Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
GHANA has received 10 million euros worth of hospital equipment in loan from the Spanish government to help improve health facilities in some hospitals in the country.
Seventy per cent of the equipment have so far been distributed to various hospitals including the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region, which received the highest of 1.7 million euros worth of equipment, while the Effia Nkwanta Government Hospital in the Western Region also received 900,000 euros worth of equipment.
They include generators, imaging equipment, blood bank fridges, delivery suit equipment, tertiary theatres, neonatal intensive care equipment, theatre recovery equipment, sterilisers, gas cylinders and laundry equipment.
A total of 57 hospitals in some newly created districts will also benefit from mortuary, laundry, theatre, maternal and laboratory equipment, while 31 district hospitals and the Tamale and Korle Bu Teaching hospitals are also benefiting from the installation of outdoor medical gas cylinders.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), yesterday received the remaining 30 per cent of the equipment from the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Julia Olmo, in Tema.
He said the loan facility, which has a 35 per cent grant component, was aimed at replacing obsolete and broken-down equipment in some of the country’s hospitals.
Major Quashigah said the government was working at providing free delivery services to pregnant women to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the country.
The Project Manager of the Spanish Protocol II project at the MOH, Dr Nicodamus Gebe, said the project, which is in three parts, was aimed at addressing specific areas in hospital care.
He said the first part was the upgrading of facilities at the Tamale and Effia Nkwanta hospitals, the second part was to address the issue of replacing bottled medical gas at 33 hospitals with outdoor gas with the third part being the provision of mortuary, laundry, theatre, maternal and laboratory equipment for 57 newly created district hospitals.
Dr Gebe, who is also the departmental head of the Biomedical Engineering Unit of the MOH, said the equipment also came with an international and local training component, which, he said, would start in September 2008.
Friday, May 30, 2008
EC boss calls for continous civic education...Daily Graphic (Spread)..Thurs. May29/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Electoral Commissioner, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has reminded Ghanaians that casting a vote is not the end of a citizen’s participation in a democratic process.
He has, therefore, called for a continuous electoral and civic education on the basic norms, principles and practices of democracy as a way of deepening democracy in the country.
Dr Afari-Gyan said this at the 2008 Accountants Conference by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG)) in Accra yesterday.
Dr Afari-Gyan, who was speaking on the theme: “Deepening democracy and stability in Ghana”, also said, “By itself, holding elections does not mean democracy. However, elections are the only legitimate door to democratic leadership, and incontrovertible elections legitimate the government.”
He said it was for these reasons that it was important to educate all electoral stakeholders, including the government, political parties, candidates, voters, and security personnel for qualitative participation in the electoral process.
He, therefore, called on civil society to assume a greater role in voter and civic education, and also called on the business community to assist with funds.
Dr Afari-Gyan, who said the issue of deepening democracy entailed expanding the democratic space and achieving qualitative participation in the democratic process, enumerated issues related to deepening democratic practice in Ghana under six main headlines; which he said included expanding the democratic space, gender, electoral education, decentralisation, political parties and democratic accountability.
On the issue of expanding the democratic space, he said the passage of the Representation of People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA), the current discussion to extend the right to vote to prisoners and also the issue of how to bring more persons with disability into the electoral process and making it convenient for them to participate, would all aid in expanding the democratic space.
On gender, he said there was the need for a conscious effort to remove the barriers that had prevented women from participating equitably in national affairs.
On how democracy could be deepened through political parties, Dr Afari-Gyan called for an extended public support to parties that secured a publicly determined percentage of the popular vote at general election to show that they had substantial support among the people.
On deepening stability, he called for the economic well-being of the masses to be looked at, saying that poor people were easily irritable about niceties of democracy and were more likely to be apathetic towards politics and stay away from elections.
Both Nana Professor Ato Ghartey, President of the ICAG, and Mr Joseph Hyde, a past president of the institute, who chaired the programme, called on accountants to be truthful to their work and eschew corruption.
THE Electoral Commissioner, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has reminded Ghanaians that casting a vote is not the end of a citizen’s participation in a democratic process.
He has, therefore, called for a continuous electoral and civic education on the basic norms, principles and practices of democracy as a way of deepening democracy in the country.
Dr Afari-Gyan said this at the 2008 Accountants Conference by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG)) in Accra yesterday.
Dr Afari-Gyan, who was speaking on the theme: “Deepening democracy and stability in Ghana”, also said, “By itself, holding elections does not mean democracy. However, elections are the only legitimate door to democratic leadership, and incontrovertible elections legitimate the government.”
He said it was for these reasons that it was important to educate all electoral stakeholders, including the government, political parties, candidates, voters, and security personnel for qualitative participation in the electoral process.
He, therefore, called on civil society to assume a greater role in voter and civic education, and also called on the business community to assist with funds.
Dr Afari-Gyan, who said the issue of deepening democracy entailed expanding the democratic space and achieving qualitative participation in the democratic process, enumerated issues related to deepening democratic practice in Ghana under six main headlines; which he said included expanding the democratic space, gender, electoral education, decentralisation, political parties and democratic accountability.
On the issue of expanding the democratic space, he said the passage of the Representation of People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA), the current discussion to extend the right to vote to prisoners and also the issue of how to bring more persons with disability into the electoral process and making it convenient for them to participate, would all aid in expanding the democratic space.
On gender, he said there was the need for a conscious effort to remove the barriers that had prevented women from participating equitably in national affairs.
On how democracy could be deepened through political parties, Dr Afari-Gyan called for an extended public support to parties that secured a publicly determined percentage of the popular vote at general election to show that they had substantial support among the people.
On deepening stability, he called for the economic well-being of the masses to be looked at, saying that poor people were easily irritable about niceties of democracy and were more likely to be apathetic towards politics and stay away from elections.
Both Nana Professor Ato Ghartey, President of the ICAG, and Mr Joseph Hyde, a past president of the institute, who chaired the programme, called on accountants to be truthful to their work and eschew corruption.
NPP sets up campaign teams in Ashanti, Gt Accra regions... Daily Graphic (Pol. Pg.16)..Thurs. May 29/08
Story: Enoch Darfah Frimpong, Kumasi, and Rebecca Quaicoe Duho, Accra
THE Campaign Director of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, has stressed the need for members of the party to close their ranks and work towards winning the forthcoming elections.
"We need to unite our people after the national delegates congress and the parliamentary primaries for the 2008 elections so that everybody will be part of the winning team," he said.
The Campaign Director said this when he inaugurated campaign monitoring teams for the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions at separate ceremonies.
In Accra on Tuesday, he announced a 13-member team for the Greater Accra Region and in Kumasi at the weekend he set up a 22-member team for the Ashanti Region.
The Greater Accra Region Team, chaired by Prof Mike Oquaye, is expected to come up with pragmatic policies, plans and strategies, as well as liaise with the national campaign team, to win “massively” in the region.
The team includes the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I. C. Quaye; the Mayor of Accra, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson; the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Sammy Crabbe; Vida Dughatey and Alhaji Yuseef Ahmed, the Greater Accra Regional Women’s and Youth organisers, respectively.
Others are Ms Theresa Tagoe, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma Central; Nana Pabi, the former Adenta Constituency Chairman; Ms Vivian Gashon, Obaa Yaa Afrifa, Ben Annan and Ms Florence Frimpong.
The Ashanti Region Team has Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, the MP for Afigya Sekyere East and Minister of Defence, as its Chairman. Other members are Mr E. A. Owusu-Ansah, the Ashanti Regional Minister; Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, aka Onipa Nua, a founder member of the party; Mr F. F. Anto, a former Ashanti Regional Chairman; Mr Yaw Amankwah, the current Regional Chairman; Dr Mensah Bonsu; Mr David Osei; Ms Patricia Appiagyei, the KMA Chief Executive, and Nana Adu Asabre, the Asante Akyem North Constituency Chairman.
Others are Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, the MP for Manhyia and former Defence Minister; Madam Serwaa Derkyi; Nana Oppong; Madam Mary Brobbey, the Regional Women’s Organiser; Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, the Regional Vice Chairman and Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister; Alhaji Sheriff, a former Ambassador to Guinea; Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the MP for Suame and Minister of State in charge of Parliamentary Affairs; Mr Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John, and Mr Asare Bediako.
Dr Apraku charged them to dedicate themselves fully to the task ahead to ensure a victory for the party in the elections.
He said the members of the teams had been carefully selected to reflect the diversity of people living within the regions, saying that one of their mandates would be to forge peace among the people.
He added that the teams had the responsibility to re-energise the support base of the party in the regions and called on party faithful not to persecute those who did not vote for a particular candidate but should rather work together to retain the party in power, saying that “reconciliation is essential to this campaign”.
He said that the NPP had targeted at least 80 per cent of the valid votes to be cast in the Ashanti Region at the upcoming polls.
According to the Campaign Director, the Ashanti Region was very important to the party, for which reason it had targeted all the 39 parliamentary seats there.
With the exception of Asawasi in Kumasi, Ejura Sekyedumase and New Edubiase, the NPP has MPs in the remaining 36 constituencies in Parliament.
Mr Kan-Dapaah, on behalf of the members of the Ashanti Regional Team, thanked the national campaign team for entrusting them with such a responsibility.
He said the NPP had been losing about 30 per cent of valid votes cast in Ashanti to its opponents in previous elections but said this time round it intended to reduce its opponents’ share and go ahead to win the three seats which the NDC had been winning.
The Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional Team, Prof Oquaye, promised that he and his team would work to ensure that the party wins the general election, as well as annex 20 seats, as against the present 16, in the region.
He called for an all-embracing campaign which would identify all supporters of the party to bring them on board to maximise the campaign.
Prof Oquaye, who acknowledged that wrangling was unpreventable in any human society, promised that his team would work to identify relevant and peculiar problems facing supporters of the party to find solutions to them.
He said they would work hard to ensure that Greater Accra becomes the centrifugal point of Campaign 2008 for the party.
The Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Mr Crabbe, in an interview after the inauguration, said the Greater Accra Regional Office had begun the campaign for the 2008 elections and had generated information through research, as well as come up with an action plan for an effective campaign.
He said the team would serve as a check to ensure that its campaign was in line with that of the national programme, saying, “We should monitor to ensure that we all have one vision, one mission, one campaign, one flag bearer and one winner,” he added.
THE Campaign Director of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, has stressed the need for members of the party to close their ranks and work towards winning the forthcoming elections.
"We need to unite our people after the national delegates congress and the parliamentary primaries for the 2008 elections so that everybody will be part of the winning team," he said.
The Campaign Director said this when he inaugurated campaign monitoring teams for the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions at separate ceremonies.
In Accra on Tuesday, he announced a 13-member team for the Greater Accra Region and in Kumasi at the weekend he set up a 22-member team for the Ashanti Region.
The Greater Accra Region Team, chaired by Prof Mike Oquaye, is expected to come up with pragmatic policies, plans and strategies, as well as liaise with the national campaign team, to win “massively” in the region.
The team includes the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I. C. Quaye; the Mayor of Accra, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson; the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Sammy Crabbe; Vida Dughatey and Alhaji Yuseef Ahmed, the Greater Accra Regional Women’s and Youth organisers, respectively.
Others are Ms Theresa Tagoe, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma Central; Nana Pabi, the former Adenta Constituency Chairman; Ms Vivian Gashon, Obaa Yaa Afrifa, Ben Annan and Ms Florence Frimpong.
The Ashanti Region Team has Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, the MP for Afigya Sekyere East and Minister of Defence, as its Chairman. Other members are Mr E. A. Owusu-Ansah, the Ashanti Regional Minister; Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, aka Onipa Nua, a founder member of the party; Mr F. F. Anto, a former Ashanti Regional Chairman; Mr Yaw Amankwah, the current Regional Chairman; Dr Mensah Bonsu; Mr David Osei; Ms Patricia Appiagyei, the KMA Chief Executive, and Nana Adu Asabre, the Asante Akyem North Constituency Chairman.
Others are Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, the MP for Manhyia and former Defence Minister; Madam Serwaa Derkyi; Nana Oppong; Madam Mary Brobbey, the Regional Women’s Organiser; Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, the Regional Vice Chairman and Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister; Alhaji Sheriff, a former Ambassador to Guinea; Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the MP for Suame and Minister of State in charge of Parliamentary Affairs; Mr Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John, and Mr Asare Bediako.
Dr Apraku charged them to dedicate themselves fully to the task ahead to ensure a victory for the party in the elections.
He said the members of the teams had been carefully selected to reflect the diversity of people living within the regions, saying that one of their mandates would be to forge peace among the people.
He added that the teams had the responsibility to re-energise the support base of the party in the regions and called on party faithful not to persecute those who did not vote for a particular candidate but should rather work together to retain the party in power, saying that “reconciliation is essential to this campaign”.
He said that the NPP had targeted at least 80 per cent of the valid votes to be cast in the Ashanti Region at the upcoming polls.
According to the Campaign Director, the Ashanti Region was very important to the party, for which reason it had targeted all the 39 parliamentary seats there.
With the exception of Asawasi in Kumasi, Ejura Sekyedumase and New Edubiase, the NPP has MPs in the remaining 36 constituencies in Parliament.
Mr Kan-Dapaah, on behalf of the members of the Ashanti Regional Team, thanked the national campaign team for entrusting them with such a responsibility.
He said the NPP had been losing about 30 per cent of valid votes cast in Ashanti to its opponents in previous elections but said this time round it intended to reduce its opponents’ share and go ahead to win the three seats which the NDC had been winning.
The Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional Team, Prof Oquaye, promised that he and his team would work to ensure that the party wins the general election, as well as annex 20 seats, as against the present 16, in the region.
