institutions such as political parties, educational establishments, corporations and companies to address the discrimination and exclusion of women in certain development goals.
“The only way to increase women’s representation in parliament and governance is through affirmative action given the inherent discrimination and inequality in the current political structure”, she stated.
She said the affirmation action would also make women to be equally represented and hence rectify the current gender imbalance in governance and therefore call on the government to pass an affirmative legislation and urged political parties to uphold their communities to a more gender-balanced field of candidates.
THE Rector of the Law Institute, Mrs Hilary Gbedemah, has said that women’s participation in national governance falls short of the constitutional requirement.
The 1992 Constitution makes provision for 30 percent of women participation in the governance process but the status quo is below that minimum target.
She observed that women continue to be under-represented in all levels of government due to historical and cultural factor, lack of resources and political parties structure among others.
On historical and cultural factor, she explained that women were generally not taught to be acceptive and coupled with the relatively low educational background of most women; they lack the confidence to take political will.
Again, she said due to the low educational level of most women, they do not have the financial resources that are needed to go into politics and the legal regime do not really protect their properties.
Mrs Gbedemah explained that although in the past elections, several political parties were committed to fielding between 30 to 40 per cent women candidates, it was not achieved and consequently contributed to a decrease in women’s representation of 11 per cent following the 2004 elections to the current eight per cent women in parliament.
“Disproportionate gender representation is a challenge for Ghana and the lack of support for women who could not make it is also a critical area that needs to be addressed”, she added.
She also believed that the district assembly level needs to be strengthened and that when women start occupying political position from the district level, they would have the confidence, networks and the knowledge of the community and that would build them to attain national position in politics.
She made this known at a two-day training of trainers’ workshop in Accra organised by the ABANTU for Development in partnership with the Canadian Crossroad International dubbed “preparing women candidate for the campaign trail”.
The workshop, which was attended by women leaders from the 10 regions of the country, was intended to sharpen the knowledge of the participants to effectively participate in politics and replicate the knowledge to other women candidates in their respective regions.
It was also to enhance the campaign skills and strategies of women candidates in the upcoming election campaign.
Speaking at the workshop, the Director of ABANTU for Development, Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, said Ghana needs an affirmative action as a strategy for increasing women’s participation in politics.
The affirmation action, she said, was a set of measures that needed to be adopted by government, public and private institutions such as political parties, educational establishments, corporations and companies to address the discrimination and exclusion of women in certain development goals.
“The only way to increase women’s representation in parliament and governance is through affirmative action given the inherent discrimination and inequality in the current political structure”, she stated.
She said the affirmation action would also make women to be equally represented and hence rectify the current gender imbalance in governance and therefore call on the government to pass an affirmative legislation and urged political parties to uphold their communities to a more gender-balanced field of candidates.
Monday, February 20, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Monday, February 20, 2012, Pg. 19. Posting of bills in public places---- AMA to deal with offenders
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije has sent a strong warning that his assembly will deal ruthlessly with people who post posters and mount signpost indiscriminately at public places.
He said offenders would be prosecuted and those found guilty would be made to pay fines and if possible imprisoned.
He made this statement at a public forum dubbed “Assembly in Focus” held in Accra and urged churches, businesspeople and individuals involved in such an act to desist from that.
In spite of, the various challenges most assemblies faced, Mr Vanderpuije said the AMA had succeeded in completing and initiating a number of developmental projects in the fields of education, sanitation, and roads to the benefit the people.
In the area of education, he said the government had been able to put an end to the shift system two years ago to enable teachers to have enough time to teach the children.
Mr Vanderpuije said the system allowed children to play truant in school and most of them were found selling on the streets during school hours.
“We just did not end the shift system, we built over 450 temporal structures throughout the sub-metros of the city and provided over 17,000 furniture into the classrooms to end the system”, he added.
He also said the government upon realising that some of the classrooms in the metropolise were in deplorable conditions, the AMA had commenced the building of modern educational facilities called the “Millennium City School” to provide the children with a conducive environment to facilitate learning.
In that direction, out of the 50 school blocks the AMA intended to build, it had constructed about 18, 3-storey classroom blocks with science and computer laboratories and libraries throughout the metropolises with the first two classroom blocks being commissioned next month at Mamprobi M One compound and Salvation compound at Latebiokoshie.
He mentioned that it was also important to improve the methodology of teachers by sharpening their knowledge in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), therefore the AMA had the intention of organising educational programmes and training for teachers to enhance teaching and learning .
Highlighting the progress made in sanitation, Mr Vanderpuije said the assembly had introduced a system whereby dustbins had been provided households and were registered to allow waste management companies to collect the refuse around the metropolis.
He cited that in the past few years Accra was categorised as the dirtiest city and country in the world, producing 2,200 tons of rubbish per day.
Notwithstanding, the AMA initiatives had helped to improve the sanitation system and that at the recent climate change summit in South Africa two months ago, the United Nations (UN) Environmental and Sanitation monitoring result showed that Accra was among the best five cleaniest city-countries in the world.
He therefore encouraged all Ghanaians to register with the waste management companies to enable them dispose of their refuse in a more scientific manner in order to keep the environment clean.
Still on sanitation, the Mayor said all landscape refuse sites would be cleared and closed in the next three months, including the ones at Anyaa and Mallam and would introduce a modern and scientific structures whereby refuse would be recycled and used to produce products that would benefit the country.
He also observed that the government had given every household up to September 2012 to build toilet facilities in their homes and those who would not comply would be prosecuted.
To this end, he said the AMA had constructed about 45 public places of convenience (public toilet) across the metropolis so that people would have a place to defecate when they are in public.
