NEWS ARCHIVE 2007

NEWS ARCHIVE 2008

Ghana Police Service

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ACCRA  SPORTS  STADIUM

26th
AFRICA CUP of NATIONS
GHANA 2008

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SEKONDI-TAKORADI

SPORT STADIUM

Nkoranza Police records 53 accident cases in 2007


Nkoranza (B/A), Jan. 2, GNA- The Nkoranza district police command recorded a total of 53 accident cases with 15 deaths in 2007 as against 25 cases in the previous year.

ASP Peter Kwasi Denteh, District police superintendent who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkoranza said 61 vehicles were involved in the accidents last year with 56 people sustaining various forms of injuries without any death. He expressed concern about the road accidents in the district and attributed it to illiteracy among some drivers who could not even understand road signs.

ASP said the district police command in collaboration with the authorities of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union and the Progressive Transport Owners Association is to organize periodic in-service training courses for drivers in the district to keep them abreast with the various road signs.
He reminded drivers that it was an offence to drive under the influence of alcohol and called on passengers to report drunken drivers to the police or other security agencies for the necessary sanctions to be taken. "The transport unions and station guards should study and monitor the movements of drivers who operate at the lorry parks to ensure that they do not drink and drive", ASP Denteh added. ASP Denteh advised transport owners to ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles to avoid accident.

Source:
GNA

Tema MTTU records 1,555 accidents in 2007

Tema, Jan. 05, GNA - The Tema Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) recorded 1,555 accidents in 2007 involving 2,012 vehicles. The accidents resulted in the deaths of 95 and injuring 786 peoples, Deputy Superintendent of Police Prosper Amoah Ayisi, Tema Regional MTTU Commander, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Friday. Mr Ayisi said the number showed a decrease in road accidents in the Metropolis when compared to the 1,783 accidents and 209 deaths recorded in 2006.
He said the Unit also recorded a decline in the number of drivers prosecuted in 2007 as 1,420 drivers were put before court as compared to 1,783 in 2006. Mr Ayisi said Tema accrued over 33,500 Ghana cedis from the fines imposed on the drivers. He said most of the accidents recorded in the metropolis occurred on the Ada high way and the Tema motor way due to over speeding. He appealed to station masters and drivers' union leaders to take up their responsibility of ensuring that drivers use the right license, renew the insurance of their vehicles and avoid overloading as well as checking the road worthiness of the vehicles.Source:
GNA

• 06.01.2007

President accepts invitation to Kenya


Accra, Jan 5, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor, on Sunday accepted the invitation of President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, to visit that country as African Union (AU) chair, to see for himself at first hand the situation in the country.

President Kufuor said he would make the trip as soon as possible adding that Kenya has always been a flagship of Africa's rising image and nothing should be done to destroy the country.

This was contained in a press release signed by Mr Andrew Awuni, Press Secretary to the President and Presidential Spokesman indicated. The statement indicated "President Kufuor said as AU Chair, he is naturally concerned about the situation in Kenya and is willing to make his contribution to peace in that country."

It indicated that President Kibaki said he was willing to dialogue without pre-condition with the opposition.

The statement said in a special message sent to President Kufuor, through the Special Envoy, Mr Moses Wetangula, President Kibaki said the situation in Kenya was returning to normal very quickly except for small pockets of disturbances in the West.

It said President Kibaki also expressed his commitment to forming government of National Unity for the sake of peace and tranquillity in Kenya.

The statement said, " Violence broke out in Kenya after the country's Presidential and Parliamentary and Elections held on December 27 2007.

It said reports say that about 300 people have died in the violence with thousands of people displaced.

Source:
GNA

Three die in accident

Aflao, Jan. 6 GNA - Three holiday makers including a final year student of Accra Polytechnic died in a car crash early on Wednesday involving a salon car they were travelling in and a taxi at Avoeme a suburb of Aflao. The victims were said to be returning from a New Year night programme in the salon car when it hit a coconut tree after colliding with the taxi. The three were identified as Foster Amenuku, said to be a final year accounting student of Accra Polytechnic, Baranabas Afedo, a currency dealer and Simon Agbeko, unemployed.

A fourth person, one Kasim Alidu who was driving the Togolese registered salon car, is on admission at the Ketu District Hospital at Aflao. The driver of the taxi and a passenger are also on admission at the hospital in critical condition.