He called for an all-embracing campaign which would identify all supporters of the party to bring them on board to maximise the campaign.
Prof Oquaye, who acknowledged that wrangling was unpreventable in any human society, promised that his team would work to identify relevant and peculiar problems facing supporters of the party to find solutions to them.
He said they would work hard to ensure that Greater Accra becomes the centrifugal point of Campaign 2008 for the party.
The Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Mr Crabbe, in an interview after the inauguration, said the Greater Accra Regional Office had begun the campaign for the 2008 elections and had generated information through research, as well as come up with an action plan for an effective campaign.
He said the team would serve as a check to ensure that its campaign was in line with that of the national programme, saying, “We should monitor to ensure that we all have one vision, one mission, one campaign, one flag bearer and one winner,” he added.
Assemblies of God Church supports Elim Centre...Daily Graphic (Women's Page) Thurs. May 29/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A call for support from the Elim Centre of the Life Line Project of the Assemblies of God Relief and Development Services (AGREDS) at Agbogbloshie to the Tema Community Four branch of the Assemblies of God Church, yielded a donation of food aid worth GH¢600.
The items consisted of three bags of rice, two bags of sugar and flour and two 20 litter gallons of oil.
The Women’s Ministry of the Church has also decided to adopt the centre for future support.
The Co-ordinator of the Women's Ministry of the Tema Community Four Assemblies of God Church, Mrs Mavis Quayson, who presented the items on behalf of the church said the call for support coincided with the churches 40th anniversary celebration.
She said the church as part of its anniversary has taken upon itself to support needy people in the society through sponsorship and support packages.
Mrs Quayson who is also a Deaconess in the church was assisted by Mrs Agnes Opoku-Agyemang, the Women's President of the Church and Mrs Charlotte Anane-Agyekum, Treasurer of the Women's Ministry to make the presentation.
In separate remarks they advised the women to take their skills training seriously to enable them lead meaningful lives.
The Co-ordinator of the Elim Centre, Ms Sussana Mahama thanked the church for honouring their call and explained that the project offered support to HIV orphans at Jirapa in the Upper West Region, supports refugees in the Central Region, provide micro finance to needy girls, skills training among other social services.
She said the Elim Centre made the distress call to the Tema Community Four church because the centre had ran short of food supply and needed support to continue to cater for about a 100 girls who are presently undergoing skills training in dressmaking, hairdressing, catering and batik tye - dye .
Ms Mahama said the centre provided three square meals a day for the girls, as well as for children of some Kayayee at Agbogbloshie who attended their day care centre.
She said presently, the centre was providing a micro credit training to the girls to boost their business skills in future and also train them in financial management.
A call for support from the Elim Centre of the Life Line Project of the Assemblies of God Relief and Development Services (AGREDS) at Agbogbloshie to the Tema Community Four branch of the Assemblies of God Church, yielded a donation of food aid worth GH¢600.
The items consisted of three bags of rice, two bags of sugar and flour and two 20 litter gallons of oil.
The Women’s Ministry of the Church has also decided to adopt the centre for future support.
The Co-ordinator of the Women's Ministry of the Tema Community Four Assemblies of God Church, Mrs Mavis Quayson, who presented the items on behalf of the church said the call for support coincided with the churches 40th anniversary celebration.
She said the church as part of its anniversary has taken upon itself to support needy people in the society through sponsorship and support packages.
Mrs Quayson who is also a Deaconess in the church was assisted by Mrs Agnes Opoku-Agyemang, the Women's President of the Church and Mrs Charlotte Anane-Agyekum, Treasurer of the Women's Ministry to make the presentation.
In separate remarks they advised the women to take their skills training seriously to enable them lead meaningful lives.
The Co-ordinator of the Elim Centre, Ms Sussana Mahama thanked the church for honouring their call and explained that the project offered support to HIV orphans at Jirapa in the Upper West Region, supports refugees in the Central Region, provide micro finance to needy girls, skills training among other social services.
She said the Elim Centre made the distress call to the Tema Community Four church because the centre had ran short of food supply and needed support to continue to cater for about a 100 girls who are presently undergoing skills training in dressmaking, hairdressing, catering and batik tye - dye .
Ms Mahama said the centre provided three square meals a day for the girls, as well as for children of some Kayayee at Agbogbloshie who attended their day care centre.
She said presently, the centre was providing a micro credit training to the girls to boost their business skills in future and also train them in financial management.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
House marks AU Day with church service...Daily Graphic (spread)...Tues.. May 27/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
Mission Africa Incorporated, a non-denominational religious group, yesterday organised prayers in Accra for the restoration and development of the African continent as part of this year’s African Union Day.
In collaboration with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, the group prayed on the theme, “National anointing for scientific invention and job creation”.
In all, six intercessory prayer topics were said for Ghana and the continent as a whole.
The non-denominational prayer session attracted prayer warriors from different churches and groups, including choristers from different churches who, through song ministrations, touched the hearts of guests who came from all walks of life to take part in the programme, held at the forecourt of Parliament House.
In the first intercessory prayer, led by Apostle William Lamptey of the Kingdom Impact Ministries, the group thanked God for how far He had brought Africa and also prayed for attitudinal change among Africans.
Dr Joseph Gueste of the Trinity Baptist Church, California, USA, who led the second prayer, prayed for the unification and the return of the African Diaspora for development.
Dr Adu Gyamfi of Dampong Pharmaceuticals, Ghana, led the third intercessory prayer.
Prayers were said for wisdom in our negotiations with industrialised nations.
The Kamenahene of Akwamu in the Eastern Region, Opamago Osae Nyampong VI, led the fourth prayer session, in which he, together with the congregation, prayed for wisdom and peace for African traditional leaders.
The chief, who made an opening statement before the prayers, expressed concern over the tendency among some Members of Parliament to lead chiefs to establish boundaries beyond their natural barriers.
He said common user items like rivers, lakes and the sea were never owned by anybody and “we should be careful not to allow the discovery of precious minerals to lead us to claim ownership of such common user items”.
He called on the leaders on the continent to involve their people in the governance process.
In the fifth prayer, the group prayed for wisdom, peace, good governance, poverty reduction and peaceful elections in all African countries.
The last prayer was for ECOWAS countries, the Eco currency and the removal of colonial boundaries and it was led by Rev David Olatona from the Dominion Faith Intentional Church, Nigeria.
The Founder of Mission Africa Inc, Dr Kodjoe Summey, in a message, called on all to pray for the continent to ensure that its vision of an African Union was fulfilled.
He prayed for favour to reduce poverty, heal the continent from ignorance and disease, open all boundaries that separated individual countries “so that we can have a stronger Africa in trade, currency, unity and voice for a better tomorrow”.
He also prayed for successful Africans living abroad and in the Diaspora to come together for the development of the continent.
In a keynote address read on his behalf, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, called on Christians to continue praying for the continent, saying that “if Africa will attain sustainable growth and economic empowerment for its people, then the problem of corruption needs to be tackled with all the seriousness it deserves”.
He lauded the work of the pan-African Parliament for providing a common platform for elected representatives from across Africa to share ideas in the fight against corrupt practices, saying, “This will encourage transparency and accountability in the political, social and economic systems of Africa.”
Mission Africa Incorporated, a non-denominational religious group, yesterday organised prayers in Accra for the restoration and development of the African continent as part of this year’s African Union Day.
In collaboration with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, the group prayed on the theme, “National anointing for scientific invention and job creation”.
In all, six intercessory prayer topics were said for Ghana and the continent as a whole.
The non-denominational prayer session attracted prayer warriors from different churches and groups, including choristers from different churches who, through song ministrations, touched the hearts of guests who came from all walks of life to take part in the programme, held at the forecourt of Parliament House.
In the first intercessory prayer, led by Apostle William Lamptey of the Kingdom Impact Ministries, the group thanked God for how far He had brought Africa and also prayed for attitudinal change among Africans.
Dr Joseph Gueste of the Trinity Baptist Church, California, USA, who led the second prayer, prayed for the unification and the return of the African Diaspora for development.
Dr Adu Gyamfi of Dampong Pharmaceuticals, Ghana, led the third intercessory prayer.
Prayers were said for wisdom in our negotiations with industrialised nations.
The Kamenahene of Akwamu in the Eastern Region, Opamago Osae Nyampong VI, led the fourth prayer session, in which he, together with the congregation, prayed for wisdom and peace for African traditional leaders.
The chief, who made an opening statement before the prayers, expressed concern over the tendency among some Members of Parliament to lead chiefs to establish boundaries beyond their natural barriers.
He said common user items like rivers, lakes and the sea were never owned by anybody and “we should be careful not to allow the discovery of precious minerals to lead us to claim ownership of such common user items”.
He called on the leaders on the continent to involve their people in the governance process.
In the fifth prayer, the group prayed for wisdom, peace, good governance, poverty reduction and peaceful elections in all African countries.
The last prayer was for ECOWAS countries, the Eco currency and the removal of colonial boundaries and it was led by Rev David Olatona from the Dominion Faith Intentional Church, Nigeria.
The Founder of Mission Africa Inc, Dr Kodjoe Summey, in a message, called on all to pray for the continent to ensure that its vision of an African Union was fulfilled.
He prayed for favour to reduce poverty, heal the continent from ignorance and disease, open all boundaries that separated individual countries “so that we can have a stronger Africa in trade, currency, unity and voice for a better tomorrow”.
He also prayed for successful Africans living abroad and in the Diaspora to come together for the development of the continent.
In a keynote address read on his behalf, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, called on Christians to continue praying for the continent, saying that “if Africa will attain sustainable growth and economic empowerment for its people, then the problem of corruption needs to be tackled with all the seriousness it deserves”.
He lauded the work of the pan-African Parliament for providing a common platform for elected representatives from across Africa to share ideas in the fight against corrupt practices, saying, “This will encourage transparency and accountability in the political, social and economic systems of Africa.”
World Telecom confab opens in Accra...Daily Graphic (Spread)... Tues May 27/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
GHANA is hosting a three-day international telecommunication forum in Accra as a prelude to the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) to be held in October this year in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The forum, which began today, is a preparatory meeting being organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on the theme, “Bridging the ICT standardisation gap in developing countries for the Africa Region”.
Participants drawn from different countries in Africa include those from national regulatory bodies, government officials, telecommunication operators and service providers and they will deliberate on standardisation issues of common concern to the continent, as well as consider relevant issues and adopt common proposals for presentation to the WTSA.
Towards the WTSA meeting, the various regions which, include Africa, Arab, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, America and Eastern and Western Europe of the ITU, conduct their preparatory meetings to come up with issues of concern to their various continents.
The Minister of Communications, Dr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, in a keynote address, said Ghana’s ICT policy statement set out the road map for the development of an information society and economy and provided a basis for facilitating accelerated national development.
“With the policy, Ghana has pledged to further develop the country’s ICT ambitions, focusing on improving the quality of its entrepreneurs and status as an outsourcing destination,” he said.
He added that Ghana’s ICT policy document had identified 14 priority areas, along with key drivers of the policy, which he enumerated as accelerated human resource development, promoting ICT in education, facilitating government administration, facilitating the development of the private sector, modernisation of agriculture, deployment and spread of ICT in the community and the promotion of national health.
The rest were rapid ICT physical infrastructure development, legal, regulatory and institutional framework, facilitating national security and law and order.
The Director of the Telecommunications Standardisation Bureau, Mr Malcolm Johnson, in an opening remark, said the African Region had an important role to play in the process of standardising telecommunication across the globe.
Standardisation, he said, was a complex business and that it was getting more complex by the day, but added that standards were essential for international communications and global trade.
Mr Johnson, who enumerated some of the benefits of standardisation, said global standards avoided costly market battles over preferred technologies, saying companies from emerging markets created a level playing field which provided access to new markets.
He added that they were an essential aid to developing countries in building their infrastructure and encouraging economic development, saying that they could reduce costs for manufacturers, operators and consumers through economies of scale.
In his welcoming address, the Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union, Dr Akossi Akossi, was of the conviction that the outcome of the forum would fulfil the union’s expectation of improving infrastructure for attaining industrialisation by 2015, as well as improving the way businesses were done on the continent.
He was hopeful that the forum would help identify components for the retention of skilled human resource, especially ICT skills, within the continent.
GHANA is hosting a three-day international telecommunication forum in Accra as a prelude to the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) to be held in October this year in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The forum, which began today, is a preparatory meeting being organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on the theme, “Bridging the ICT standardisation gap in developing countries for the Africa Region”.
Participants drawn from different countries in Africa include those from national regulatory bodies, government officials, telecommunication operators and service providers and they will deliberate on standardisation issues of common concern to the continent, as well as consider relevant issues and adopt common proposals for presentation to the WTSA.
Towards the WTSA meeting, the various regions which, include Africa, Arab, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, America and Eastern and Western Europe of the ITU, conduct their preparatory meetings to come up with issues of concern to their various continents.
The Minister of Communications, Dr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, in a keynote address, said Ghana’s ICT policy statement set out the road map for the development of an information society and economy and provided a basis for facilitating accelerated national development.
“With the policy, Ghana has pledged to further develop the country’s ICT ambitions, focusing on improving the quality of its entrepreneurs and status as an outsourcing destination,” he said.
He added that Ghana’s ICT policy document had identified 14 priority areas, along with key drivers of the policy, which he enumerated as accelerated human resource development, promoting ICT in education, facilitating government administration, facilitating the development of the private sector, modernisation of agriculture, deployment and spread of ICT in the community and the promotion of national health.
The rest were rapid ICT physical infrastructure development, legal, regulatory and institutional framework, facilitating national security and law and order.
The Director of the Telecommunications Standardisation Bureau, Mr Malcolm Johnson, in an opening remark, said the African Region had an important role to play in the process of standardising telecommunication across the globe.