Besides, the Mayor observed that Lavender hill in the Chorkor suburb of Accra, one of the places where liquid sewerage collected in the city is disposed off into the sea, had become a threat to the people since in the process the beach and the environment is contaminated.
He assured all that “by June, Lavender hill would be closed due to the insanitary activities going on there” and that the government was putting up a new liquid waste plant at East Legon to be completed in June to solve the problem of liquid waste management in Accra whereby people would be able to dispose their waste scientifically.
On roads, Mr Vanderpuije noted that there had been lots of road and gutter construction projects across the metropolis.
He mentioned that about 400 buildings in water ways at Latebiokoshie, Sukura and Manponse communities had been destroyed to ensure a proper drainage system especially during raining season.
“We did not just want to break people’s houses but wanted to end the disaster striker and remove poor living standard at those areas.”
He said the decongestion exercise in the city was to help the city dwellers to have a good livelihood and better environment and advised them to abide by the laws of the land.
THE Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije has sent a strong warning that his assembly will deal ruthlessly with people who post posters and mount signpost indiscriminately at public places.
He said offenders would be prosecuted and those found guilty would be made to pay fines and if possible imprisoned.
He made this statement at a public forum dubbed “Assembly in Focus” held in Accra and urged churches, businesspeople and individuals involved in such an act to desist from that.
In spite of, the various challenges most assemblies faced, Mr Vanderpuije said the AMA had succeeded in completing and initiating a number of developmental projects in the fields of education, sanitation, and roads to the benefit the people.
In the area of education, he said the government had been able to put an end to the shift system two years ago to enable teachers to have enough time to teach the children.
Mr Vanderpuije said the system allowed children to play truant in school and most of them were found selling on the streets during school hours.
“We just did not end the shift system, we built over 450 temporal structures throughout the sub-metros of the city and provided over 17,000 furniture into the classrooms to end the system”, he added.
He also said the government upon realising that some of the classrooms in the metropolise were in deplorable conditions, the AMA had commenced the building of modern educational facilities called the “Millennium City School” to provide the children with a conducive environment to facilitate learning.
In that direction, out of the 50 school blocks the AMA intended to build, it had constructed about 18, 3-storey classroom blocks with science and computer laboratories and libraries throughout the metropolises with the first two classroom blocks being commissioned next month at Mamprobi M One compound and Salvation compound at Latebiokoshie.
He mentioned that it was also important to improve the methodology of teachers by sharpening their knowledge in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), therefore the AMA had the intention of organising educational programmes and training for teachers to enhance teaching and learning .
Highlighting the progress made in sanitation, Mr Vanderpuije said the assembly had introduced a system whereby dustbins had been provided households and were registered to allow waste management companies to collect the refuse around the metropolis.
He cited that in the past few years Accra was categorised as the dirtiest city and country in the world, producing 2,200 tons of rubbish per day.
Notwithstanding, the AMA initiatives had helped to improve the sanitation system and that at the recent climate change summit in South Africa two months ago, the United Nations (UN) Environmental and Sanitation monitoring result showed that Accra was among the best five cleaniest city-countries in the world.
He therefore encouraged all Ghanaians to register with the waste management companies to enable them dispose of their refuse in a more scientific manner in order to keep the environment clean.
Still on sanitation, the Mayor said all landscape refuse sites would be cleared and closed in the next three months, including the ones at Anyaa and Mallam and would introduce a modern and scientific structures whereby refuse would be recycled and used to produce products that would benefit the country.
He also observed that the government had given every household up to September 2012 to build toilet facilities in their homes and those who would not comply would be prosecuted.
To this end, he said the AMA had constructed about 45 public places of convenience (public toilet) across the metropolis so that people would have a place to defecate when they are in public.
Besides, the Mayor observed that Lavender hill in the Chorkor suburb of Accra, one of the places where liquid sewerage collected in the city is disposed off into the sea, had become a threat to the people since in the process the beach and the environment is contaminated.
He assured all that “by June, Lavender hill would be closed due to the insanitary activities going on there” and that the government was putting up a new liquid waste plant at East Legon to be completed in June to solve the problem of liquid waste management in Accra whereby people would be able to dispose their waste scientifically.
On roads, Mr Vanderpuije noted that there had been lots of road and gutter construction projects across the metropolis.
He mentioned that about 400 buildings in water ways at Latebiokoshie, Sukura and Manponse communities had been destroyed to ensure a proper drainage system especially during raining season.
“We did not just want to break people’s houses but wanted to end the disaster striker and remove poor living standard at those areas.”
He said the decongestion exercise in the city was to help the city dwellers to have a good livelihood and better environment and advised them to abide by the laws of the land.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Wednes day, February 15, 2012, Pg.49. United Way Ghana, others give Valentine treat to underprivileged
Story: Mary Ankrah
United Way Ghana (UWG), in partnership with its stakeholders, has held a Valentine’s Day celebration dubbed, “Day of Caring”, to exhibit love to underprivileged communities across the country.
With funding support from corporate organisations, including Millicom Ghana Limited, operators of tiGO, Stanbic Bank, Barclays Bank, UT Holdings, Cummins Ghana, GAME, Maxmart, Printex and Coca-Cola Equatorial, the day was marked with lots of smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries, including the Qubbatul Khadrah School at Nima, the Mother Teresa School for Girls at Senya Bereku, the Krobo Odumasi Orphanage and the Countryside Orphanage, Bawjiase.
The rest are the Akropong School for the Blind, the Orthopaedic Training Centre in Nsawam, Basic International, a non-governmental organisation, among others.
Other corporate partners were the Melcom Group, Coral Paint, Safoa Enterprise, BBC Industrial Company, Miniplast and others.