A police source at Aflao told the GNA that Alidu and the three deceased persons participated in a night musical programme at a Denu hotel on Tuesday and decided to return to their Aflao home early Wednesday. The source said on reaching a spot at Avoeme, Aflao, at about 0145 hours, Alidu lost control of the car, veered into the lane of the taxi resulting in the crash.

He said the salon car hit a coconut tree killing the three instantly with the vehicle damaged beyond repairs.

Mr. Issah Yakubu, Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of Aflao Police, confirmed the story.

Source:
GNA

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Book Festival at The British Council


The Centre for Intellectual Renewal, The British Council (Ghana) and the Ayebia Clarke Publishing in the United Kingdom will jointly launch two books in Accra on January 15 2008 at the British Council at 4pm and also reflect, through the event, language and its role in culture.

The books are the second edition of Bu Me Be: Proverbs of the Akans, a 336 page dictionary of proverbs and the most comprehensive since 1879 when the German missionary J. G. Christaller first published a collection of its kind.

It is by the late distinguished children novelist, Peggy Appiah, a world leading philosopher and currently at Princeton University, Kwame Anthony Appiah and the Ghanaian author, Ivor Agyeman-Duah.

The second book is Pan-Africanism Caribbean Connections published by iUniverse Press of the United States and is an international anthology of essays by four scholars of The Africa Studies and Research Forum of Washington, DC. They are the leading Linguistics and International Relations professor, Abdul Bangura who is currently at Howard University, history professor Mario D. Fenyo of the University of Debrecen in Hungry, professor of Social Ethics at University of Denver, Jim Perkinson and the Ghanaian scholar and author, Ivor Agyeman-Duah.

The book deals with the African legacy of Caribbean societies. It shows how literary works and practices have highlighted the relations between Africans in the continent and those in the Diaspora and the interconnections among their social institutions.

It is published almost after a quarter of a century when a similar attempt of Caribbean reflections by a group of scholars resulted in Africa and the Caribbean: The legacies of a Link, edited by Margaret Grahan and Franklin W. Knight.

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Hon. S.K. Boafo would launch the books which would have as its major speaker, Prof. Emeritus J.H. Kwabena Nketia, living authority on Akan language and culture and currently Director of the International Music Centre at Legon. He will speak to the topic, Sound and Sentiments: the Lyrical Use of Proverbs.

The Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Prof. Takyiwah Manuh would chair the event

Source:
The Centre for Intellectual Renewal and The British Council.

Great Kosa Limited, is to establish a vehicle assembling plant in Ghana


Accra, Jan 06, GNA-The technical division of the Kristo Asafo Church, the Great Kosa Limited, is to establish a vehicle assembling plant in Ghana.

The proposed site would be a 400-acre land acquired at Okyereko, near the present location of the company at Gomoa Mpota, in the Central Region Mr. Festus Owusu Badu, General Secretary of the Great Kosa Limited said that the Company, under the Church's leader, Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo, was negotiating with a German company, the FAW to help establish the assembling plant in Ghana.

In an interaction with journalists after a presentation on the Company at the 59th Annual New Year School, underway at the University of Ghana, Legon, Mr Badu said the Company was also in contact with some companies in China to commercialise the production of its vehicles.

Mr Badu said the Great Kosa Limited, which currently employs about 400 people, so far had produced a saloon car, two types of cross-country vehicles and a limousine in 2007, which it called the Kantanka Obrempong. Some of the proposed vehicles, according to Mr Badu, which would be produced in large quantities would be saloon cars, pick ups, cross-country vehicles and buses.

The main problem however, was about funding, but the Company was in touch with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for support. Mr Badu underscored the importance of the application of appropriate technology in promoting community development, adding, "non application of local appropriate technology rather helped foreign technology to thrive" He observed that Apostle Safo understood technology very well, and could manufacture some of the equipment that would be needed in the assembling process, adding that the works of the company had been well documented.

Participants at the School were later shown electronic items, and designs of electronic items produced by the Great Kosa Limited. The Annual New Year School is a one-week extra-mural programme organised annually by the Institute of Adult Education of the University of Ghana and the theme for this year's event is; "Tertiary Education and National Development".

Participants at the School, which spans January 3, 2008 to January 10, 2008, are engaged in symposia, panel discussion and lectures on topics like: "Promoting Health for All: The Challenges," and "Increasing the Utilisation of Information, Communication and Technology in Tertiary Education."