Standardisation, he said, was a complex business and that it was getting more complex by the day, but added that standards were essential for international communications and global trade.
Mr Johnson, who enumerated some of the benefits of standardisation, said global standards avoided costly market battles over preferred technologies, saying companies from emerging markets created a level playing field which provided access to new markets.
He added that they were an essential aid to developing countries in building their infrastructure and encouraging economic development, saying that they could reduce costs for manufacturers, operators and consumers through economies of scale.
In his welcoming address, the Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union, Dr Akossi Akossi, was of the conviction that the outcome of the forum would fulfil the union’s expectation of improving infrastructure for attaining industrialisation by 2015, as well as improving the way businesses were done on the continent.
He was hopeful that the forum would help identify components for the retention of skilled human resource, especially ICT skills, within the continent.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Attitudinal change necessary for high productivity...Pg 20. Mon. May 26/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE President of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), Mr Charles Cofie, has said Ghana can only achieve a high productive capacity to meet international productivity indicators if it has the right management and worker attitudes.
He said there was no gainsaying that Ghana needed a productive movement, led by the government, in close collaboration with employers and organised labour, to champion national productivity.
Mr Cofie, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of UnilEver Ghana Limited, said this when he presented a lecture at the 2008 (11th) Public Services Commission Annual Lecture in Accra on Wednesday.
The lecture was on the theme, “Productivity, performance and pay policies and practices in Ghana”, and brought together workers from both the public and private sectors.
According to Mr Cofie, higher productivity led to higher wages as workers proved themselves capable of performing more sophisticated and higher value-added jobs.
He said in Ghana, productivity improvement had been an issue at the national, sectoral and enterprise levels in both the public and private sectors which, according to him, were beset with problems such as the lack of a productivity framework and its resultant indices to form the bases for determining compensation and remuneration packages for workers.
Those challenges, according to him, had resulted in workers’ wages and salaries being determined by factors that were exogenous to productivity — such as increases in fuel prices and utility tariffs which affected productivity levels in the country.
On the acceleration of productivity and regional integration, Mr Cofie said, “When we look at Ghana’s economic performance over the last years, coupled with the recent discovery of oil, we are tempted to conclude that Ghana is ready to lead African states towards economic emancipation.”
He, however, said “Ghana’s productivity drive cannot advance in isolation, as the economic emancipation of Africa is inexorably linked to successful regional economic integration”, adding that looking at the competition on the international market and the issue of globalisation, the extent of interdependence and linkages among national economies was becoming more significant. He, therefore, called for urgent and successful regional integration through the strengthening of ECOWAS as nations pushed for greater appreciation of the need for higher levels of national productivity.
In order to raise national consciousness of productivity, Mr Cofie called for the relaunch of the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), a body which exists to promote increased productivity in both public and private organisations in the country, to be given a fresh mandate to contribute to the growth of the economy on a sustainable basis.
The Deputy Director of the National Productivity Centre of the MDPI, Dr Martin Yao Zane, who delivered a lecture on the theme, said if countries got the basics, such as good governments, good workers and strong industries, right, they would remain competitive and their exports would keep growing, with foreign investments coming in.
For the business sector, he said if it was doing the right things, its products and services would be sold and that, according to him, would help the sector keep its costs down, with an overall resultant growth in profit.
The Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Prof George Gyan-Baffour, in an address, said the government was in the process of adopting a progressive income policy which would play a vital role in the overall ongoing public sector reforms.
He said the need for an equitable income policy led to the government setting up the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission aimed at developing and overseeing the implementation of a single spine pay policy that would be proactive and motivate the public sector to achieve greater productivity.
Prof Gyan-Baffour said the government recognised that part of the problems associated with the poor performance of the public services were low levels of compensation and the lack of an appropriate incentive regime.
The Resident Director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, one of the major sponsors of the annual lectures, Ms Kathrin Meissner, in an address, said the determination of the quantum of remuneration in the public sector was very important for the building of a professional and well-motivated public service.
She said her outfit was interested in leading a dispassionate discussion on topics that would lead to the country’s development.
The Chairman of the Fair Wages Commission, the Most Rev Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah, who chaired the lecture, said the problem in the country with regard to productivity was attitudinal, noting that if workers did not change their attitude towards work, the country could not progress.
He said if people did not take their work seriously, it was going to affect productivity in the country.
THE President of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), Mr Charles Cofie, has said Ghana can only achieve a high productive capacity to meet international productivity indicators if it has the right management and worker attitudes.
He said there was no gainsaying that Ghana needed a productive movement, led by the government, in close collaboration with employers and organised labour, to champion national productivity.
Mr Cofie, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of UnilEver Ghana Limited, said this when he presented a lecture at the 2008 (11th) Public Services Commission Annual Lecture in Accra on Wednesday.
The lecture was on the theme, “Productivity, performance and pay policies and practices in Ghana”, and brought together workers from both the public and private sectors.
According to Mr Cofie, higher productivity led to higher wages as workers proved themselves capable of performing more sophisticated and higher value-added jobs.
He said in Ghana, productivity improvement had been an issue at the national, sectoral and enterprise levels in both the public and private sectors which, according to him, were beset with problems such as the lack of a productivity framework and its resultant indices to form the bases for determining compensation and remuneration packages for workers.
Those challenges, according to him, had resulted in workers’ wages and salaries being determined by factors that were exogenous to productivity — such as increases in fuel prices and utility tariffs which affected productivity levels in the country.
On the acceleration of productivity and regional integration, Mr Cofie said, “When we look at Ghana’s economic performance over the last years, coupled with the recent discovery of oil, we are tempted to conclude that Ghana is ready to lead African states towards economic emancipation.”
He, however, said “Ghana’s productivity drive cannot advance in isolation, as the economic emancipation of Africa is inexorably linked to successful regional economic integration”, adding that looking at the competition on the international market and the issue of globalisation, the extent of interdependence and linkages among national economies was becoming more significant. He, therefore, called for urgent and successful regional integration through the strengthening of ECOWAS as nations pushed for greater appreciation of the need for higher levels of national productivity.
In order to raise national consciousness of productivity, Mr Cofie called for the relaunch of the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), a body which exists to promote increased productivity in both public and private organisations in the country, to be given a fresh mandate to contribute to the growth of the economy on a sustainable basis.
The Deputy Director of the National Productivity Centre of the MDPI, Dr Martin Yao Zane, who delivered a lecture on the theme, said if countries got the basics, such as good governments, good workers and strong industries, right, they would remain competitive and their exports would keep growing, with foreign investments coming in.
For the business sector, he said if it was doing the right things, its products and services would be sold and that, according to him, would help the sector keep its costs down, with an overall resultant growth in profit.
The Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Prof George Gyan-Baffour, in an address, said the government was in the process of adopting a progressive income policy which would play a vital role in the overall ongoing public sector reforms.
He said the need for an equitable income policy led to the government setting up the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission aimed at developing and overseeing the implementation of a single spine pay policy that would be proactive and motivate the public sector to achieve greater productivity.
Prof Gyan-Baffour said the government recognised that part of the problems associated with the poor performance of the public services were low levels of compensation and the lack of an appropriate incentive regime.
The Resident Director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, one of the major sponsors of the annual lectures, Ms Kathrin Meissner, in an address, said the determination of the quantum of remuneration in the public sector was very important for the building of a professional and well-motivated public service.
She said her outfit was interested in leading a dispassionate discussion on topics that would lead to the country’s development.
The Chairman of the Fair Wages Commission, the Most Rev Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah, who chaired the lecture, said the problem in the country with regard to productivity was attitudinal, noting that if workers did not change their attitude towards work, the country could not progress.
He said if people did not take their work seriously, it was going to affect productivity in the country.
Demand for fresh produce from Ghana increases.... Pg 38. Mon. May 26/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
International demand for fresh produce from Ghana has risen to $30 million this year.
This imposes on the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) the need to deliver quality and well packaged fresh produce such as mangoes, pawpaw, pineapples, oranges, melons and chillies to the EU, Asia and some countries in the West African sub-region.
This was made known at a briefing of FAGE members on the outcome of the world’s largest trade fair for fresh produce, dubbed Fruit Logistica, held in Berlin in February 2008.
Ghana’s participation was led by FAGE, which was the main exhibitor at the fair, with seven other producer and exporter associations, namely, Sea Freight Pineapple Exporters Association of Ghana (SPEG), the Horticulturists Association of Ghana (HAG), the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG), the Ghana Association of Vegetable Exporters (GAVEX), the Yilo-Krobo Mango Farmers Association (YKMFA), the Dangme-West Mango Farmers Association (DAMFA) and the Papaya and Mango Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (PAMPEAG).
A consultant to FAGE, Mr Augustine Adongo, who briefed the members, said the objective of Ghana’s participation was to showcase the industry’s capacity to supply a variety of top quality fresh produce.
Another key objective was for industry participants to interact with existing and new clients, as well as potential partners, to learn more about market trends and industry practices.
Mr Rowland Aggor of the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC), who gave an overview of Ghana’s horticultural industry, said some of the critical challenges in the industry were the issue of marketing, logistics, cultivation and post- harvest treatment and packaging.
However, he said demand for Ghana’s fresh produce in the EU and other markets had been encouraging, adding, “We are not able to take advantage of the market opportunities.”
He said the EU was still Ghana’s major market, taking 46.55 per cent of the country's total exports.
The acting Chief Executive of the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF), Mr Kwabena Nkrumah, said the fund had granted loans amounting to GH¢73,279,689 for 185 projects through 19 financial institutions.
He said the funded projects were mainly in the agro-processing and agricultural sectors.
He said EDIF had also provided financial assistance in the form of grants amounting to GH¢21,839,985 to research institutions and universities, government agencies, producer associations and farmer-based organisations.
International demand for fresh produce from Ghana has risen to $30 million this year.
This imposes on the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) the need to deliver quality and well packaged fresh produce such as mangoes, pawpaw, pineapples, oranges, melons and chillies to the EU, Asia and some countries in the West African sub-region.
This was made known at a briefing of FAGE members on the outcome of the world’s largest trade fair for fresh produce, dubbed Fruit Logistica, held in Berlin in February 2008.
Ghana’s participation was led by FAGE, which was the main exhibitor at the fair, with seven other producer and exporter associations, namely, Sea Freight Pineapple Exporters Association of Ghana (SPEG), the Horticulturists Association of Ghana (HAG), the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG), the Ghana Association of Vegetable Exporters (GAVEX), the Yilo-Krobo Mango Farmers Association (YKMFA), the Dangme-West Mango Farmers Association (DAMFA) and the Papaya and Mango Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (PAMPEAG).
A consultant to FAGE, Mr Augustine Adongo, who briefed the members, said the objective of Ghana’s participation was to showcase the industry’s capacity to supply a variety of top quality fresh produce.
Another key objective was for industry participants to interact with existing and new clients, as well as potential partners, to learn more about market trends and industry practices.
Mr Rowland Aggor of the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC), who gave an overview of Ghana’s horticultural industry, said some of the critical challenges in the industry were the issue of marketing, logistics, cultivation and post- harvest treatment and packaging.
However, he said demand for Ghana’s fresh produce in the EU and other markets had been encouraging, adding, “We are not able to take advantage of the market opportunities.”
He said the EU was still Ghana’s major market, taking 46.55 per cent of the country's total exports.
The acting Chief Executive of the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF), Mr Kwabena Nkrumah, said the fund had granted loans amounting to GH¢73,279,689 for 185 projects through 19 financial institutions.
He said the funded projects were mainly in the agro-processing and agricultural sectors.
He said EDIF had also provided financial assistance in the form of grants amounting to GH¢21,839,985 to research institutions and universities, government agencies, producer associations and farmer-based organisations.
Africa Day marked in Accra .... Pg. 19. Sat. May 24/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A flag-raising ceremony to mark the 45th anniversary of Africa Day was held in Accra yesterday.
This year’s celebration was on the theme, “Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation”.
The theme was chosen to remind African governments to step up efforts at solving problems relating to water and sanitation as vital ingredients of healthy living in Africa.
It is also in line with their commitment to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and to improve sanitation
The Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, Mr Tete Jean Pierre Gbikpi-Benissah, and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr Joe Ghartey, hoisted the AU and the Ghana flags, respectively.
The AU Chairperson, Mr Jean Ping, in an address read on his behalf by Mr Gbikpi-Benissah, said the potential for Africa’s growth and development was inextricably linked with its environment, which is one of the determinant factors of the continent’s wealth and health.
He said it was, therefore, incumbent on all Africans to value and protect the environment for the sake of Africa’s development.
“The day provides us with an opportunity to reflect collectively and individually on the impact of our previous actions and strategies and map out a vision for the years ahead in our collective efforts to reverse the negative impacts of climate change,” he said.
Mr Ping commended the strides made by member states, with support from civil society and other development partners, in safeguarding the environment.
He, however, said there was no room for complacency “as our continent is facing formidable challenges, including climate change, skyrocketing food and oil prices”.
He said last year was a tough one for the African continent as 17 countries witnessed severe flooding, which resulted in heavy destruction of crops, farmlands, livestock, residential units and infrastructure such as roads, schools, health establishments and other social institutions, with thousands of people losing their lives or means of livelihood.
He said the next AU Summit, which would be held in June/July this year, would, among other things, discuss the impact of climate change on water and sanitation and the global oil crisis which he said “is bleeding African economies, thereby posing a serious threat to the continent’s potential to achieve sustainable development and sustainable livelihood for its people”.
Mr Ping urged AU member states, regional economic communities, grass-roots organisations and international development partners, particularly UN agencies, to make concerted efforts to address the challenges of climate change, water and sanitation, food and oil crises whose combined effects on the lives of African people were terribly immense.