The UWG is a not-for-profit agency that collaborates with corporate and charitable institutions to support the sustainable development of communities in the areas of health, education and income generation.
The President of the UWG Governing Council, Ms Juliet Tuakli, said the organisation was established in November 2003 by a group of dedicated corporate and community leaders in Ghana and had been successful in establishing a network of corporate institutions that supported community investment projects and provided a platform from which communities could mobilise resources, strengthen their foundation and continue on the road to self-sufficiency.
During a visit to Senya Bereku in the Central Region yesterday, the members of staff of tiGO took time off their busy schedule to visit the Mother Teresa School for Girls to offer voluntary service there and make donations.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Co-ordinator of tiGO, Mr Tuffour Mensa-Bonsu, said this year’s tiGO CSR programme was on education, children and health.
The volunteer staff, therefore, helped the school paint some of the blocks, clean the entire school compound, fix broken desks and supply the school with computers to complete its computer lab.
Several books and souvenirs, including schoolbags, water bottles and other items, were given to the pupils to aid teaching and learning.
Mr Mensa-Bonsu explained that the company chose the Mother Teresa School for Girls to check the sustainability of the project it started last year which included a fence demarcation of the school compound.
According to Headmistress of the school, Ms Nefissa Haruna, the school was established by the late Kwesi Essel Koomson in 1998 with the intention of helping eliminate poverty, especially among women in the community.
She said the school was started as a private one, with funding support from corporate bodies, until the government took over in 2001.
It enrols children from the kindergarten to the junior high school levels.
Ms Haruna stated that there were several challenges the school was facing, among them the lack of funds to complete certain projects, the lack of classroom space and a library.
She appealed to private organisations to form a lasting partnership with the school and applauded tiGO and the UWG for the gesture to the school and urged tiGO to continue to support the school.
For his part, the Executive Director of the UWG, Mr Jonathan Akuamoah, called on all companies and corporate bodies to join the UWG to continually show love and support to underprivileged communities in the country.
United Way Ghana (UWG), in partnership with its stakeholders, has held a Valentine’s Day celebration dubbed, “Day of Caring”, to exhibit love to underprivileged communities across the country.
With funding support from corporate organisations, including Millicom Ghana Limited, operators of tiGO, Stanbic Bank, Barclays Bank, UT Holdings, Cummins Ghana, GAME, Maxmart, Printex and Coca-Cola Equatorial, the day was marked with lots of smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries, including the Qubbatul Khadrah School at Nima, the Mother Teresa School for Girls at Senya Bereku, the Krobo Odumasi Orphanage and the Countryside Orphanage, Bawjiase.
The rest are the Akropong School for the Blind, the Orthopaedic Training Centre in Nsawam, Basic International, a non-governmental organisation, among others.
Other corporate partners were the Melcom Group, Coral Paint, Safoa Enterprise, BBC Industrial Company, Miniplast and others.
The UWG is a not-for-profit agency that collaborates with corporate and charitable institutions to support the sustainable development of communities in the areas of health, education and income generation.
The President of the UWG Governing Council, Ms Juliet Tuakli, said the organisation was established in November 2003 by a group of dedicated corporate and community leaders in Ghana and had been successful in establishing a network of corporate institutions that supported community investment projects and provided a platform from which communities could mobilise resources, strengthen their foundation and continue on the road to self-sufficiency.
During a visit to Senya Bereku in the Central Region yesterday, the members of staff of tiGO took time off their busy schedule to visit the Mother Teresa School for Girls to offer voluntary service there and make donations.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Co-ordinator of tiGO, Mr Tuffour Mensa-Bonsu, said this year’s tiGO CSR programme was on education, children and health.
The volunteer staff, therefore, helped the school paint some of the blocks, clean the entire school compound, fix broken desks and supply the school with computers to complete its computer lab.
Several books and souvenirs, including schoolbags, water bottles and other items, were given to the pupils to aid teaching and learning.
Mr Mensa-Bonsu explained that the company chose the Mother Teresa School for Girls to check the sustainability of the project it started last year which included a fence demarcation of the school compound.
According to Headmistress of the school, Ms Nefissa Haruna, the school was established by the late Kwesi Essel Koomson in 1998 with the intention of helping eliminate poverty, especially among women in the community.
She said the school was started as a private one, with funding support from corporate bodies, until the government took over in 2001.
It enrols children from the kindergarten to the junior high school levels.
Ms Haruna stated that there were several challenges the school was facing, among them the lack of funds to complete certain projects, the lack of classroom space and a library.
She appealed to private organisations to form a lasting partnership with the school and applauded tiGO and the UWG for the gesture to the school and urged tiGO to continue to support the school.
For his part, the Executive Director of the UWG, Mr Jonathan Akuamoah, called on all companies and corporate bodies to join the UWG to continually show love and support to underprivileged communities in the country.
DAILY GRAPHIC, Tuesday, February 14, 2012,Back page. Korle-Bu Children's Emergency Ward reopened
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Children’s Emergency Ward of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) which was closed down a few weeks ago following an outbreak of the bacterial infection known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) at the ward has been reopened.
During a visit to the Children’s Block yesterday, the Outpatient’s Department (OPD) was filled with parents and their children who were there for medical care, while the nurses were actively going about their duties of attending to patients.
Enquiries made from some parents indicated that some of the patients on admission had been there for about two or more days.
However, efforts to speak with the hospital authorities proved futile but they said an official statement on the reopening would be issued today.
The MRSA, like all staph bacteria, can be spread from one person to another through casual contact or contaminated objects. It is commonly spread from the hands of an infected person.
Experts say currently MRSA bacteria are almost always found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics and all isolated MRSA patients need to have their antibiotic weakness determined to choose the correct or appropriate antibiotic therapy.