Source:
GNA

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• 05.02.2007

Akufo-Addo using state resources - NDC


Accra, Jan. 04, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed concern about the use of State resources on the numerous activities of the newly elected flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The statement, issued by the Deputy General Secretary, Elvis Afriyie-Ankra said; "Whilst we do not begrudge him his constitutional and fundamental rights of freedom of movement and association, to pay courtesy calls on chiefs, opinion leaders and other dignitaries and to organize numerous parties and dinners for his friends, supporters and sympathizers; we are appalled by the creeping abuse of state resources and machinery to the disadvantage of the other president candidates.

"This is manifested in the array of state motorcades that escort him wherever he goes. On his visit to the Agbogbloshie market, he had in his retinue a whole contingent of military and police personnel."

It appears also that, some of the State media houses have decided to become the official mouthpieces of the NPP and their candidate, it said. "We wish to reiterate that, a peaceful, free and fair elections is determined not only by activities on the polling day, but on a level playing field characterized by equal opportunities for all the various political players.

"It is curious to note that during the NPP primaries, most of the aspirants, including Nana Akufo-Addo complained about the unfair advantages and executive bias in favour of one of the candidates. Were those complaints genuine or merely self-serving?

"We urge the government of the NPP to be circumspect in their use of state resources in this election year. This call is even more imperative in the face of harsh economic realities characterized by unprecedented high prices of petroleum products, which has virtually eroded the purchasing power of the majority of Ghanaians."


Source:
GNA

Chiefs in Bawku Municipality urged to welcome returnees



Pusiga (UER), Jan. 5, GNA- Chiefs in the Bawku Municipality, were on Friday asked to allow people who fled the area during the recent conflict there to return to their homes in peace. Mr. Alhassan Samari Upper East Regional Minister, made the call when he visited Pusiga, Garu, Tempane and Zabgu all towns in the area, and met with the chiefs of the communities. He noted that Kusasis and Manprusis, the two ethnic groups, involved in the conflict, had co-existed for a long time, intermarrying, supporting each other in times of need and benefited in many other ways from each other, and these situation should be sustained.

Mr Samari said the conflict would only affect development and bring misery and hardship to the people, and appealed to the chiefs and elders to use their authority and power to restore peace to the area.

He urged the traditional authorities to educated and convince the youth that the conflict would not bring any good thing but retard development in the area.

Mr Samari advised the people to apply dialogue and tolerance in solving their problems.

The Regional Minister was accompanied by the Regional Police Commander, Mr. Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, Lieutenant Colonel Irvine Aryeetey, Northern Regional Command of the Ghana Air Forces and Mr. Simon Akunye, Member of Parliament(MP) for Pusiga.

 Mr. Gyeabour urged the Chiefs and people to cooperatewith security personnel deplored to the area to maintain peace. He advised the youth to stop erecting road blocks andwarned that any one caught in the practice would be punished according to the law.

The MP advised the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians and Opinion leaders to foment conflict for their own personal gains. Naba Akpaka Ibrahim Ayumah, Chief of Pusiga, called on persons who sought refuge during the conflict to return to their homes, saying that Pusiga was opened to all.

Source:
GNA

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Chiefs, people of Garu-Tempane appeals for transport for police


Garu-Tempane (U/E), Jan. 5, GNA - The chief of Garu, Naba Akuntam Awuni, has appealed to government to provide the police in the area with a vehicle to enable personnel to discharge their duties efficiently. He made the appeal when Mr. Alhasssan Samari, Upper East Regional Minister, accompanied by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ofosu Mensah-Gyeabour, Upper East Regional Police Commander, and Lieutenant Col Irvin Ayiteey, Commander of the Airborne Force, toured the conflict zones on Friday.

Naba Akuntam Awuni explained that lack of transport for the police was hindering their work as they have to always look for motorcycles to perform their duties.

He said the area was too big and more so a commercial centre where people come from Tamale, Kumasi, Bolgatanga and else where to transact business.

Naba Akutam Awuni said the police in the area therefore needed a means of transport to patrol the town to maintain law and order to enable the people to go about their normal duties.

The chief assured the minister and his entourage that they had already spoken to the youth and would continue to talk to them to desist from causing conflicts.

Mr Mensay-Gyeabour said the chief's request would be forwarded to appropriate headquarters and appealed to the youth to lay down their weapons and help the security agencies to restore peace in the area.