Mr Ghartey, for his part, said whereas globally some countries were on track to meeting the MDG targets on drinking water and sanitation, the same could not be said of sub-Saharan Africa where, in many of those countries, progress had been rather slow.
He said it was expected that the day would stimulate the AU and its member states to adopt strategies and approaches to ensure that Africa was not the odd one out when the balance sheet on the achievement of the MDGs was drawn at the end of the reporting period in 2015.
“As we reflect on our common African heritage and reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of the union, we must fully acknowledge the obvious fact that nobody has a bigger stake in and a greater responsibility for developing Africa than we Africans ourselves,” Mr Ghartey said.
The ceremony was held on Friday, May 23, 2008 in view of the fact that this year’s celebration falls on Sunday. The President, by Executive Instrument, has declared Monday, May 26, a public holiday which will be observed throughout the country .
A flag-raising ceremony to mark the 45th anniversary of Africa Day was held in Accra yesterday.
This year’s celebration was on the theme, “Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation”.
The theme was chosen to remind African governments to step up efforts at solving problems relating to water and sanitation as vital ingredients of healthy living in Africa.
It is also in line with their commitment to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and to improve sanitation
The Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, Mr Tete Jean Pierre Gbikpi-Benissah, and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr Joe Ghartey, hoisted the AU and the Ghana flags, respectively.
The AU Chairperson, Mr Jean Ping, in an address read on his behalf by Mr Gbikpi-Benissah, said the potential for Africa’s growth and development was inextricably linked with its environment, which is one of the determinant factors of the continent’s wealth and health.
He said it was, therefore, incumbent on all Africans to value and protect the environment for the sake of Africa’s development.
“The day provides us with an opportunity to reflect collectively and individually on the impact of our previous actions and strategies and map out a vision for the years ahead in our collective efforts to reverse the negative impacts of climate change,” he said.
Mr Ping commended the strides made by member states, with support from civil society and other development partners, in safeguarding the environment.
He, however, said there was no room for complacency “as our continent is facing formidable challenges, including climate change, skyrocketing food and oil prices”.
He said last year was a tough one for the African continent as 17 countries witnessed severe flooding, which resulted in heavy destruction of crops, farmlands, livestock, residential units and infrastructure such as roads, schools, health establishments and other social institutions, with thousands of people losing their lives or means of livelihood.
He said the next AU Summit, which would be held in June/July this year, would, among other things, discuss the impact of climate change on water and sanitation and the global oil crisis which he said “is bleeding African economies, thereby posing a serious threat to the continent’s potential to achieve sustainable development and sustainable livelihood for its people”.
Mr Ping urged AU member states, regional economic communities, grass-roots organisations and international development partners, particularly UN agencies, to make concerted efforts to address the challenges of climate change, water and sanitation, food and oil crises whose combined effects on the lives of African people were terribly immense.
Mr Ghartey, for his part, said whereas globally some countries were on track to meeting the MDG targets on drinking water and sanitation, the same could not be said of sub-Saharan Africa where, in many of those countries, progress had been rather slow.
He said it was expected that the day would stimulate the AU and its member states to adopt strategies and approaches to ensure that Africa was not the odd one out when the balance sheet on the achievement of the MDGs was drawn at the end of the reporting period in 2015.
“As we reflect on our common African heritage and reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of the union, we must fully acknowledge the obvious fact that nobody has a bigger stake in and a greater responsibility for developing Africa than we Africans ourselves,” Mr Ghartey said.
The ceremony was held on Friday, May 23, 2008 in view of the fact that this year’s celebration falls on Sunday. The President, by Executive Instrument, has declared Monday, May 26, a public holiday which will be observed throughout the country .
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Anglogold to invest more in Obuasi site
Pg 55. Thursday May 22/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
ANGLOGOLD Ashanti (AGA) will this year inject a total of $44 million into its Obuasi site as a ‘turnaround strategy’ to help address operational and human resource issues that are restricting the site from producing to its full capacity.
The injection of fresh capital into the operations of the site, which will be implemented over a period of three years, has become necessary as the company is said to be under-performing operationally and financially at the Obuasi mines.
The Managing Director of the Obuasi Mine, Mr John Millar, who made this known at the seventh AngloGold Ashanti Business roadshow in Accra on Monday, said “Obuasi’s gold production is too low to cover its cost, AGA has committed an additional $44 million to Obuasi to address the operational and human resources issues that are restricting Obuasi’s production”.
The roadshow, which brought together chiefs and opinion leaders from the Obuasi and Iduapriem sites of the company and stakeholders, was aimed at explaining to them some of the achievements and difficulties of the company over the last three months and also to listen to some of the concerns of the people in the communities.
According to Mr Millar, the amount would complement the site’s initial overhead expenditure of US$130 million estimated for this year.
He said the Obuasi site was also systematically addressing a number of environmental challenges, many of which he said had arisen from the past and made mention of environmental clean-up, water management and the rehabilitation and closure of old mines as some of the company’s challenges.
As part of its social responsibilities, he said, the site had since last year committed a total of $582,272 into social activities with a total of $406,941 going into malaria control, $162, 422 for general community development such as water, infrastructure, services and community projects, while education received $2,728 with $10,181 going into festivals, funerals and traditional rites.
He also mentioned the establishment of a local garment factory at Obuasi in February, 2008 with 40 workers and which he said produced overalls for purchase by the company and currently had a contract to supply 10,000 overalls.
He mentioned other projects as a piggery project for the Obuasi community, a mortuary, a brick factory and the proposal for the establishment of a Community Trust Fund with a seed capital of GH¢ 237,000.00.
The Managing Director of the Iduapriem site of the company, Mr David Renner, who also gave an overview of the operations of the mines in the Western Region, said the site had since the first quarter of this year paid royalties to the tune of $2.4 million.
He said since January, 2008, the company had awarded 16 scholarships to the tune of GH¢3,813.27 to students and provided teachers with incentive packages.
The Vice-President of the West Africa Division of AngloGold Ashanti, Mr Christian Rampa Luhembwe, said the activities of illegal miners was impacting negatively on the mining business in the country and beyond.
Illegal mining referred to as ‘galamsey’, according to Mr Luhembwe, was taking over the gold mining business in the country especially at Obuasi and he described the aggressiveness of galamsey operators at the Obuasi mines as one that needed a concerted effort of all stakeholders to help curb.
He said the security agencies had not done much to help stop the situation and therefore called on all to help find better ways of dealing with the issue.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
ANGLOGOLD Ashanti (AGA) will this year inject a total of $44 million into its Obuasi site as a ‘turnaround strategy’ to help address operational and human resource issues that are restricting the site from producing to its full capacity.
The injection of fresh capital into the operations of the site, which will be implemented over a period of three years, has become necessary as the company is said to be under-performing operationally and financially at the Obuasi mines.
The Managing Director of the Obuasi Mine, Mr John Millar, who made this known at the seventh AngloGold Ashanti Business roadshow in Accra on Monday, said “Obuasi’s gold production is too low to cover its cost, AGA has committed an additional $44 million to Obuasi to address the operational and human resources issues that are restricting Obuasi’s production”.
The roadshow, which brought together chiefs and opinion leaders from the Obuasi and Iduapriem sites of the company and stakeholders, was aimed at explaining to them some of the achievements and difficulties of the company over the last three months and also to listen to some of the concerns of the people in the communities.
According to Mr Millar, the amount would complement the site’s initial overhead expenditure of US$130 million estimated for this year.
He said the Obuasi site was also systematically addressing a number of environmental challenges, many of which he said had arisen from the past and made mention of environmental clean-up, water management and the rehabilitation and closure of old mines as some of the company’s challenges.
As part of its social responsibilities, he said, the site had since last year committed a total of $582,272 into social activities with a total of $406,941 going into malaria control, $162, 422 for general community development such as water, infrastructure, services and community projects, while education received $2,728 with $10,181 going into festivals, funerals and traditional rites.
He also mentioned the establishment of a local garment factory at Obuasi in February, 2008 with 40 workers and which he said produced overalls for purchase by the company and currently had a contract to supply 10,000 overalls.
He mentioned other projects as a piggery project for the Obuasi community, a mortuary, a brick factory and the proposal for the establishment of a Community Trust Fund with a seed capital of GH¢ 237,000.00.
The Managing Director of the Iduapriem site of the company, Mr David Renner, who also gave an overview of the operations of the mines in the Western Region, said the site had since the first quarter of this year paid royalties to the tune of $2.4 million.
He said since January, 2008, the company had awarded 16 scholarships to the tune of GH¢3,813.27 to students and provided teachers with incentive packages.
The Vice-President of the West Africa Division of AngloGold Ashanti, Mr Christian Rampa Luhembwe, said the activities of illegal miners was impacting negatively on the mining business in the country and beyond.
Illegal mining referred to as ‘galamsey’, according to Mr Luhembwe, was taking over the gold mining business in the country especially at Obuasi and he described the aggressiveness of galamsey operators at the Obuasi mines as one that needed a concerted effort of all stakeholders to help curb.
He said the security agencies had not done much to help stop the situation and therefore called on all to help find better ways of dealing with the issue.
International Nurses Day marked
Pg 44. Fri. May 22/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Ghana Registered Nurses Association has celebrated this year’s International Nurses Day with a call on the government to formulate sound goal-oriented policies that will improve quality health care across the globe.
The government was also asked to carry out reforms that would ensure that nurses, who constitute a majority of health service providers, plan and execute programmes.
The President of the association, Mrs Alice Darkoa Asare-Allotey, who made the call in Accra on Monday, also said presently the healthcare sector had been bedevilled with challenges such as poverty, increased globalisation, climate change, food shortage and political unrest all of which affected health and service planning.
The International Nurses Day is commemorated on May 12 every year, which is also the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the mother of nursing. This year’s theme was “Delivering quality, serving communities: Nurses leading Primary Health Care”.
Mrs Asare-Allotey noted that despite the shift from hospital to community-based health services such as the Community-Based Health Planning Services, which is currently being practised in some communities in the country, critical challenges such as rising cost of health care, increasing consumer expectations and demands, changing demographic and ageing populations, the surge in chronic diseases, natural and man-made disasters and shortage of nurses and other health workers, still remained.
In an address read on her behalf by Dr Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira, the Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Mrs Gladys Ashitey, said the global theme for the celebration was in tune with Ghana’s new direction of health care, which is regenerative health and nutrition.
She said, “The health sector is changing. We in the Ministry of Health are moving from a disease-centred approach of health care delivery to a system that will protect the health of individuals through the regenerative health and nutrition approach. An approach which incorporate fully the principles of primary health care.”
She further called on nurses to critically re-examine their ways and learn from their past mistakes and experiences and forge new partnerships and methods for meeting the challenges of building their professional capacities for the improvement of the health sector.
She was also of the view that the healthcare sector was presently in a challenging time, which required that nurses make more sacrifices to ensure that most people have access to better care.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme, the Director of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, said although achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of 2015 was half-way mark through, progress was not on track, saying that this required a renewed commitment to Primary Health Care both internationally and nationally.
The Queen of Korle We, Manye Naa Korle Adu, who chaired the launch, called on nurses to see the profession as a noble calling and discharge their duties accordingly.
Manye Adu, who is a nurse by profession, commended nurses in the country and also advised that they should endeavour to upgrade themselves periodically to meet challenges that they faced as they performed their duties.
The day was used to honour 16 nurses from across the country for their dedication and commitment to the nursing profession as part of the celebration.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Ghana Registered Nurses Association has celebrated this year’s International Nurses Day with a call on the government to formulate sound goal-oriented policies that will improve quality health care across the globe.
The government was also asked to carry out reforms that would ensure that nurses, who constitute a majority of health service providers, plan and execute programmes.
The President of the association, Mrs Alice Darkoa Asare-Allotey, who made the call in Accra on Monday, also said presently the healthcare sector had been bedevilled with challenges such as poverty, increased globalisation, climate change, food shortage and political unrest all of which affected health and service planning.
The International Nurses Day is commemorated on May 12 every year, which is also the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the mother of nursing. This year’s theme was “Delivering quality, serving communities: Nurses leading Primary Health Care”.
Mrs Asare-Allotey noted that despite the shift from hospital to community-based health services such as the Community-Based Health Planning Services, which is currently being practised in some communities in the country, critical challenges such as rising cost of health care, increasing consumer expectations and demands, changing demographic and ageing populations, the surge in chronic diseases, natural and man-made disasters and shortage of nurses and other health workers, still remained.
In an address read on her behalf by Dr Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira, the Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Mrs Gladys Ashitey, said the global theme for the celebration was in tune with Ghana’s new direction of health care, which is regenerative health and nutrition.
She said, “The health sector is changing. We in the Ministry of Health are moving from a disease-centred approach of health care delivery to a system that will protect the health of individuals through the regenerative health and nutrition approach. An approach which incorporate fully the principles of primary health care.”
She further called on nurses to critically re-examine their ways and learn from their past mistakes and experiences and forge new partnerships and methods for meeting the challenges of building their professional capacities for the improvement of the health sector.
She was also of the view that the healthcare sector was presently in a challenging time, which required that nurses make more sacrifices to ensure that most people have access to better care.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme, the Director of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, said although achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of 2015 was half-way mark through, progress was not on track, saying that this required a renewed commitment to Primary Health Care both internationally and nationally.
The Queen of Korle We, Manye Naa Korle Adu, who chaired the launch, called on nurses to see the profession as a noble calling and discharge their duties accordingly.
Manye Adu, who is a nurse by profession, commended nurses in the country and also advised that they should endeavour to upgrade themselves periodically to meet challenges that they faced as they performed their duties.