The outbreak, which necessitated the temporary closure of the ward, was to prevent further infections.
The hospital authorities had to refer fresh patients to other hospitals and patients at the affected area were evacuated to other wards of the hospital to enable the authorities to fumigate and scrap the ward to get rid of the bacterial infection there.
Five cases were diagnosed among children on admission at the ward. Three of them died, while the remaining two are currently on admission.
THE Children’s Emergency Ward of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) which was closed down a few weeks ago following an outbreak of the bacterial infection known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) at the ward has been reopened.
During a visit to the Children’s Block yesterday, the Outpatient’s Department (OPD) was filled with parents and their children who were there for medical care, while the nurses were actively going about their duties of attending to patients.
Enquiries made from some parents indicated that some of the patients on admission had been there for about two or more days.
However, efforts to speak with the hospital authorities proved futile but they said an official statement on the reopening would be issued today.
The MRSA, like all staph bacteria, can be spread from one person to another through casual contact or contaminated objects. It is commonly spread from the hands of an infected person.
Experts say currently MRSA bacteria are almost always found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics and all isolated MRSA patients need to have their antibiotic weakness determined to choose the correct or appropriate antibiotic therapy.
The outbreak, which necessitated the temporary closure of the ward, was to prevent further infections.
The hospital authorities had to refer fresh patients to other hospitals and patients at the affected area were evacuated to other wards of the hospital to enable the authorities to fumigate and scrap the ward to get rid of the bacterial infection there.
Five cases were diagnosed among children on admission at the ward. Three of them died, while the remaining two are currently on admission.
DAILY GRAPHIC, Tuesday, February 14, 2012, Pg.32. Vodafone shows Valentine love to Korle-Bu patients
Story: Mary Ankrah
Thirty-seven detained patients at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra who had outstanding medical bills to settle got a reprieve yesterday when Vodafone Ghana picked up the tab.
The gesture, tagged Valentine’s Day “Homecoming”, was to enable patients who had finished treatment but had been detained by the hospital due to their inability to settle their bills to be discharged to enable them to reunite with their families and loved ones.
Speaking at the Korle-Bu, the Head of Corporate Communications of Vodafone Ghana, Ms Carmen Bruce-Annan, said it was the company’s intention to pay the bills of about 230 insolvent patients in government hospitals in Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale and Accra.
According to the Principal Nursing Officer of Chenard A at the Gynaecology Ward, Ms Rita Florence Affum, some people abandoned their sick relatives in the hospital and when the patients discovered they owed huge amounts of money, most of them ran away.
She said it was difficult for the hospital authorities to run the hospital well, since most patients had not offset their medical bills.
She said some of the detained patients had been at the hospital for weeks.
For her part, the Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Victoria A. Quaye, thanked Vodafone for putting the smiles on the faces of the patients and commended the company for the gesture.
Thirty-seven detained patients at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra who had outstanding medical bills to settle got a reprieve yesterday when Vodafone Ghana picked up the tab.
The gesture, tagged Valentine’s Day “Homecoming”, was to enable patients who had finished treatment but had been detained by the hospital due to their inability to settle their bills to be discharged to enable them to reunite with their families and loved ones.
Speaking at the Korle-Bu, the Head of Corporate Communications of Vodafone Ghana, Ms Carmen Bruce-Annan, said it was the company’s intention to pay the bills of about 230 insolvent patients in government hospitals in Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale and Accra.
According to the Principal Nursing Officer of Chenard A at the Gynaecology Ward, Ms Rita Florence Affum, some people abandoned their sick relatives in the hospital and when the patients discovered they owed huge amounts of money, most of them ran away.
She said it was difficult for the hospital authorities to run the hospital well, since most patients had not offset their medical bills.
She said some of the detained patients had been at the hospital for weeks.
For her part, the Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Victoria A. Quaye, thanked Vodafone for putting the smiles on the faces of the patients and commended the company for the gesture.
Monday, February 13, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Monday, February 13, 2012, Pg. 65.GTUC to be technologically oriented
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Ghana Telecom University College (GTUC) is considering a changeof name to Ghana Technology University College to position itself as a technology-oriented institution.
The move, according to Dr Osei K. Darkwa, the President of the college, would be in line with the university quest to broaden its focus in relation to the programmes the institution is offering.
Dr Darkwa was speaking at the school’s intention at the 10th matriculation of the GTUC last Saturday in Accra.
The matriculation ceremony was to formally admit 301 new students to pursue diploma and various degree programmes in telecommunications engineering, Information Communication Technology and Information Technology Business.
The new focus, Dr Darkwa said, would enable the school meet the global education challenges of the 21st century.
To this end, the school has upgraded its academic infrastructure through the establishment of digital academic and media conference centres to enhance Information and Communication Technology (ICT) connectivity between the students and lecturers.
The new media conference centres established in both Accra and Kumasi will link educational resources and people in physically unconnected places to global education resources, he added.
It is also expected that the students learning the secrets of the new ICT technologies in the GTUC would make a difference in the lives of Ghanaians and worldwide.
Accredited by the National Accreditation Board in 2005, the university's goal is to make higher education accessible, affordable and meaningful to as many students as possible across the globe.
The university offers over 1,000 students, a rigorous curricula in the sciences, engineering, information technology and business at the certificate, diploma, degree and masters level.
Dr Darkwa observed that the future of the country and the continent depended on the willingness of all people to utilise the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to advance development.
He emphasised that while the new global businesses and industries needed scientists, engineers, technologists, entrepreneurs and many technical specialists to support it, the university would design programmes that would prepare the students for the challenges of the new knowledge-based and network economy.