Source:
GNA

Cable thefts and illegal mining affect Aglo Gold production


Kumasi, Jan 5, GNA - The incessant activities of illegal miners (Galamsey) and cable thieves on the mining concession of Anglo Gold Ashanti Obuasi Mines is posing a big threat both to the lives of mine workers and production levels at the mines. In 2007 there were 53 cable thefts in which the company lost close to 757,000 dollars whilst it could not also make any profit apart from not meeting its set target.

Dr. John Miller, Managing Director of AGA Obuasi mine, made the disclosure when he was interacting with journalists on Friday, a day after the latest cable stealing attempt that set ablaze the whole underground electricity system leading to the power outage and trapping of 30 miners. He did not mention the amount involved in the set target but said the company would have to part with between 500 to one million dollars to restore power to the affected Northern Sector that had been shut down. Dr Miller said efforts were being made to resume work at the mines, the closure of which is causing a daily production loss of between 500 to one million dollars.

Mr. Yiadom-Boakye Amponsah, Sustainable Development Manager, said the rampant theft and galamsey activities were a bane to the survival of the mine whilst it also posed a potential loss of investment to the nation. He said the company had instituted a lot of measures to stem the menace that could scare off potential mining investors to the country but not much success has been achieved yet.

Apart from engaging perpetrators in a dialogue, the company is now acting as a facilitator in the government's intervention to identify an area of a rich ore body in surface mining to re-settle the intruders and thereby keep them off their concession.

Mr. Amponsah said these were some of the proactive and humane attempts made by the company as a corporate body to give the illegal miners access to the mining resource of the area as community members. "We could have also brought a heavy military presence to crack down on their activities but we do not want to turn a blind eye on human rights issues, meanwhile our workers also need protection.'' Mr. Ahmed Bashiru, Planning Development Officer, appealed to the government to review laws regarding illegal mining and stealing to come out with stiffer punishment since under the current laws penalties for such offences were not deterrent enough.

Meanwhile, the 30 miners who were trapped in last Thursday disaster have all escaped unscathed and have reunited with their families.

Source:
GNA

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• 04.01.2007

Ghana failed to consult Kenya on Kufuor trip

The African Union (AU) and Ghana failed to consult Kenya before announcing that AU Chairman, Ghana's President John Kufuor would head to Nairobi to mediate between Kenya's violently opposed political factions, a Ghanaian official said Friday.

The foreign ministry official, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that Kufuor's trip, which had been planned as part of a joint AU-Commonwealth mediation attempt, had been cancelled.

"Government and the AU didn't first consult the Kenyan authorities before announcing the president's trip, so now if they say it's an internal matter, what else can we do?" but cancel, he said.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and at the right time an AU delegation will go there," he added.

He declined to elaborate on what would constitute the "right time" and said Kufuor might or might not be part of this later AU delegation.

The Ghanaian government's official explanation for the cancellation of Kufuor's trip was that he is staying at home to deal with inter-ethnic strife in northern Ghana which left four people dead at New Year.

A Commonwealth spokesman said Thursday that Kufuor's trip was off.

Kufuor had been proposed as a mediator by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown together with Sierra Leone's former president Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.

The two were to have led mediation efforts between freshly re-elected Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and his opposition challenger Raila Odinga, who alleges rigging in the tally. Serious political and tribal violence erupted and has claimed 355 lives since the December 27 poll.

Kabbah, who was already in the Kenyan capital heading the Commonwealth's election observation mission, left on Thursday, spelling the doom of the AU-Commonwealth mediation.

Kibaki and his aides gave the mediation proposal a less than warm welcome, arguing that they remained open to dialogue but stressing that Kenya was not at war and needed no mediators, though US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer arrived Friday and South African Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu undertook a private initiative.

Kibaki's camp took umbrage at the fact that the AU and Commonwealth mediators appeared to be chosen by London, whose relations with the former colony have recently been frosty.

Source:
AP

 Chiefs and elders in Bawku asked to spearhead Peace Process


Bawku (U/R), Jan 4, GNA - Brigadier General Joseph Adinkra, Commander of the Northern Command of the Ghana Army, has appealed to the chiefs and elders of the Bawku Municipality to talk to their people to lay down their arms and stop fighting.

Speaking to the chiefs in their palaces, he told them that they were the best people who could help security personnel to restore peace. Brigadier General Adinkra was on a visit to the Bawku Municipality to assess the extent of damage caused by the violence and the need for reinforcement of security personnel.