The day was used to honour 16 nurses from across the country for their dedication and commitment to the nursing profession as part of the celebration.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
We've a role to play- Ecobank
Pg 33 (Business) Wed. May 21/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
ECOBANK Transnational Incorporated (ETI) is positioning itself to play a lead role in the economic development of the African continent, Mr Arnold Ekpe, the Chief Executive Officer of the pan-African bank, has stated.
He said the bank represented the future of the continent and, therefore, it had a duty to fulfil.
Mr Ekpe was speaking at a non deal road show and Facts Behind the Figures organised by the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra yesterday to give detailed operational performance of the bank to the investing public.
The ETI is listed on three stock exchanges — the Ghana Stock Exchange, the Nigeria Stock Exchange and the Cote d’Ivoire Stock Exchange — and it has operations in 22 countries across the continent.
The pan-African bank has the dual mission to build a world-class African bank and to contribute to the economic and financial development of the African continent.
The non deal road show was aimed at alerting the investing public to the intention to raise $3 billion through the capital market to grow the bank’s books and improve the capital base of its 22 subsidiaries across the African continent.
Speaking at the annual general meeting in Accra last Friday, the Board Chairman of the bank, Mr Mande Sidibe, said the proposed additional capital was in line with its growth strategy and said the rights issue was also to ensure the active trading of the shares of the company and make it more liquid and accessible to the ordinary African shareholder.
Giving the financial performance of the bank over the 2007 year, Mr Sidibe stated that the year under review saw the bank recording an impressive financial performance.
He said profit after tax increased by 61 per cent to $139 million from the $86.4 million recorded in 2006, while total assets grew by 87 per cent to $6.6 billion from the previous year’s $3.5 billion
Mr Sidibe also stated that revenues increased by 56 per cent to $544 from $348 million in 2006.
“Our performance in 2007 continued the positive trend of the previous year,” he stated, adding that “in spite of the significant investments in growth, we were able to maintain our return on equity at 24 per cent”.
The board chairman said 2007 was a year of transformation for the bank as the group reached new levels and the bank successfully positioned the group as the leading pan-African group with an unparalleled reach and a unique operating platform.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
ECOBANK Transnational Incorporated (ETI) is positioning itself to play a lead role in the economic development of the African continent, Mr Arnold Ekpe, the Chief Executive Officer of the pan-African bank, has stated.
He said the bank represented the future of the continent and, therefore, it had a duty to fulfil.
Mr Ekpe was speaking at a non deal road show and Facts Behind the Figures organised by the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra yesterday to give detailed operational performance of the bank to the investing public.
The ETI is listed on three stock exchanges — the Ghana Stock Exchange, the Nigeria Stock Exchange and the Cote d’Ivoire Stock Exchange — and it has operations in 22 countries across the continent.
The pan-African bank has the dual mission to build a world-class African bank and to contribute to the economic and financial development of the African continent.
The non deal road show was aimed at alerting the investing public to the intention to raise $3 billion through the capital market to grow the bank’s books and improve the capital base of its 22 subsidiaries across the African continent.
Speaking at the annual general meeting in Accra last Friday, the Board Chairman of the bank, Mr Mande Sidibe, said the proposed additional capital was in line with its growth strategy and said the rights issue was also to ensure the active trading of the shares of the company and make it more liquid and accessible to the ordinary African shareholder.
Giving the financial performance of the bank over the 2007 year, Mr Sidibe stated that the year under review saw the bank recording an impressive financial performance.
He said profit after tax increased by 61 per cent to $139 million from the $86.4 million recorded in 2006, while total assets grew by 87 per cent to $6.6 billion from the previous year’s $3.5 billion
Mr Sidibe also stated that revenues increased by 56 per cent to $544 from $348 million in 2006.
“Our performance in 2007 continued the positive trend of the previous year,” he stated, adding that “in spite of the significant investments in growth, we were able to maintain our return on equity at 24 per cent”.
The board chairman said 2007 was a year of transformation for the bank as the group reached new levels and the bank successfully positioned the group as the leading pan-African group with an unparalleled reach and a unique operating platform.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Company develops new refuse dump site
Pg 29. May 19/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A private waste management firm, Yufuru Waste, is in the process of converting a 10-acre old quarry site at Kwashie-Bu, a suburb of Accra, into a refuse dumping site.
The site will be opened up to other waste management contractors in the city who would be required to dump their waste for a fee.
The General Manager of Yufuru Waste, Mr Evan Atta, told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that his company had entered into an agreement with the owners of the land to refill the old quarry with waste.
He said the company decided to allow other private waste collectors to also dump their waste at the site because his company alone would not be able to refill the land within the shortest possible time.
Aside the financial benefits of the project, the dump site will provide relief to other private waste collectors in the capital who are finding it difficult to dump their waste at the Oblogo Landfill Site, which is almost full.
Due to the nuisance created by the Oblogo dumping site, residents frustrate efforts of waste management contractors, preventing them from dumping at the site.
It was, however, observed at the site that people have built their homes a few metres away from the site and some are even situated within the valley where the refill exercise was taking place.
Mr Atta said the company was levelling part of the land where it had refilled to make way for new waste, adding that the company was going to fence the whole area for proper management of the waste.
He said the company had been working at the site for the past nine years but had not been able to refill a quarter of the quarry and therefore took the decision to bring in other waste management contractors to help in the refill exercise.
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic said refilling the site was necessary, as, according to them, it was a ‘death trap’, mentioning that a middle-age man who stood close to the edges to attend to natures call fell into the valley and died two months ago.
They, however, expressed concern about the scent that emanate from the dumping ground, especially when it rained, and said something needed to be done about it.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A private waste management firm, Yufuru Waste, is in the process of converting a 10-acre old quarry site at Kwashie-Bu, a suburb of Accra, into a refuse dumping site.
The site will be opened up to other waste management contractors in the city who would be required to dump their waste for a fee.
The General Manager of Yufuru Waste, Mr Evan Atta, told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that his company had entered into an agreement with the owners of the land to refill the old quarry with waste.
He said the company decided to allow other private waste collectors to also dump their waste at the site because his company alone would not be able to refill the land within the shortest possible time.
Aside the financial benefits of the project, the dump site will provide relief to other private waste collectors in the capital who are finding it difficult to dump their waste at the Oblogo Landfill Site, which is almost full.
Due to the nuisance created by the Oblogo dumping site, residents frustrate efforts of waste management contractors, preventing them from dumping at the site.
It was, however, observed at the site that people have built their homes a few metres away from the site and some are even situated within the valley where the refill exercise was taking place.
Mr Atta said the company was levelling part of the land where it had refilled to make way for new waste, adding that the company was going to fence the whole area for proper management of the waste.
He said the company had been working at the site for the past nine years but had not been able to refill a quarter of the quarry and therefore took the decision to bring in other waste management contractors to help in the refill exercise.
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic said refilling the site was necessary, as, according to them, it was a ‘death trap’, mentioning that a middle-age man who stood close to the edges to attend to natures call fell into the valley and died two months ago.
They, however, expressed concern about the scent that emanate from the dumping ground, especially when it rained, and said something needed to be done about it.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Govt inaction cause of floods
Pg. 29 (metro) Friday May 16/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
RESIDENTS in some flood-prone areas in Accra have expressed misgivings at the government’s inaction to expand water courses in their communities to avoid flooding.
According to the residents, mostly in Kwashie-Bu and Old Fadama, buildings have been constructed on most of the water courses by individuals and some estate developers, thereby forcing into their homes water which would have conveniently passed through the water courses.
The residents told the Daily Graphic that last year, after a major flooding due to a heavy downpour which caused a major havoc to people’s homes and also resulted in a number of deaths, government officials, including the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, visited some affected areas in Kwashie-Bu, where they assured the residents that the problem would be solved through the expansion of the Lafa river by demolishing structures which were situated in the water courses.
However, the conditions that caused last year’s flooding in the two communities still persist, despite the onset of this year’s rains.
A resident at Kwashie-Bu, Alhaji Razak Lawal, said nothing had been done to ease their plight since last year’s disaster and said residents were living in fear that this year a similar situation could happen, since the structures which caused the flooding were still in the water courses.
According to Alhaji Lawal, the Lafa river, which runs from Aburi and passes through the Kwashie-Bu community, normally overflows its banks because people have encroached on it by building their houses close to it, thereby preventing it from having a free flow whenever there is a heavy downpour and over-flow.
He said he had personally written letters to petition officials, including the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Shiek I. C. Quaye, the Member of Parliament for the area, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway and the District Chief Executive for Ga West, Mr Brosby Quartey-Papafio, but all to no avail.
He said although residents in the area paid property rate to the Assembly, they did not have amenities such as good access roads, gutters or drains, making life difficult for them.
Within the same suburb, some residents were seen busily clearing silt from gutters around their homes, while others were re-inforcing their walls to prevent them from collapsing.
At Old Fadama, residents had similar complaints that after last year’s havoc, which caused the death of one person, nothing had been done to avert similar situations in the area this year.
The most affected area at Old Fadama is the Number 20 Binaba Lane, where residents live close to a big drain that runs through the community to Tesano. Whenever the drain gets full during a heavy downpour, the area gets flooded.
Three Zoomlion Waste Management workers who were spotted working in the area complained about the heaps of debris that collect on the streets after any rainfall. They said they reported for work on Wednesday morning only to see heaps of debris, which have been washed onto the streets from the drain after Wednesday night rain.
They complained that people within the community had been dumping their refuse in the drain and this, according to them, was one of the major causes of the perennial flooding in the area.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
RESIDENTS in some flood-prone areas in Accra have expressed misgivings at the government’s inaction to expand water courses in their communities to avoid flooding.
According to the residents, mostly in Kwashie-Bu and Old Fadama, buildings have been constructed on most of the water courses by individuals and some estate developers, thereby forcing into their homes water which would have conveniently passed through the water courses.
The residents told the Daily Graphic that last year, after a major flooding due to a heavy downpour which caused a major havoc to people’s homes and also resulted in a number of deaths, government officials, including the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, visited some affected areas in Kwashie-Bu, where they assured the residents that the problem would be solved through the expansion of the Lafa river by demolishing structures which were situated in the water courses.
However, the conditions that caused last year’s flooding in the two communities still persist, despite the onset of this year’s rains.
A resident at Kwashie-Bu, Alhaji Razak Lawal, said nothing had been done to ease their plight since last year’s disaster and said residents were living in fear that this year a similar situation could happen, since the structures which caused the flooding were still in the water courses.
According to Alhaji Lawal, the Lafa river, which runs from Aburi and passes through the Kwashie-Bu community, normally overflows its banks because people have encroached on it by building their houses close to it, thereby preventing it from having a free flow whenever there is a heavy downpour and over-flow.
He said he had personally written letters to petition officials, including the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Shiek I. C. Quaye, the Member of Parliament for the area, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway and the District Chief Executive for Ga West, Mr Brosby Quartey-Papafio, but all to no avail.
He said although residents in the area paid property rate to the Assembly, they did not have amenities such as good access roads, gutters or drains, making life difficult for them.
Within the same suburb, some residents were seen busily clearing silt from gutters around their homes, while others were re-inforcing their walls to prevent them from collapsing.
At Old Fadama, residents had similar complaints that after last year’s havoc, which caused the death of one person, nothing had been done to avert similar situations in the area this year.
The most affected area at Old Fadama is the Number 20 Binaba Lane, where residents live close to a big drain that runs through the community to Tesano. Whenever the drain gets full during a heavy downpour, the area gets flooded.
Three Zoomlion Waste Management workers who were spotted working in the area complained about the heaps of debris that collect on the streets after any rainfall. They said they reported for work on Wednesday morning only to see heaps of debris, which have been washed onto the streets from the drain after Wednesday night rain.
They complained that people within the community had been dumping their refuse in the drain and this, according to them, was one of the major causes of the perennial flooding in the area.
2 Ghanaian journalists nominated for CNN-Multichoice award
Spread Friday May 16/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
TWO Ghanaian Journalists, Messrs Daniel Nkrumah from the Daily Graphic and Israel Laryea with Joy FM, have been nominated as finalists in the 13th CNN Multichoice African Journalists Award 2008.
The two are among 21 others who will be competing in Tourism, Economics and Business; Environment, Health and Medical; HIV and AIDS reporting; and Features, Photographic and Current Affairs, for the ultimate award, as well as 18 others.
The finalists will be given their awards at a ceremony to be held in Accra, Ghana on July 19, 2008.
Each award winner in all the categories will be presented with a laptop and accessories and cash prize while the overall best winner will receive an additional cash prize and participate in the CNN Journalism Fellowship in the CNN Centre in Atlanta, USA.
In all a total of 1,912 entries were received from 44 countries throughout the continent and the Chief Executive Officer of Global Media Alliance, Mr Edward Boateng, who announced the names of the nominees at a ceremony in Accra yesterday, said the entry was so far the highest since the award was instituted 13 years ago.
According to Mr Boateng, who is also the CNN representative in Ghana, the two journalists were among 53 others from Ghana who submitted their stories for the competition. He praised the Ghanaian media for showing such high interest in the awards.
The other 21 finalists are from Nigeria, with four nominees; Uganda, 2; South Africa, 3; Zambia, 1; Namibia, 1; Mozambique, 1; Tanzania, 2; Kenya, 2; Burkina Faso, 1; Cameroun, 1; Algeria, 1; Zimbabwe, 1; and Eritrea 1.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
TWO Ghanaian Journalists, Messrs Daniel Nkrumah from the Daily Graphic and Israel Laryea with Joy FM, have been nominated as finalists in the 13th CNN Multichoice African Journalists Award 2008.