He entreated the matriculants to honour the sacrifices of their parents, families, guardians and friends by behaving responsibly and making the best of the opportunities given them.
“It is up to you to earn the honour of being an outstanding student of the GTUC. If you take your studies seriously, you will become the professionals that you dream to become,” he said.
He also encouraged the matriculants to participate in the activities of clubs and associations on campus, adding that their involvement with on-campus associations would give them the opportunity to learn the values of teamwork and leadership and enable them to work together for a common purpose.
On behalf of the matriculants, Mr Vincent Kwashie appealed to university authorities to build more hostels and spacious classrooms which could accommodate a greater number of students and a bigger library complex to help improve academic performance.
THE Ghana Telecom University College (GTUC) is considering a changeof name to Ghana Technology University College to position itself as a technology-oriented institution.
The move, according to Dr Osei K. Darkwa, the President of the college, would be in line with the university quest to broaden its focus in relation to the programmes the institution is offering.
Dr Darkwa was speaking at the school’s intention at the 10th matriculation of the GTUC last Saturday in Accra.
The matriculation ceremony was to formally admit 301 new students to pursue diploma and various degree programmes in telecommunications engineering, Information Communication Technology and Information Technology Business.
The new focus, Dr Darkwa said, would enable the school meet the global education challenges of the 21st century.
To this end, the school has upgraded its academic infrastructure through the establishment of digital academic and media conference centres to enhance Information and Communication Technology (ICT) connectivity between the students and lecturers.
The new media conference centres established in both Accra and Kumasi will link educational resources and people in physically unconnected places to global education resources, he added.
It is also expected that the students learning the secrets of the new ICT technologies in the GTUC would make a difference in the lives of Ghanaians and worldwide.
Accredited by the National Accreditation Board in 2005, the university's goal is to make higher education accessible, affordable and meaningful to as many students as possible across the globe.
The university offers over 1,000 students, a rigorous curricula in the sciences, engineering, information technology and business at the certificate, diploma, degree and masters level.
Dr Darkwa observed that the future of the country and the continent depended on the willingness of all people to utilise the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to advance development.
He emphasised that while the new global businesses and industries needed scientists, engineers, technologists, entrepreneurs and many technical specialists to support it, the university would design programmes that would prepare the students for the challenges of the new knowledge-based and network economy.
He entreated the matriculants to honour the sacrifices of their parents, families, guardians and friends by behaving responsibly and making the best of the opportunities given them.
“It is up to you to earn the honour of being an outstanding student of the GTUC. If you take your studies seriously, you will become the professionals that you dream to become,” he said.
He also encouraged the matriculants to participate in the activities of clubs and associations on campus, adding that their involvement with on-campus associations would give them the opportunity to learn the values of teamwork and leadership and enable them to work together for a common purpose.
On behalf of the matriculants, Mr Vincent Kwashie appealed to university authorities to build more hostels and spacious classrooms which could accommodate a greater number of students and a bigger library complex to help improve academic performance.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Wednesday, February 11, 2012, Pg. 15. Nana Mozu Education Trust Fund launched at Apremdo
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Nana Mozu Education Trust Fund that will serve as a central fund into which stakeholders will make contributions to raise the standards of education at Apremdo in the Ahanta Traditional Area in the Western Region has been launched at a ceremony at Apremdo.
It is the expectation of members of the community that through the fund they will be able to build more schools and provide quality education for their youth and thereby help reduce illiteracy in the area.
Addressing the ceremony, the Divisional Queen of Apremdo, Nana Mozu VIII, appealed to the government and the general public to support the Education Endowment Fund of the area to ensure its sustainability.
She said it was important that they did not look up to the central government alone for funds, but to generate funds themselves and seek support from corporate bodies, non-governmental organisations and individuals.
The divisional queen said she intended to embark on a vigorous advocacy programme for the establishment of more schools in Apremdo, including at least one senior high school, that would go a long way to reduce the level of illiteracy and poverty in the community.
Nana Mozu noted that apart from formal classroom education, the fund was expected to aid in the acquisition of skills through vocational training and apprenticeship of the youth in the area.
She said the empowerment of the youth in the area was through education and employment and therefore urged corporate bodies, investors, business people and other organisations to give employment to the youth of Apremdo.
Nana Mozu also entreated the youth to establish their own micro and small scale businesses to empower them and help them contribute their quota to the economic development of the community.
“I envisage small scale businesses employing skills like carpentry, masonry and welding, among others, which have the potential of growth,” she stated.
Nana Mozu appealed to the government to release the compensation package for the acquisition of land for the establishment of the Second Battalion Barracks at Apremdo.
She said the compensation would go a long way to promote development in the area.
THE Nana Mozu Education Trust Fund that will serve as a central fund into which stakeholders will make contributions to raise the standards of education at Apremdo in the Ahanta Traditional Area in the Western Region has been launched at a ceremony at Apremdo.
It is the expectation of members of the community that through the fund they will be able to build more schools and provide quality education for their youth and thereby help reduce illiteracy in the area.
Addressing the ceremony, the Divisional Queen of Apremdo, Nana Mozu VIII, appealed to the government and the general public to support the Education Endowment Fund of the area to ensure its sustainability.
She said it was important that they did not look up to the central government alone for funds, but to generate funds themselves and seek support from corporate bodies, non-governmental organisations and individuals.
The divisional queen said she intended to embark on a vigorous advocacy programme for the establishment of more schools in Apremdo, including at least one senior high school, that would go a long way to reduce the level of illiteracy and poverty in the community.
Nana Mozu noted that apart from formal classroom education, the fund was expected to aid in the acquisition of skills through vocational training and apprenticeship of the youth in the area.