"History has shown that conflicts always hinders development. We must learn from the past and avoid conflicts", he said. Naaba Abugrago Asigri Azoka 11, Chief of Bawku

and Alhaji Ibrahim Adam Zangbeo, Regent of the Mamprusi, said they would appeal to their people to stop fighting and asked that government do a thorough investigation to find the root cause of the conflict. Brigadier General Adinkra visited sections of the municipality that were most affected and these include the lorry park, Saabon Gerie, Pussom and the Animal Market where many houses were burnt. The usual busy market in Bawku was today yesterday and people sold and bought only basic necessities.

Source:
GNA

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15 Miners Trapped Underground



Rescue workers are fighting to free 15 miners of the multi -national mining company, AngloGold Ashanti, at its North Mine in Obuasi in cent r al Ghana.

Several miners were trapped when an attempt by thieves to steal electrical cable s started a fire that destroyed a conveyor belt at the company's Engineering dep a rtment.

"There were 22 miners trapped but seven have been rescued," an official told rep orters. He added that efforts were being made to get the miners to use another s h aft.

Initial reports said about 500 miners were trapped but Ernest Abankroh, Country Manager of AngloGold Ashanti, denied the rumours.

AngloGold Ashanti Limited is a global gold mining company with mines on four con tinents. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of Anglogold of South Africa and As h anti Goldfields Corporation of Ghana.

AngloGold Ashanti Limited is listed on the New York, Johannesburg, Ghanaian, Lon don and Australian stock exchanges, as well as the Paris and Brussels bourse.

Source:
Panapress

Tourism will take a new dimension this year

Aburi-Konkonuru (E/R), Jan. 04, GNA - Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Affairs, on Friday announced that, this year, the tourism industry would take a new dimension to ensure rapid growth and wealth creation.

"2008 is a dawn of a new era for the tourism industry," he said and told staff that if by the end of the year there was no progress then they were all failures.

Mr. Osei-Ameyaw was speaking at the end of year party organized for the staff of the Ministry, Ghana Tourists Board, Ghana Tourism Development Agency, Hotel, Catering and Tourism Training Institute and some private sector tourism practitioners at the Konkonuru village in Aburi. The Deputy Minister, the Minister, the Special Assistant, the Chief Director and other directors joined the staff to participate in football matches, tug of war, sack race, dancing competition and other games amidst music and dancing.

Mr Osei-Ameyaw said the end of year get-together was organized every year to enable them to review how they do things and how they could improve on the present situation. "Let's put our ideas and resources together and leave the petty squabbles and bring all hands on deck to move the Ministry forward," he said.

Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, sector Minister reminded the staff about the forthcoming Ghana CAN 2008 football tournament and said it was a tourism event and practitioners should do their best to provide quality services.

He lauded the support he had received so far from the staff and said there was a lot more to be done. The Minister and his Deputy donated GH=A2 3,000 to the welfare association to motivate the workers to work harder this year.

Source:
GNA

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Farmer, 45, defiles 12-year-old girl


Akyem Swedru, Jan. 4, GNA- The Akyem Swedru Circuit Court last Thursday remanded Kwame Addai, a 45-year-old farmer into police custody for allegedly defiling a 12- year-old girl at Nyame Nti in the Birim South District.

Addai, whose plea was not taken, would re-appear on January eight. Police Chief Inspector Ben Osei Kwadwo, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr Edward Kwame Bosompem Apenkwah that the complainant is a farmer.

He said the complainant and the accused are very good friends and been working together on their farms in the area. The prosecutor said on October 23 last year, Addai who shares the same room with the complainant, the victim and two other children took advantage of the absence of the complainant, who had left the house to attend to nature call at about 1900 hours to abuse the victim sexually. He was caught in the act by the complainant on his return; but Addai jumped and took to his heels to nearby Nyame Bekyere.

The prosecutor said Addai was later arrested by the Unit Committee members of the town and handed over to Police. The victim was later issued with a medical report to attend hospital where she was treated and discharged.