The two are among 21 others who will be competing in Tourism, Economics and Business; Environment, Health and Medical; HIV and AIDS reporting; and Features, Photographic and Current Affairs, for the ultimate award, as well as 18 others.
The finalists will be given their awards at a ceremony to be held in Accra, Ghana on July 19, 2008.
Each award winner in all the categories will be presented with a laptop and accessories and cash prize while the overall best winner will receive an additional cash prize and participate in the CNN Journalism Fellowship in the CNN Centre in Atlanta, USA.
In all a total of 1,912 entries were received from 44 countries throughout the continent and the Chief Executive Officer of Global Media Alliance, Mr Edward Boateng, who announced the names of the nominees at a ceremony in Accra yesterday, said the entry was so far the highest since the award was instituted 13 years ago.
According to Mr Boateng, who is also the CNN representative in Ghana, the two journalists were among 53 others from Ghana who submitted their stories for the competition. He praised the Ghanaian media for showing such high interest in the awards.
The other 21 finalists are from Nigeria, with four nominees; Uganda, 2; South Africa, 3; Zambia, 1; Namibia, 1; Mozambique, 1; Tanzania, 2; Kenya, 2; Burkina Faso, 1; Cameroun, 1; Algeria, 1; Zimbabwe, 1; and Eritrea 1.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Prez urges teachers not to quit jobs after training
Spread lead, Wed. May 14/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE President, John Agyekum Kufuor, has stated that it is unethical for teachers to immediately leave the profession after they have been sponsored by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to upgrade themselves.
“When the GES sponsors your education, it is unethical for you to leave the profession when you have not sufficiently given back what is expected of you,” he stated.
The President said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Chairman of the Board of Trustee of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Professor Yaw Safo Boafo, at the launch of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Ghana Association of French Teachers (GAFT) in Accra yesterday.
“If you quit after your sponsored higher education, the projections and the entire policy direction of the service are seriously disturbed, if not thrown of gear,” he further said.
President Kufuor noted, however, that the fundamental cause of the problem had been identified as the unfavourable service conditions and gave the assurance that the government was seriously considering a revision of public sector salaries in the country.
He said the government had also specially targeted students of the French language in a special government project through the GETFund and this he said was aimed at giving Ghanaian students of French the opportunity to spend a part of their long vacation in France and other French-speaking countries.
The President said, “The State has no illusions whatsoever about the importance of French language as a tool of communication and its overall benefits to Ghana’s external relations in the political, economic and socio-cultural spheres.”
He said, “At a time when we, as a nation, are actively exploring bilateral relations with the international community as an important element in the development of Ghana, I would like to re-emphasise here that the education that produces the right kind of human resource base of any country, should attract the appropriate dose of attention by government and other interested groups.”
He assured members of the association of the government’s preparedness to help, in whatever form, to promote the teaching and learning of French in the country and called on stakeholders to also play their roles efficiently in promoting French as a course of study.
The Ambassador of France to Ghana, Mr Pierre Jacquemot, in an address, said the geographical location of Ghana made it imperative for it to strive to maintain its key position in the sub-region.
He said the country must be capable of providing its citizens the tools that would facilitate their communication with their neighbours, whether commercial, political or institutional.
He assured the association of the French government’s continuous support towards the development of quality teaching of French by various means and also help them upgrade themselves.
A Minister of State at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, said the government had signed an agreement with the French government to provide more teaching and learning materials to facilitate the teaching and learning of French in schools.
According to her, although the teaching and learning of French was supposed to be compulsory under the new educational reform, it had been made an optional subject due to the lack of French teachers.
She said the government had therefore employed strategies such as the creation of centres for the teaching and learning of French in the regional capitals and the empowering of three teacher training colleges to train teachers of French.
The President of GAFT, Mr Evan Kokroko, in his address, called on private schools to ensure that they employed qualified teachers of French, saying that due to the lack of teachers in the country many French-speaking and unqualified persons from neighbouring countries had infiltrated the educational system, a situation, which, he said, was not healthy for the country’s development.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE President, John Agyekum Kufuor, has stated that it is unethical for teachers to immediately leave the profession after they have been sponsored by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to upgrade themselves.
“When the GES sponsors your education, it is unethical for you to leave the profession when you have not sufficiently given back what is expected of you,” he stated.
The President said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Chairman of the Board of Trustee of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Professor Yaw Safo Boafo, at the launch of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Ghana Association of French Teachers (GAFT) in Accra yesterday.
“If you quit after your sponsored higher education, the projections and the entire policy direction of the service are seriously disturbed, if not thrown of gear,” he further said.
President Kufuor noted, however, that the fundamental cause of the problem had been identified as the unfavourable service conditions and gave the assurance that the government was seriously considering a revision of public sector salaries in the country.
He said the government had also specially targeted students of the French language in a special government project through the GETFund and this he said was aimed at giving Ghanaian students of French the opportunity to spend a part of their long vacation in France and other French-speaking countries.
The President said, “The State has no illusions whatsoever about the importance of French language as a tool of communication and its overall benefits to Ghana’s external relations in the political, economic and socio-cultural spheres.”
He said, “At a time when we, as a nation, are actively exploring bilateral relations with the international community as an important element in the development of Ghana, I would like to re-emphasise here that the education that produces the right kind of human resource base of any country, should attract the appropriate dose of attention by government and other interested groups.”
He assured members of the association of the government’s preparedness to help, in whatever form, to promote the teaching and learning of French in the country and called on stakeholders to also play their roles efficiently in promoting French as a course of study.
The Ambassador of France to Ghana, Mr Pierre Jacquemot, in an address, said the geographical location of Ghana made it imperative for it to strive to maintain its key position in the sub-region.
He said the country must be capable of providing its citizens the tools that would facilitate their communication with their neighbours, whether commercial, political or institutional.
He assured the association of the French government’s continuous support towards the development of quality teaching of French by various means and also help them upgrade themselves.
A Minister of State at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, said the government had signed an agreement with the French government to provide more teaching and learning materials to facilitate the teaching and learning of French in schools.
According to her, although the teaching and learning of French was supposed to be compulsory under the new educational reform, it had been made an optional subject due to the lack of French teachers.
She said the government had therefore employed strategies such as the creation of centres for the teaching and learning of French in the regional capitals and the empowering of three teacher training colleges to train teachers of French.
The President of GAFT, Mr Evan Kokroko, in his address, called on private schools to ensure that they employed qualified teachers of French, saying that due to the lack of teachers in the country many French-speaking and unqualified persons from neighbouring countries had infiltrated the educational system, a situation, which, he said, was not healthy for the country’s development.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Council launches five-year strategic plan
Pg 3. Sat. May 10/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho & Kimberley Robertson
THE Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC) of Ghana has launched a five-year Strategic Plan aimed at propelling the health care sector to an international standard by 2012.
The strategic plan, which comes after 36 years of the council’s existence, is aimed at changing the image of the two professions and providing a more nurturing health care to the general public.
Launched in Accra yesterday, the plan has a vision to create a “globally acclaimed nursing and midwifery regulatory body of national pride”.
The Director of Human Resources for Health Development at the Ministry of Health, Dr Ebenezer Appiah Dankyirah, said human resource development was vital in improving health care in the country.
He therefore commended the council for developing the five-year plan, saying that “we cannot train people and not regulate them”.
Dr Appiah Dankyirah, who represented the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), said the plan of action would ensure that nurses and midwives in the country provide higher quality health care services.
In a presentation on the overview of the plan, a consultant, Professor John Aheto, appealed to nurses and midwives to have a better knowledge of their organisational environment and to stay committed to the five-year plan.
He commended the NMC for creating an innovative and proactive plan.
“In Ghana, we often just wait for people to tell us what to do. Now, we are not only going to be leaders in the region, but the whole world,” he said.
Prof. Aheto, who developed the NMC strategic plan, said the underlining objectives of the plan were to serve public interest, reduce poverty, create wealth through health, provide quality health care and improve customer satisfaction.
The Registrar of the NMC, Rev. Veronica Darko, said she was happy that the plan was being launched after it had been on the drawing board for a year and said, “Words cannot describe how I feel to have seen this dream materialise”.
A new NMC website to increase awareness amongst nurses, midwives and the general public was also launched.
In her welcoming address, the Chairperson of the NMC, Ms Kathlyn P. P. Ababio, said the significance of the launch could not be overemphasised because it had come at a time when “our patients, clients and the general public are complaining about the quality of service that they receive from us”.
She hoped that by 2012, “every visitor to any hospital, clinic, health centre, or CHPS Compound in Ghana would have no choice but to acknowledge a turnaround in the attitude of our nurses and midwives”.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho & Kimberley Robertson
THE Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC) of Ghana has launched a five-year Strategic Plan aimed at propelling the health care sector to an international standard by 2012.
The strategic plan, which comes after 36 years of the council’s existence, is aimed at changing the image of the two professions and providing a more nurturing health care to the general public.
Launched in Accra yesterday, the plan has a vision to create a “globally acclaimed nursing and midwifery regulatory body of national pride”.
The Director of Human Resources for Health Development at the Ministry of Health, Dr Ebenezer Appiah Dankyirah, said human resource development was vital in improving health care in the country.
He therefore commended the council for developing the five-year plan, saying that “we cannot train people and not regulate them”.
Dr Appiah Dankyirah, who represented the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), said the plan of action would ensure that nurses and midwives in the country provide higher quality health care services.
In a presentation on the overview of the plan, a consultant, Professor John Aheto, appealed to nurses and midwives to have a better knowledge of their organisational environment and to stay committed to the five-year plan.
He commended the NMC for creating an innovative and proactive plan.
“In Ghana, we often just wait for people to tell us what to do. Now, we are not only going to be leaders in the region, but the whole world,” he said.
Prof. Aheto, who developed the NMC strategic plan, said the underlining objectives of the plan were to serve public interest, reduce poverty, create wealth through health, provide quality health care and improve customer satisfaction.
The Registrar of the NMC, Rev. Veronica Darko, said she was happy that the plan was being launched after it had been on the drawing board for a year and said, “Words cannot describe how I feel to have seen this dream materialise”.
A new NMC website to increase awareness amongst nurses, midwives and the general public was also launched.
In her welcoming address, the Chairperson of the NMC, Ms Kathlyn P. P. Ababio, said the significance of the launch could not be overemphasised because it had come at a time when “our patients, clients and the general public are complaining about the quality of service that they receive from us”.
She hoped that by 2012, “every visitor to any hospital, clinic, health centre, or CHPS Compound in Ghana would have no choice but to acknowledge a turnaround in the attitude of our nurses and midwives”.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Accidents on motorway alarming
Pg 30. Fri. May 09/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A DAF truck, in the early hours of last morning, ran into and a stationary tipper truck on the Tema Motorway, causing serious traffic for several hours.
The accident, which did not claim any life nor cause any injury, is, however, one of the numerous accidents that have occurred on the Motorway over these past few weeks.
The DAF truck, with registration number GW 689 U, which was being driven by one Daniel Gidi, was said to have run into the tipper truck which was carrying spare parts from Tema to Abossey Okai in Accra and was said to have developed a fault on the Motorway.
According to the driver of the tipper truck, Mr Frank Donkoh, he had left the truck on the road where it had developed the fault, while he waited for another truck to offload the goods to Accra.
He said although there was a reflector placed a few metres away from the stationary truck, while he stood by to caution other road users, the driver of the DAF truck, who was driving at top speed from the Tema end of the Motorway, ignored the reflector and ran into the parked truck, dragging it several metres till it fell on its side.
It would be recalled that late last week an accident occurred on the Motorway which claimed the life of one of Ghana’s famous actors, Kwame Owusu Ansah, while early this week another accident involving seven cars occurred, claiming one life.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A DAF truck, in the early hours of last morning, ran into and a stationary tipper truck on the Tema Motorway, causing serious traffic for several hours.
The accident, which did not claim any life nor cause any injury, is, however, one of the numerous accidents that have occurred on the Motorway over these past few weeks.
The DAF truck, with registration number GW 689 U, which was being driven by one Daniel Gidi, was said to have run into the tipper truck which was carrying spare parts from Tema to Abossey Okai in Accra and was said to have developed a fault on the Motorway.
According to the driver of the tipper truck, Mr Frank Donkoh, he had left the truck on the road where it had developed the fault, while he waited for another truck to offload the goods to Accra.
He said although there was a reflector placed a few metres away from the stationary truck, while he stood by to caution other road users, the driver of the DAF truck, who was driving at top speed from the Tema end of the Motorway, ignored the reflector and ran into the parked truck, dragging it several metres till it fell on its side.
It would be recalled that late last week an accident occurred on the Motorway which claimed the life of one of Ghana’s famous actors, Kwame Owusu Ansah, while early this week another accident involving seven cars occurred, claiming one life.
Aviation experts meet in Accra
Pg 31. Fri. May 09/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho & Kimberley Robertson
AVIATION experts are meeting in Accra to come up with a draft policy for the operation and improvement in general aviation services in the country.
The draft policy is expected to set guidelines for a National Aviation Policy, which will ensure that general aviation is improved in order to promote development and increase revenue in the aviation industry and the country as a whole.
General aviation covers a wide range of activities, both commercial and non-commercial, including private flying, flight training, air ambulance, police aircraft, aerial fire-fighting, air charter, bush flying, gliding, ultra light aircraft operation and aircraft maintenance activities.
The Minister of Aviation, Ms Gloria Akuffo, who opened the two-day workshop on general aviation, said the vision of her ministry was to make Ghana an “aviation hub” and a gateway to the West African sub-region by 2015.
She said despite an increase in airlines that operated in the country, aircraft maintenance was currently being carried out elsewhere, at great cost to the economy.