She said the empowerment of the youth in the area was through education and employment and therefore urged corporate bodies, investors, business people and other organisations to give employment to the youth of Apremdo.
Nana Mozu also entreated the youth to establish their own micro and small scale businesses to empower them and help them contribute their quota to the economic development of the community.
“I envisage small scale businesses employing skills like carpentry, masonry and welding, among others, which have the potential of growth,” she stated.
Nana Mozu appealed to the government to release the compensation package for the acquisition of land for the establishment of the Second Battalion Barracks at Apremdo.
She said the compensation would go a long way to promote development in the area.
Friday, February 10, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Friday, February 10, 2012, Pg.48. UMaT appeals for support
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, has called on the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) to extend support to the school’s 60th anniversary.
A number of activities have been lined up for the diamond Jubilee,which is slated to take place from February 16 to October 10 this year.
According to the Vice Chancellor of the school, Prof. Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, the anniversary celebration would address the successes and the challenges of the school.
The institution was started in 1952 as the Tarkwa Technical Institute and became the Tarkwa School of Mines in 1961 to train the required manpower for the mining and allied industries in Ghana.
It was later in 1976 affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, as a faculty of the university. In 2001, it became the Western University College of KNUST and now a full university.
It was re-named UMaT in November 2004 and given a new mandate to provide higher education in mining, technology and related sciences and to act as a catalyst for the development of mining and technology.
The UMaT is known for its mining related programmes including electrical/electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematics, computer science and engineering.
Giving some of its achievement, Prof. Mireku-Gyimah, said the school through its mining programmes had contributed significantly to the economic growth of the country, adding that 70 per cent of the management in the mining industry were students of UMaT.
He observed that the school had contributed massively to tertiary education in the sub-regions including South Africa and Australia.
The Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, commended the school for the quality resources it had produced over the years and encouraged the authorities of the school to aim higher.
Mr Ashigbey said while it was the company’s mandate to inform the public, it would also support the publicity of the school to attract foreign assistance.
He stated that Ghana would achieve high economic growth if the human resource was developed.
Mr Ashigbey pledged the continual support of GCGL to create an avenue for students to undergo their attachment with the company to acquaint themselves with practical teachings.
He also applauded the school for taking the role of going into petroleum engineering and said it was good for Ghana to take charge of the oil company than to leave it in the hands of foreigners.
DAILY GRAPHIC, Friday, February 10, 2012, Pg.28. Ghana Jesus Festival launched
Story: Mary Ankrah
CHURCHES in Ghana, in partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in the United States of America have launched the Ghana Jesus Festival (GJF) to proclaim the gospel and revive the faith of believers.
The Ghana Jesus Festival seeks to give the opportunity to a large number of people to make peace with God and become genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The festival is also to help churches in Ghana to develop “disciple-making pastors” and make the local churches “disciple-making congregations”.
The GJF is therefore intended to impact positively on the society and promote spiritual, economic and social development in the country.
It is hoped that through the GJF, lives would be transformed, especially those dealing in drugs, homosexuals and the corrupt.
At the official launch of the GJF in Accra, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, urged Christian leaders and churches to revive Ghanaians with good messages so that they would be able to impact positively on the lives of politicians to prevent activities that would not improve the lives of people.
Dr Boamah also said Ghanaians and the world expected higher standards from Christians and so they must watch their ways and should not tarnish the good image of Christianity and the clergy.
He encouraged the Christian community to use the GJF to remember and support disadvantaged children in the orphanages to assist the government in providing for them and urged the media to ensure that Christianity occupied a higher pedestal in the society.
The festival is slated to take place from April 28 to 29, 2012 at the Accra Sports Stadium and would train church leaders in Accra, Tema and Kasoa municipalities in discipleship.
CHURCHES in Ghana, in partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in the United States of America have launched the Ghana Jesus Festival (GJF) to proclaim the gospel and revive the faith of believers.
The Ghana Jesus Festival seeks to give the opportunity to a large number of people to make peace with God and become genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The festival is also to help churches in Ghana to develop “disciple-making pastors” and make the local churches “disciple-making congregations”.
The GJF is therefore intended to impact positively on the society and promote spiritual, economic and social development in the country.
It is hoped that through the GJF, lives would be transformed, especially those dealing in drugs, homosexuals and the corrupt.
At the official launch of the GJF in Accra, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, urged Christian leaders and churches to revive Ghanaians with good messages so that they would be able to impact positively on the lives of politicians to prevent activities that would not improve the lives of people.
Dr Boamah also said Ghanaians and the world expected higher standards from Christians and so they must watch their ways and should not tarnish the good image of Christianity and the clergy.
He encouraged the Christian community to use the GJF to remember and support disadvantaged children in the orphanages to assist the government in providing for them and urged the media to ensure that Christianity occupied a higher pedestal in the society.
The festival is slated to take place from April 28 to 29, 2012 at the Accra Sports Stadium and would train church leaders in Accra, Tema and Kasoa municipalities in discipleship.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Thursday, February 9, 2012, Pg.28. WFP presents vehicle, equipment to MoFA
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has taken delivery of a Toyota double cabin pick-up, 10 personal digital assistants (PDAs) and three computers to enhance the effective operations of its Statistics, Research and Information Directorate (SRID).
The vehicle, valued at $26,113, and the PDAs and computers, worth GH¢9,190, were presented by the World Food Programme (WFP) to enhance efficient data collection and analysis for food security and nutrition monitoring system.
The Country Director of the WFP, Mr Ismail Omer, who made the presentation, expressed the hope that the equipment would facilitate and strengthen the statistical base of the SRID.