Source:
GNA

Fire destroys palace at Adausena


Adausena (E/R), Jan. 4, GNA - Fire gutted the palace of the Gyaasehene of Akyem Adausena in the Birim North District in the early hours of Thursday, destroying it completely. More than GH=A21,200 (120 million cedis) meant for the celebration of the community's annual festival was said to have been destroyed in the fire, while a quantity of stool regalia and personal effects worth millions of cedis were also burnt.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency at Adausena, Nana Bonua Bankro V, chief of the town said the fire started at about 1300 hours from one of the store rooms of the palace where a quantity of charcoal had been deposited and extended to the other 13 rooms. Meanwhile the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for New Abirem, Mr Napoleon Asiamah, has visited the community to express his sympathy and donated two packets of roofing sheets worth GH=A2400 (four million cedis) to the chief towards the rehabilitation of some of the rooms.

The Eastern Regional NDC Organizer, Mr Bismark Tawiah Boateng who accompanied the candidate appealed to the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to go to the aid of the chief. The Nkawkaw station of the Ghana National Fire Service is investigating the cause of the fire.

Source:
GNA

Agona Adukrom JHS cries for teachers


Agona Swedru, Jan 4, GNA - Mr Robert Alex Adokoh, Assemblyman for Adukrom Electoral Area, has expressed concern about the refusal of the Agona District Directorate of Ghana Education Service (GES) to post teachers to the Adukrom Junior High School.

He said several petitions had been sent to the GES and the Agona District Assembly to ensure that teachers were posted to the school but to no avail.

Mr Adokoh, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday, said the future of 45 forms one and two students were in jeopardy. He said for two years now the request for teachers had been turned down and for that matter students of the school would find things difficult when school re-opened next week.

Mr Adokoh said three primary school teachers, including two teaching assistants from the Youth Employment Programme, had been teaching in the school for almost two years but this is not enough because they normally closed from classes before rendering that sacrificial service.

He said accommodation for the teachers would not be difficult and appealed to the Regional Director of Education and the Agona District Assembly to intervene to save the situation before school re-opened.

Source:
GNA

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Hotels, restaurants ready for Ghana 2008



Takoradi, Jan. 4, GNA - Mr Ebenezer Hammond, Western Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourists Board (GTB), on Thursday said majority of licensed hotels and restaurants in Sekondi-Takoradi are ready to host guests during the forthcoming Ghana 2008 tournament.

Many of the hotels and restaurants have undertaken renovations to enable them offer better services, he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Takoradi.

Kufuor assures workers of fair wages



Accra, Jan. 3, GNA - President John Agyekum on Thursday pledged Government's unwavering commitment towards ensuring a fair wages and salaries system that would enable Ghanaian workers to enjoy decent lives.

"We would never cheat or take the workforce for a ride," he said, when the outgoing Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwaah paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu.

Accompanied by the Executive Committee Members of the Union, Mr Adu-Amankwaa was there to officially inform President Kufuor of his new appointment as the General Secretary of the International Trades Union Confederation (ITUC), African Regional Organization, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

With this, he has relinquished his position at the TUC. President Kufuor said depending on how well the economy performed, the benefits would be rolled out for all.

The labour union must, therefore, continue to urge its members to be motivated into higher productivity.

He was emphatic that the Government within the past seven years had done well in terms of wages and salaries and gave the assurance that they would continue to work with labour to improve the situation of workers.

President Kufuor, who congratulated Mr Adu-Amankwaah on his international appointment, counselled him to use his position to influence various Governments and communities in Africa to work towards common principles of good governance.

Issues of democracy and the values of human rights he said, should engage his attention even as he sought to help to raise the conditions of workers at the regional level.

Mr Adu-Amankwaah, whose appointment is for four years, thanked President Kufuor for the high level of co-operation existing between the TUC and Government and said he had every reason to believe that this would continue.

He said he was assuming the new office at a time when there was much focus on regional integration and pledged to work with African Governments to negotiate for better trade deals on the Continent. He used the occasion to introduce Mr Kofi Asamoah, the Acting Secretary General of the TUC to President Kufuor.

Source:
GNA

Minister inspects projects at Takoradi



Takoradi Jan. 3, GNA - Ms Gloria Akuffo, Minister of Aviation, on Thursday inspected the progress of work on upgrading projects at the Takoradi Air Force Station.

Mr Seth Armah, Resident Engineer and Air Commodore Sampson Oge, Station Commander, took the Minister round. The projects included the rehabilitation and expansion of the airport runway, terminal and control tower and the construction of a VIP lounge.

Sonitra and Consar Limited are the contractors on the projects. Ms Akuffo expressed satisfaction about the progress of work, saying, the projects would be ready for the Ghana 2008 tournament. She said the first phase of work on the runway would be completed for the tournament and the second phase would be considered after the tournament.