She therefore said that creating a general aviation base in Ghana would act as a source of income generation, as well as provide practical training, agricultural and health service delivery and boost tourism.
Ms Akuffo said the ministry’s mission was to “promote a competitive, efficient and cost-effective aviation sector, ensuring safety and security whilst minimising the impact on the environment”.
According to her, for the ministry to achieve its mission and vision, there was a need to develop general aviation as an essential component of aviation.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Aviation, Mr George Scott, said the workshop was aimed at stimulating awareness amongst the policy and regulatory bodies of the general aviation sector.
He said the workshop would bring to light developments in other countries in order to learn from their experiences and adapt accordingly to meet Ghana’s specific needs as a developing nation, as well as encourage Ghanaian youth into aviation-related careers in order to reduce dependence on non-residents.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Julius Okyere Boateng, who chaired the opening ceremony, observed that Ghana had not been able to take advantage of the opportunities that civil aviation offered because the country depended on revenue only from scheduled airline flights as opposed to general aviation.
• Ms Gloria Akuffo (second right) in a chat with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Julius Okyere Boateng (middle), and the Chief Director of the Ministry of Aviation, Mr George Scott (left), after the minister had opened the workshop.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho & Kimberley Robertson
AVIATION experts are meeting in Accra to come up with a draft policy for the operation and improvement in general aviation services in the country.
The draft policy is expected to set guidelines for a National Aviation Policy, which will ensure that general aviation is improved in order to promote development and increase revenue in the aviation industry and the country as a whole.
General aviation covers a wide range of activities, both commercial and non-commercial, including private flying, flight training, air ambulance, police aircraft, aerial fire-fighting, air charter, bush flying, gliding, ultra light aircraft operation and aircraft maintenance activities.
The Minister of Aviation, Ms Gloria Akuffo, who opened the two-day workshop on general aviation, said the vision of her ministry was to make Ghana an “aviation hub” and a gateway to the West African sub-region by 2015.
She said despite an increase in airlines that operated in the country, aircraft maintenance was currently being carried out elsewhere, at great cost to the economy.
She therefore said that creating a general aviation base in Ghana would act as a source of income generation, as well as provide practical training, agricultural and health service delivery and boost tourism.
Ms Akuffo said the ministry’s mission was to “promote a competitive, efficient and cost-effective aviation sector, ensuring safety and security whilst minimising the impact on the environment”.
According to her, for the ministry to achieve its mission and vision, there was a need to develop general aviation as an essential component of aviation.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Aviation, Mr George Scott, said the workshop was aimed at stimulating awareness amongst the policy and regulatory bodies of the general aviation sector.
He said the workshop would bring to light developments in other countries in order to learn from their experiences and adapt accordingly to meet Ghana’s specific needs as a developing nation, as well as encourage Ghanaian youth into aviation-related careers in order to reduce dependence on non-residents.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Julius Okyere Boateng, who chaired the opening ceremony, observed that Ghana had not been able to take advantage of the opportunities that civil aviation offered because the country depended on revenue only from scheduled airline flights as opposed to general aviation.
• Ms Gloria Akuffo (second right) in a chat with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Julius Okyere Boateng (middle), and the Chief Director of the Ministry of Aviation, Mr George Scott (left), after the minister had opened the workshop.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
'Enforce laws to promote child rights'
Pg 38. Thurs. May 08/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A Legal Practitioner with the Commission On Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr Samuel Bosompem, has called for stringent enforcement of the country’s laws that protect the rights of children.
According to him, although there were what might be described as “adequate laws” covering the rights of children in the country, these laws did not protect the rights of children and this, he said, had led to many children going through untold hardships.
Mr Bosompem, who was reacting to allegations of sexual exploitation of children for commercial purposes, said there was the need for policy makers to put in place stringent measures to ensure that laws regarding the rights of children were enforced and the perpetrators brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
Mr Bosompem noted that although Ghana prided itself as being the first to sign onto conventions, protocols or treaties that protected the rights of children, more children continued to go through child labour, trafficking, sexual exploitation, enslavement and abuses in the country.
According to him, Ghana was the first country to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child and was a signatory to the African Charter on Human and People’s Right, and had laws such as the Children’s Act, Courts Act, Human Trafficking Act and the Juvenile Detention Act, among others. He, however, noted that all these laws had not been given meaning in practice, looking at the number of cases that were reported daily on child abuse and exploitation.
Mr Bosompem was also of the opinion that poor parenting was a major cause of child exploitation and abuse in the country, adding that CHRAJ as a body was not happy with the enforcement of laws that protected children in the country.
He made specific mention of the children and court Acts, which he said made separate recommendations for the setting up of child panels to deal with children’s issues but said this had not been done in most districts and, therefore, children were tried in adult courts.
He further deplored the situation of the country’s only juvenile detention centre, ‘The Borstal Institute’, saying that the institute did not have the requisite equipment to reform its inmates.
Mr Bosompem said as a country, “we need to be serious and careful to protect our children”, especially those with disabilities and the vulnerable, saying that all children in the country were entitled to special care as provided for under Article 10 of the International Convention on Economic and Social Right and Article 24 on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires the state and family to give children adequate protection.
He said states were further required to protect its children under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which, among other things, calls for the right to education for children.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
A Legal Practitioner with the Commission On Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr Samuel Bosompem, has called for stringent enforcement of the country’s laws that protect the rights of children.
According to him, although there were what might be described as “adequate laws” covering the rights of children in the country, these laws did not protect the rights of children and this, he said, had led to many children going through untold hardships.
Mr Bosompem, who was reacting to allegations of sexual exploitation of children for commercial purposes, said there was the need for policy makers to put in place stringent measures to ensure that laws regarding the rights of children were enforced and the perpetrators brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
Mr Bosompem noted that although Ghana prided itself as being the first to sign onto conventions, protocols or treaties that protected the rights of children, more children continued to go through child labour, trafficking, sexual exploitation, enslavement and abuses in the country.
According to him, Ghana was the first country to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child and was a signatory to the African Charter on Human and People’s Right, and had laws such as the Children’s Act, Courts Act, Human Trafficking Act and the Juvenile Detention Act, among others. He, however, noted that all these laws had not been given meaning in practice, looking at the number of cases that were reported daily on child abuse and exploitation.
Mr Bosompem was also of the opinion that poor parenting was a major cause of child exploitation and abuse in the country, adding that CHRAJ as a body was not happy with the enforcement of laws that protected children in the country.
He made specific mention of the children and court Acts, which he said made separate recommendations for the setting up of child panels to deal with children’s issues but said this had not been done in most districts and, therefore, children were tried in adult courts.
He further deplored the situation of the country’s only juvenile detention centre, ‘The Borstal Institute’, saying that the institute did not have the requisite equipment to reform its inmates.
Mr Bosompem said as a country, “we need to be serious and careful to protect our children”, especially those with disabilities and the vulnerable, saying that all children in the country were entitled to special care as provided for under Article 10 of the International Convention on Economic and Social Right and Article 24 on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires the state and family to give children adequate protection.
He said states were further required to protect its children under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which, among other things, calls for the right to education for children.
37 Towns benefit from water project
Pg 55. Thurs. May 08/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THIRTY-SEVEN selected towns within the Eastern and Volta regions have benefited from a 10-year community water project provided by the government and its German counterpart.
The project, which began in 1998, will end in June this year and has so far benefited more than 250,000 in the two regions.
Known as the Eastern and Volta Regions Assisted Project (EVORAP), it is designed to assist selected small towns to operate and manage their water supply systems and to improve their sanitation conditions.
The German Development Co-operation through two development agencies, the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and Kfw, another German development agency, provided financial and technical support for 29 of the small town projects while it partnered the Department for International Development (DFID) UK, to provide water supply and management support to eight additional towns.
Collectively all the households in the 39 project communities paid five per cent of the cost while their district assemblies also contributed five per cent.
At a workshop in Accra yesterday to evaluate the achievements of the project and to chart a way forward for future projects, the Counsellor for Development Co-operation of the German Embassy, Mr Joachim Schmitt, commended the Government of Ghana for showing considerable commitment to providing access to safe drinking water, as well as improving the sanitation conditions for all Ghanaians with special emphasis on the poor and vulnerable.
He said his government was pleased to be associated with the efforts at improving sustainable access to water, improved sanitation conditions and HIV and AIDS awareness creation in the country.
According to him, the German Government does not only focus on infrastructural development but also provide technical assistance, to build the capacity of implementing structures for sustainable operations and management of projects.
“We believe that it is only through empowering the people to manage the system that sustainable access to water supply and improved sanitation conditions can be realised.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CSWA), Dr Phillip Gyau-Boakye, said with the huge investment that had been made, it was important for the beneficiaries to bear in mind that access to safe water supply could only be improved and sustained if existing facilities were kept in good working conditions.
He said to overcome the challenge of systematic sustainability through effective operation and maintenance, “it is imperative that we work towards the development of capacity at the district and community levels for the management of these facilities”.
Dr Gyau-Boakye further emphasised that it was imperative that people at both the regional and district levels became proactive in ensuring that all water and sanitation installations at the community level were operated and managed in a sustainable manner.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THIRTY-SEVEN selected towns within the Eastern and Volta regions have benefited from a 10-year community water project provided by the government and its German counterpart.
The project, which began in 1998, will end in June this year and has so far benefited more than 250,000 in the two regions.
Known as the Eastern and Volta Regions Assisted Project (EVORAP), it is designed to assist selected small towns to operate and manage their water supply systems and to improve their sanitation conditions.
The German Development Co-operation through two development agencies, the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and Kfw, another German development agency, provided financial and technical support for 29 of the small town projects while it partnered the Department for International Development (DFID) UK, to provide water supply and management support to eight additional towns.
Collectively all the households in the 39 project communities paid five per cent of the cost while their district assemblies also contributed five per cent.
At a workshop in Accra yesterday to evaluate the achievements of the project and to chart a way forward for future projects, the Counsellor for Development Co-operation of the German Embassy, Mr Joachim Schmitt, commended the Government of Ghana for showing considerable commitment to providing access to safe drinking water, as well as improving the sanitation conditions for all Ghanaians with special emphasis on the poor and vulnerable.
He said his government was pleased to be associated with the efforts at improving sustainable access to water, improved sanitation conditions and HIV and AIDS awareness creation in the country.
According to him, the German Government does not only focus on infrastructural development but also provide technical assistance, to build the capacity of implementing structures for sustainable operations and management of projects.
“We believe that it is only through empowering the people to manage the system that sustainable access to water supply and improved sanitation conditions can be realised.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CSWA), Dr Phillip Gyau-Boakye, said with the huge investment that had been made, it was important for the beneficiaries to bear in mind that access to safe water supply could only be improved and sustained if existing facilities were kept in good working conditions.
He said to overcome the challenge of systematic sustainability through effective operation and maintenance, “it is imperative that we work towards the development of capacity at the district and community levels for the management of these facilities”.
Dr Gyau-Boakye further emphasised that it was imperative that people at both the regional and district levels became proactive in ensuring that all water and sanitation installations at the community level were operated and managed in a sustainable manner.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Forum to dialogue on gender and aid effectiveness
Pg11. Sat. May 3/08
By Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
FROM May 5 to 6, 2008, stakeholders on gender will meet at a national consultation forum to deliberate on making aid responsive to gender.
The forum will also provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to dialogue on gender and aid effectiveness, reinforce networking and communication between gender advocates, government actors, donors and multilateral development agencies.
The forum is being organised within the framework of the European Commission (EC)/United Nations (UN) partnership on “Gender Equality for Development and Peace”, to build the basis for partnerships and agreements to strengthen gender equality in national development plans and budgets processes.
It will be attended by participants from the ministries, including Finance,Women and Children’s Affairs, governmental partners, Members of Parliament, civil society groups, academic institutions involved in research on gender and aid effectiveness and on development planning, delegations and representatives from the EC and UN, as well as bilateral and multilateral organisations and donors involved in gender issues.
The stakeholders will also use the forum to decide on a national work plan and set up the relevant institutional mechanisms, including a project steering committee to ensure that the work plan will be realised within the time frame and budget of the programme.
They will also brainstorm on the key message from the findings of a mapping study that was initiated earlier to look into the status of women and gender equality in Ghana, aid to Ghana, aid modalities, alignment, ownership, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability.
Stakeholders at the forum will also be expected to learn more about the upcoming international forum on Aid Effectiveness which will take place in September this year in the country and identify possible contributions that can be made to benefit Ghana.
By Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
FROM May 5 to 6, 2008, stakeholders on gender will meet at a national consultation forum to deliberate on making aid responsive to gender.
The forum will also provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to dialogue on gender and aid effectiveness, reinforce networking and communication between gender advocates, government actors, donors and multilateral development agencies.
The forum is being organised within the framework of the European Commission (EC)/United Nations (UN) partnership on “Gender Equality for Development and Peace”, to build the basis for partnerships and agreements to strengthen gender equality in national development plans and budgets processes.
It will be attended by participants from the ministries, including Finance,Women and Children’s Affairs, governmental partners, Members of Parliament, civil society groups, academic institutions involved in research on gender and aid effectiveness and on development planning, delegations and representatives from the EC and UN, as well as bilateral and multilateral organisations and donors involved in gender issues.
The stakeholders will also use the forum to decide on a national work plan and set up the relevant institutional mechanisms, including a project steering committee to ensure that the work plan will be realised within the time frame and budget of the programme.
They will also brainstorm on the key message from the findings of a mapping study that was initiated earlier to look into the status of women and gender equality in Ghana, aid to Ghana, aid modalities, alignment, ownership, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability.