“Our expectation is that the unit will maintain the system for periodic performance audit which will ensure food security information, including early warning information on the crops, livestock and poultry and the fisheries sub-sectors,” he said.
He also gave assurance of the WFP’s continued support to the ministry towards achieving efficiency in its operations.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, who received the items, commended the WFP for the kind gesture and was hopeful that the equipment would help introduce new dimensions in the operations of the SRID.
He urged the SRID to take good care of the equipment to prolong its life span.
THE Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has taken delivery of a Toyota double cabin pick-up, 10 personal digital assistants (PDAs) and three computers to enhance the effective operations of its Statistics, Research and Information Directorate (SRID).
The vehicle, valued at $26,113, and the PDAs and computers, worth GH¢9,190, were presented by the World Food Programme (WFP) to enhance efficient data collection and analysis for food security and nutrition monitoring system.
The Country Director of the WFP, Mr Ismail Omer, who made the presentation, expressed the hope that the equipment would facilitate and strengthen the statistical base of the SRID.
“Our expectation is that the unit will maintain the system for periodic performance audit which will ensure food security information, including early warning information on the crops, livestock and poultry and the fisheries sub-sectors,” he said.
He also gave assurance of the WFP’s continued support to the ministry towards achieving efficiency in its operations.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, who received the items, commended the WFP for the kind gesture and was hopeful that the equipment would help introduce new dimensions in the operations of the SRID.
He urged the SRID to take good care of the equipment to prolong its life span.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Wednesday, February 8, 2012, Pg. 48. No evidence of MRSA at Children's Hospital
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE management of Princess Marie Louise Hospital in Accra says there is no evidence of the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) bacteria at the hospital.
The hospital’s officials, however, say they were waiting for the blood culture report of the patients referred from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The blood culture report is a test to determine an infection in the blood.
When the Daily Graphic visited the Princess Marie Louise hospital emergency ward, it was full with children paired on a bed, but the hospital authorities said pairing was due to lack of beds and the increase in the number of patients.
The Outpatient Department (OPD) was also full of patients who had to wait for several hours to be attended to by doctors and nurses.
According to the specialist in charge of the emergency ward, Dr Margaret Niezer, two of the children referred from Korle-Bu had died at the ward.
One of the children, she stated, suffered from severe dehydration coupled with diarrhoea while the other suffered from cerebral malaria.
Dr Niezer said last month 10 children died at the hospital from various severe aliments.
The managements of the hospital, therefore, urged the government to increase the number of nurses and doctors to offset the recent pressure on the hospital.
They also called on the government to recruit three separate sets of staff to attend to patients in the morning, afternoon and evening.
It would be recalled that authorities of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital last week closed down the Children's Ward of the hospital following the outbreak of a bacterial infection, MRSA.
A press release issued in Accra by the hospital said five cases had so far been diagnosed among children on admission at the ward and they were undergoing treatment.
The press release said the infection had not spread to other parts of the hospital.
Meanwhile, it said the hospital's authorities were screening both patients and staff in the affected ward to ensure that they were free from the infection.
THE management of Princess Marie Louise Hospital in Accra says there is no evidence of the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) bacteria at the hospital.
The hospital’s officials, however, say they were waiting for the blood culture report of the patients referred from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The blood culture report is a test to determine an infection in the blood.
When the Daily Graphic visited the Princess Marie Louise hospital emergency ward, it was full with children paired on a bed, but the hospital authorities said pairing was due to lack of beds and the increase in the number of patients.
The Outpatient Department (OPD) was also full of patients who had to wait for several hours to be attended to by doctors and nurses.
According to the specialist in charge of the emergency ward, Dr Margaret Niezer, two of the children referred from Korle-Bu had died at the ward.
One of the children, she stated, suffered from severe dehydration coupled with diarrhoea while the other suffered from cerebral malaria.
Dr Niezer said last month 10 children died at the hospital from various severe aliments.
The managements of the hospital, therefore, urged the government to increase the number of nurses and doctors to offset the recent pressure on the hospital.
They also called on the government to recruit three separate sets of staff to attend to patients in the morning, afternoon and evening.
It would be recalled that authorities of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital last week closed down the Children's Ward of the hospital following the outbreak of a bacterial infection, MRSA.
A press release issued in Accra by the hospital said five cases had so far been diagnosed among children on admission at the ward and they were undergoing treatment.
The press release said the infection had not spread to other parts of the hospital.
Meanwhile, it said the hospital's authorities were screening both patients and staff in the affected ward to ensure that they were free from the infection.
DAILY GRAPHIC, Wednesday, February 8, 2012, Pg. 18. KorleBu begins fumigation of children's emergency ward
Story: Mary Ankrah
THE management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has commenced fumigation and scraping of the Children’s Emergency ward to get rid of the bacterial infection known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) at the ward.
It has also evacuated the patients from the affected area to other wards so that they would not be infected by the bacteria and to keep the place empty for the fumigation exercise.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the KBTH, Mustapha Salifu, the two affected children were responding to treatment.
However, the hospital authorities are still waiting for the results of the sample blood tests of both patients and staff in the affected area to ensure they are free from the infection.
The Director of Medical Affairs of the hospital, Prof. Afua Hesse, said the bacterium was not very harmful to healthy people but rather to weak and sick people, who could easily be infected.
Prof. Hesse said due to some various practices within the country such as indiscriminate taking of antibiotics to treat any sickness, the MRSA bacteria had become resistance to virtually all the antibiotic drugs in the country, stressing that the MRSA, which had become resistance to every antibiotic, could rapidly take over the body and would usually lead to death.
It was for this reason that the hospital authorities had to take all the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the bacteria and as a precaution close down the children’s emergency ward last week.