Ms Akuffo said the upgrading of airports at Takoradi, Tamale and Kumasi should continue after the tournament to make Ghana the hub of aviation and to enable the airports to handle international flights.

Source:
GNA

New Year School to examine tertiary education


Accra, Jan. 3, GNA - The 59th New Year School opens on Friday, January 4, to critically examine how well tertiary education could be made to respond to challenges of national development. The school, an annual event organised by the Institute of Adult Education (IAE) of the University of Ghana, is on the theme: "Tertiary Education and National Development" and would bring together participants from all over the country to deliberate and come out with valuable suggestions to reposition tertiary education. Their suggestions would also inform policy makers to prescribe strategies that would make it a focal point in the effective transformation of the country into a middle income level by the year 2015.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ishmael Wilson Parry, Director of the New Year School, said due to the social demand for higher education, the Institute saw the need to throw a searchlight on Ghana's tertiary education system to find out the crucial role it had played in national development.

He said the establishment of the country's six public universities and a myriad of private universities, polytechnics, teacher and nursing training colleges and distance learning centres was not only to provide the skills necessary for the labour market but also the training that was essential to develop the capacity and analytical skills that drove the national economy.

Mr Parry said the IAE was founded in 1948 as the Department of Extra-Mural Studies and had been engaged in University based adult education throughout the country ever since.

He said among its duties was to service the community, which included training for adult literacy work, public lectures and residential schools such as the New Year and the Easter schools. This year's school ends on January 10.

Source:
GNA

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Tema records 22,333 births, 2,158 deaths last year


Tema, Jan. 3, GNA - The Tema Municipal Registry of Births and Deaths recorded a total of 22,333 births and 2,158 deaths between January and November last year.

The 11-month record of 2007 shows an increase in birth registration as compared to the 18,713 registrations recorded in the whole of 2006. Out of the 22,333 births registered, 5,381 were recorded in the first quarter, 5,252 in the second quarter, 7,647 in the third quarter and a total of 4,053 in October and November.

Madam Hannah Twumasi-Ankrah, Tema Municipal Birth and Death Director, who made the records available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the total of 2,158 deaths registered during the period showed a slight decrease compared to the 2,233 deaths recorded in 2006. Madam Twumasi-Ankrah gave the break down of the total deaths as 629 in the first quarter, 537 in the second quarter, 590 in the third quarter and 402 in October and November. She cautioned against double registration and asked parents to memorize some important information on the birth certificate and also make copies available to their wards.

"Information such as the district of registration, the entry number and date of registration is needed for the retrieval of other information from the Births and Deaths Registry for the issuance of a copy of the original certificate when it gets lost or torn", she explained.

Madam Twumasi-Ankrah, said about 85 percent of Ghanaians had lost their birth certificates while majority could not provide any information for the issuance of a duplicate and do not remember the important information needed for the issuance of a duplicate leading to re-registration.

She urged parents to educate their children on the information on their birth certificates from age eight and make copies available to them for keep from 12 years as this would encourage them to cultivate the habit of document keeping and also learn the importance of birth registration.

Madam Twumasi-Ankrah further encouraged parents not to delay the registration of their children's birth as waiting too long might cost them some vital information needed.

She entreated them to visit the registry in the district in which they gave birth before relocating to another district or region and advised against demanding written notes from officials of the registry to be presented to school authorities for admission of the children in school in the absence of birth certificates. To encourage more people to register the birth of their children, she said her outfit during the year had embarked on public education and house-to-house registration.

Source:
GNA

Six pupils arrested for starting fire


Ho, Jan. 03, GNA- Six pupils were on Thursday arrested by the Ho Municipal Fire Service for allegedly setting fire to the Kabakaba Hill overlooking the Ho municipality. Elorm Gbortsu, Godknows Nomosua, Adade Divine, Amuzu Bright, Atiga Reuben and Fred Amuzdi aged between 11 and 15 years were said to be hunting for rats.

Mr Addo Sackutey, Ho Municipal Fire Officer, who brought the suspects to the offices of the Ghana News Agency, said the culprits were arrested upon a tip-off and handed over to the Ho Municipal Police for advice.