Stakeholders at the forum will also be expected to learn more about the upcoming international forum on Aid Effectiveness which will take place in September this year in the country and identify possible contributions that can be made to benefit Ghana.
‘Redeem pledge of halving malaria mortality’
Pg. 11. Sat. May 3/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
AFRICAN Leaders have been reminded to redeem their pledge of halving malaria mortality by 2010.
They have also been called upon to implement well co-ordinated and integrated country-wide programmes to drastically reduce the rate of malaria infection in Africa.
These were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day training for journalists by the Africa Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) in Accra.
The training was part of the celebration of this year’s World Malaria Day which fell on Friday, April 25, 2008 on the theme "Malaria a disease without borders".
The training brought together 20 health journalists under a sub-theme "Malaria- The connection with other preventable diseases".
The communiqué further called on African leaders to commit more money into malaria research to assist policy makers in their planning efforts towards malaria control.
However the efforts of governments and other stakeholders globally to Roll Back Malaria in Africa have been applauded.
Among some of the pledges that the African Leaders made in Abuja, Nigeria, in April 2000 as part of efforts to Roll back Malaria were; to ensure that at least 60 per cent of all pregnant women who are at risk of contacting malaria have access to intermittent presumptive treatment.
Also they pledged to initiate appropriate and sustainable action to strengthen health systems to ensure that by the year 2005 at least 60 per cent of those suffering from malaria would have prompt access to and are able to correctly use, affordable and appropriate treatment within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms.
The African Leaders at Abuja also pledged to ensure that at least 60 per cent of those at risk , particularly children under five years of age and pregnant women benefit from the most suitable combination of personal and community protective measures such as insecticide treated mosquito nets and other interventions which are accessible and affordable to prevent infection and suffering.
According to the communiqué, after eight years, not much had been achieved and that 90 per cent of the world’s malaria deaths of children under five years still occur in Africa.
The communiqué further stated that "As Africans, we should be worried that over 80 per cent of the over one million deaths caused by malaria globally occur in our continent each year and that malaria remains the leading cause of under-five mortality".
It said malaria still constitutes 10 per cent of the continent's overall disease burden and accounts for 40 per cent of public expenditure, 30 to 50 per cent of in-patient admissions and up to 50 per cent of out-patients visits in areas with high transmission.
It further stressed that, "absenteeism among school children and lost worker productivity, all contribute to make malaria a significant contributor to low economic growth in endemic countries, estimated at costing African countries about US$12 billion annually".
The communiqué also called on National Malaria Control programmes in the various African countries to step-up efforts on malaria education to reduce the ignorance around the disease that results in unnecessary deaths. It also added that malaria can be eradicated with concerted efforts from all fronts.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
AFRICAN Leaders have been reminded to redeem their pledge of halving malaria mortality by 2010.
They have also been called upon to implement well co-ordinated and integrated country-wide programmes to drastically reduce the rate of malaria infection in Africa.
These were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day training for journalists by the Africa Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) in Accra.
The training was part of the celebration of this year’s World Malaria Day which fell on Friday, April 25, 2008 on the theme "Malaria a disease without borders".
The training brought together 20 health journalists under a sub-theme "Malaria- The connection with other preventable diseases".
The communiqué further called on African leaders to commit more money into malaria research to assist policy makers in their planning efforts towards malaria control.
However the efforts of governments and other stakeholders globally to Roll Back Malaria in Africa have been applauded.
Among some of the pledges that the African Leaders made in Abuja, Nigeria, in April 2000 as part of efforts to Roll back Malaria were; to ensure that at least 60 per cent of all pregnant women who are at risk of contacting malaria have access to intermittent presumptive treatment.
Also they pledged to initiate appropriate and sustainable action to strengthen health systems to ensure that by the year 2005 at least 60 per cent of those suffering from malaria would have prompt access to and are able to correctly use, affordable and appropriate treatment within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms.
The African Leaders at Abuja also pledged to ensure that at least 60 per cent of those at risk , particularly children under five years of age and pregnant women benefit from the most suitable combination of personal and community protective measures such as insecticide treated mosquito nets and other interventions which are accessible and affordable to prevent infection and suffering.
According to the communiqué, after eight years, not much had been achieved and that 90 per cent of the world’s malaria deaths of children under five years still occur in Africa.
The communiqué further stated that "As Africans, we should be worried that over 80 per cent of the over one million deaths caused by malaria globally occur in our continent each year and that malaria remains the leading cause of under-five mortality".
It said malaria still constitutes 10 per cent of the continent's overall disease burden and accounts for 40 per cent of public expenditure, 30 to 50 per cent of in-patient admissions and up to 50 per cent of out-patients visits in areas with high transmission.
It further stressed that, "absenteeism among school children and lost worker productivity, all contribute to make malaria a significant contributor to low economic growth in endemic countries, estimated at costing African countries about US$12 billion annually".
The communiqué also called on National Malaria Control programmes in the various African countries to step-up efforts on malaria education to reduce the ignorance around the disease that results in unnecessary deaths. It also added that malaria can be eradicated with concerted efforts from all fronts.
Friday, May 2, 2008
101 Pharmacists inducted
pg. 14. Friday May 2/08
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
One hundred and one newly qualified and registered pharmacists were inducted into the Pharmacy Council at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday.
The new pharmacists underwent six years of academic and internship training programmes during their period of education.
The ceremony, on the theme: “Optimising pharmaceutical workforce for national development”, brought together health professionals from both the public and private institutions, as well as relatives and well-wishers of the inductees.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Gabriel Charles Palmer Buckle, who was the special guest, in a speech read on his behalf exhorted the pharmacists to use their newly acquired knowledge and expertise to help improve the lot of their fellow men and women.
He said Ghana after 50 years was at a very crucial point in its history of nation building and as such needed such experts who would improve the lot of its people.
“I am almost convinced that most of us have turned our education and acquisition of skills and expertise into tools of exploitation and power instead of means of service and enhancement of the lives of the people of this nation,” the Rev Palmer Buckle said.
Most Rev Palmer Buckle noted that “it is very sad that quite often, it is those of us, the educated ones, that use the knowledge we have acquired to exploit our own kith and kin, making them poorer than before”, and advised the new pharmacists to “think Ghana and thank God for Ghana every day, love Ghana and live for Ghana everywhere, pray for Ghana and protect Ghana at all times, serve Ghana and save Ghana now, devote yourselves to Ghana and die for Ghana a little today”.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), who was represented by the Chief Director of the ministry, Lepowura Mohammed Nurudeen D. Jawula, said the new health policy, which emphasises on prevention and health promotion, demanded that pharmacists took central roles in patient management.
He said with the increasing number of chronic conditions to be managed, pharmacists in the public and private sector had become more and more involved in patient management even outside the hospital.
He challenged the newly inducted pharmacists to maintain high levels of dedication and to build on the achievements of their senior colleagues.
The Greater Accra Regional branch President of the society, Mr John Allotey, called on the new pharmacists to be guided by the three principles adopted by the society, which, he said, were image building, public health and international collaboration.
He also called on them to work as professionals no matter where they found themselves.
In a welcoming address, the Registrar of the council, Mr Joseph Nyoagbe, said the council would continue to ensure that the standards of pharmacy practise was maintained through appropriate interventions of monitoring and inspections.
He added that access to medicine without a corresponding availability of trained practitioners would not achieve much.
To complement this, the council has come out with a policy to ensure that all pharmaceutical service providers acquire some level of training and added that eight institutions had been accredited to train medicine counter assistants and that the institutions had so far trained 763 people.
He said the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had provided a level playing field that had made health care available to all irrespective of one’s status in society.
Three of the pharmacists who excelled during their training were honoured. Ms Whitney Sena Assor was adjudged the overall best candidate and was presented with the ‘John Ocran Award’, which is sponsored by the Pharmacy Council in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacies.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
One hundred and one newly qualified and registered pharmacists were inducted into the Pharmacy Council at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday.
The new pharmacists underwent six years of academic and internship training programmes during their period of education.
The ceremony, on the theme: “Optimising pharmaceutical workforce for national development”, brought together health professionals from both the public and private institutions, as well as relatives and well-wishers of the inductees.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Gabriel Charles Palmer Buckle, who was the special guest, in a speech read on his behalf exhorted the pharmacists to use their newly acquired knowledge and expertise to help improve the lot of their fellow men and women.
He said Ghana after 50 years was at a very crucial point in its history of nation building and as such needed such experts who would improve the lot of its people.
“I am almost convinced that most of us have turned our education and acquisition of skills and expertise into tools of exploitation and power instead of means of service and enhancement of the lives of the people of this nation,” the Rev Palmer Buckle said.
Most Rev Palmer Buckle noted that “it is very sad that quite often, it is those of us, the educated ones, that use the knowledge we have acquired to exploit our own kith and kin, making them poorer than before”, and advised the new pharmacists to “think Ghana and thank God for Ghana every day, love Ghana and live for Ghana everywhere, pray for Ghana and protect Ghana at all times, serve Ghana and save Ghana now, devote yourselves to Ghana and die for Ghana a little today”.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), who was represented by the Chief Director of the ministry, Lepowura Mohammed Nurudeen D. Jawula, said the new health policy, which emphasises on prevention and health promotion, demanded that pharmacists took central roles in patient management.
He said with the increasing number of chronic conditions to be managed, pharmacists in the public and private sector had become more and more involved in patient management even outside the hospital.
He challenged the newly inducted pharmacists to maintain high levels of dedication and to build on the achievements of their senior colleagues.
The Greater Accra Regional branch President of the society, Mr John Allotey, called on the new pharmacists to be guided by the three principles adopted by the society, which, he said, were image building, public health and international collaboration.
He also called on them to work as professionals no matter where they found themselves.
In a welcoming address, the Registrar of the council, Mr Joseph Nyoagbe, said the council would continue to ensure that the standards of pharmacy practise was maintained through appropriate interventions of monitoring and inspections.
He added that access to medicine without a corresponding availability of trained practitioners would not achieve much.
To complement this, the council has come out with a policy to ensure that all pharmaceutical service providers acquire some level of training and added that eight institutions had been accredited to train medicine counter assistants and that the institutions had so far trained 763 people.
He said the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had provided a level playing field that had made health care available to all irrespective of one’s status in society.
Three of the pharmacists who excelled during their training were honoured. Ms Whitney Sena Assor was adjudged the overall best candidate and was presented with the ‘John Ocran Award’, which is sponsored by the Pharmacy Council in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacies.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Ghana Health Service launches Child Health Week
Pg 20. Thurs. May 1/08
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched this year’s Child Health Week with a call on parents, teachers and health professionals to ensure that children receive adequate complementary feeding to reduce child obesity and malnutrition.
According to health experts, malnutrition contributes to 50 per cent of all child deaths in developing countries while obesity in children leads to child diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
The week, which would be celebrated from May 5 to 9, 2008, was launched in Accra on the theme: “Healthy eating, a key to child growth and development”, and is the fifth since the celebration was instituted in 2004.
The celebration, aimed at increasing public awareness on packages available for under-five children, brought together health professionals, government agencies, faith-based organisations and the media.
Some of the packages that would be provided would include; immunisation against childhood diseases, vitamin A supplementation, re-treatment of insecticide treated bed nets, provision of child health record cards, weighing of children aged zero to five and registration of children under one year.
The acting Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias Sory, called for a mechanism where a collaborative inspectorate committee would be put in place to inspect feeding in schools especially private day care centres, to ensure that children were not overfed to develop obesity.
He also called for collaboration between parents and health professionals to ensure that children were given proper complementary foods to ensure healthy growth.
The Deputy Director in Charge of Public Health (Nutrition), Mr Jacob Armah, who gave a presentation on complementary feeding, called on parents or caregivers to ensure that such feeding started exactly when the child was six months, saying that a late start could result in the child not receiving the required nutrients.
He said such late starts also slowed children’s growth and development, as well as exposed them to deficiencies and malnutrition.
Dr Armah, however, said diarrhoea was high during complementary feeding stage, from six to 24 months of birth, adding that feeding bottles easily got contaminated and therefore called on nursing mothers to ensure that they avoided acts that could lead to such illnesses.
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
THE Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched this year’s Child Health Week with a call on parents, teachers and health professionals to ensure that children receive adequate complementary feeding to reduce child obesity and malnutrition.
According to health experts, malnutrition contributes to 50 per cent of all child deaths in developing countries while obesity in children leads to child diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
The week, which would be celebrated from May 5 to 9, 2008, was launched in Accra on the theme: “Healthy eating, a key to child growth and development”, and is the fifth since the celebration was instituted in 2004.
The celebration, aimed at increasing public awareness on packages available for under-five children, brought together health professionals, government agencies, faith-based organisations and the media.
Some of the packages that would be provided would include; immunisation against childhood diseases, vitamin A supplementation, re-treatment of insecticide treated bed nets, provision of child health record cards, weighing of children aged zero to five and registration of children under one year.
The acting Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias Sory, called for a mechanism where a collaborative inspectorate committee would be put in place to inspect feeding in schools especially private day care centres, to ensure that children were not overfed to develop obesity.
He also called for collaboration between parents and health professionals to ensure that children were given proper complementary foods to ensure healthy growth.
The Deputy Director in Charge of Public Health (Nutrition), Mr Jacob Armah, who gave a presentation on complementary feeding, called on parents or caregivers to ensure that such feeding started exactly when the child was six months, saying that a late start could result in the child not receiving the required nutrients.
He said such late starts also slowed children’s growth and development, as well as exposed them to deficiencies and malnutrition.
Dr Armah, however, said diarrhoea was high during complementary feeding stage, from six to 24 months of birth, adding that feeding bottles easily got contaminated and therefore called on nursing mothers to ensure that they avoided acts that could lead to such illnesses.
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