She said each month the children’s ward recorded about 600 sick children and last month about 64 children died in the hospital out of which three children were diagnosed to have been infected with the MRSA bacteria.
The hospital authorities advised the general public not to abuse antibiotic drugs, adding that any antibiotic drug that was abused would automatically resist any other antibiotic.
They also recommended that Ghanaians should observe general hygiene by frequently washing their hands with soap and water and keeping their environment tidy to avoid any bacterial infection.
THE management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has commenced fumigation and scraping of the Children’s Emergency ward to get rid of the bacterial infection known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) at the ward.
It has also evacuated the patients from the affected area to other wards so that they would not be infected by the bacteria and to keep the place empty for the fumigation exercise.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the KBTH, Mustapha Salifu, the two affected children were responding to treatment.
However, the hospital authorities are still waiting for the results of the sample blood tests of both patients and staff in the affected area to ensure they are free from the infection.
The Director of Medical Affairs of the hospital, Prof. Afua Hesse, said the bacterium was not very harmful to healthy people but rather to weak and sick people, who could easily be infected.
Prof. Hesse said due to some various practices within the country such as indiscriminate taking of antibiotics to treat any sickness, the MRSA bacteria had become resistance to virtually all the antibiotic drugs in the country, stressing that the MRSA, which had become resistance to every antibiotic, could rapidly take over the body and would usually lead to death.
It was for this reason that the hospital authorities had to take all the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the bacteria and as a precaution close down the children’s emergency ward last week.
She said each month the children’s ward recorded about 600 sick children and last month about 64 children died in the hospital out of which three children were diagnosed to have been infected with the MRSA bacteria.
The hospital authorities advised the general public not to abuse antibiotic drugs, adding that any antibiotic drug that was abused would automatically resist any other antibiotic.
They also recommended that Ghanaians should observe general hygiene by frequently washing their hands with soap and water and keeping their environment tidy to avoid any bacterial infection.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
DAILY GRAPHIC, Wednesday, February 1, 2012, Pg. 3. Fifth Higher Education Fair launched
Story: Mary Ankrah
The Ministry of Education, in partnership with I-Texon Ghana, on Wednesday launched the fifth Higher Education Fair for 2012 aimed at enlightening students and parents on the various educational options available in Ghana.
The fair which is to take place in the southern and northern sectors of the country is on the theme: “Securing Our Tomorrow Today.”
This year’s event would be held at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Takoradi in the Western Region from March 1 to March 3, 2012, while the northern sector event at the Tamale Sport Stadium is from February 16 to February 18, 2012.
The three-day event is expected to afford students, parents, teachers and the general public the opportunity to interact with representatives of higher education institutions with information on the available opportunities, general programmes of study and future prospects of the various courses offered by the higher institutions.
The fair is to expose the requirements for admission into accredited educational institutions and the expert training they offer in the selected fields of education.
The cardinal goal of the Ghana Higher Education Fair would, therefore, provide a forum for interaction between stakeholders to seek solutions to problems encountered in the acquisition of tertiary education in the country.
At the official launch of the fair in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of the I-Texon Ghana, Ms Catherine Haziel, called on parents and students to make good decisions by choosing accessible programmes available in the tertiary institutions, adding that education plays a vital role in making developments.
She said the fair was intended to create a channel to address problems students faced when applying to enter higher institutions.
It is believed that inadequate information about the educational institutions and the programmes they offer to the pubic often result in students making uninformed choices about their future careers.
It is estimated that 150, 000 qualified students from over 577 senior high schools expect to enter the tertiary institutions but most private and some government institutions are not well publicised and as a result they are not well patronised.
Statistics show that there are over 250 higher education institutions in the country and the government institutions on the average can accommodate 35,000 students.
In the last three years the Ministry of Education has been a proud partner and facilitator of the annual higher education fair, the first of which was organised in 2008.
The fair will be organised throughout the country on annual basis in the regional capitals.
The Ministry of Education, in partnership with I-Texon Ghana, on Wednesday launched the fifth Higher Education Fair for 2012 aimed at enlightening students and parents on the various educational options available in Ghana.
The fair which is to take place in the southern and northern sectors of the country is on the theme: “Securing Our Tomorrow Today.”
This year’s event would be held at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Takoradi in the Western Region from March 1 to March 3, 2012, while the northern sector event at the Tamale Sport Stadium is from February 16 to February 18, 2012.
The three-day event is expected to afford students, parents, teachers and the general public the opportunity to interact with representatives of higher education institutions with information on the available opportunities, general programmes of study and future prospects of the various courses offered by the higher institutions.
The fair is to expose the requirements for admission into accredited educational institutions and the expert training they offer in the selected fields of education.
The cardinal goal of the Ghana Higher Education Fair would, therefore, provide a forum for interaction between stakeholders to seek solutions to problems encountered in the acquisition of tertiary education in the country.
At the official launch of the fair in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of the I-Texon Ghana, Ms Catherine Haziel, called on parents and students to make good decisions by choosing accessible programmes available in the tertiary institutions, adding that education plays a vital role in making developments.
She said the fair was intended to create a channel to address problems students faced when applying to enter higher institutions.
It is believed that inadequate information about the educational institutions and the programmes they offer to the pubic often result in students making uninformed choices about their future careers.
It is estimated that 150, 000 qualified students from over 577 senior high schools expect to enter the tertiary institutions but most private and some government institutions are not well publicised and as a result they are not well patronised.
Statistics show that there are over 250 higher education institutions in the country and the government institutions on the average can accommodate 35,000 students.
In the last three years the Ministry of Education has been a proud partner and facilitator of the annual higher education fair, the first of which was organised in 2008.
The fair will be organised throughout the country on annual basis in the regional capitals.
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