He said Adade was arrested by some residents of the Ho 17 area and handed over to Firemen who rushed to the area in response to a call. Mr Sackutey said Adade took the Firemen to the houses of the other suspects who were then arrested. He however said one Torkpli Francis Horlali, who was said to have hatched the plan is on the run.

Source:
GNA

Takrowase establishes Education Endowment fund


Takrowase (E/R), Jan. 3, GNA - An Educational Endowment Fund to cater for the education of students of Takrowase in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region has been launched. Launching the Fund, Barima Owusu Nketia, chief of Takrowase, said education was the golden key that opened the doors to the advancement of any society.

He said he was determined to ensure that brilliant students whose parents lacked the means to support their educational advancement were taken care of by the Fund. The Takrowasehene decried the low level of education in the town and promised that any student who would aspire would be given every encouragement and support to attain the highest possible level. Professor S K B Asante, an International Consultant, noted that education had never been more important to the future of Ghana's development than it was today. He described education as the very engine of growth, development and the progress of the nation. Prof. Asante, a Council Member of the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council, said all sectors of national life revolved around education.

"Education makes the individuals not only independent and productive, but also, more importantly, relevant to the collective self-reliant and self-sustaining development of their societies". He observed that the ultimate goal of education, particularly in the globalizing world of the 21st century was self-reliance and self-sustaining development both at the national and individual levels. They constituted the two fundamental concepts that should guide at all times "our development efforts and strategies on our tortuous road to middle income economic status". He added that all the fine talk about "positive change" and "golden age of business, which had preoccupied the attention of the President would be mere slogans if it was not geared towards the strategy of self-reliance and self sustaining development. The District Director of Education, Mr Jonathan Akakpo, commended Nana Takrowasehene for his initiative and called on citizens of Takrowase, and friends of the town and well wishers to contribute generously to make the fund to realize its objective. Dr Kofi Asare, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, asked the youth, especially those of the area to take education seriously.

He called on fathers not to leave the burden of children's education on mothers and advised mothers also not to be buying cloth for every funeral at the expense of their children's education. Mr Basil Ahiable, Contracting and Procurement Operations Manager of Shell Oil Company for West and Central Africa, urged the people to unite and not to allow partisan politics to divide them. He advised the youth of Takrowase, a diamond mining town, not to engage in diamond mining at the expense of their education if they were to have a brighter future. An appeal for funds yielded GH=A23,400 (34 million cedis).

Source:
GNA

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• 02.01.2008

Kufuor heads for Kenya

The head of the African Union(AU), president John Kufuor, is to arrive in Nairobi on Wednesday to help mediate the postelection violence, said the A.U.'s spokeswoman Habiba Mejri-Cheikh.

"..THANKS FOR UR CARE

& COCERN AM SAFE,

IN THE HOUSE BUT

KEEPING INDOORS ALWAYS.

THE ONLY PROBLEM IS

THAT WE R ALMOST GOING

WITHOUT FOOD ALL SHOPS

R CLOSED BECAUSE OF

THE UNREST..."                                   TEXT MESSAGE  FROM KENYA

GHANAWEB-NEWS.COM

 Tamale beggars showered in old currency


Tamale, Jan. 1, GNA- Beggars in the Tamale Metropolis had a "day out" on December 31, (deadline for the withdrawal of the old currency) when residents gave out alms in large sums in the old currency to them. They told the GNA that it was a gold mine for them.

Some of the beggars were also trading the new currency for the old one on profit basis, which was earning them extra money due to the fact that some people felt reluctant to send monies to the Banks for exchange.

Speaking in separate interviews with the GNA in various begging points in the Tamale Metropolis, they said they have recorded high sums of alms these last few days of the year though it ceases to be legal tender after 31st December 2007.

Surprisingly, some of the beggars were quick to say that they would go to the Banks to change for the new ones while others say they would keep a few as "museum" pieces for the next generation.

One of the beggars who gave his name only as Abu standing at the traffic light opposite Barclays Bank said he got 330 thousand cedis (GH=A233) as at 1030 hours when the GNA interviewed him.

He said the highest money he ever got as a beggar was 70 thousand cedis (GH=A27), saying, "I know that at the close of day I would get more than what I have now if people are still dashing out the old currency."

Asked what he would use it for, he retorted "Don't I listen to news? The Banks would not discriminate against us. I know that those who have no patience to queue at the Banks are those dashing out the old money."

Another beggar in front of the Inter City STC yard got 170 thousand cedis (GH=A217) as 1100 hours as at the time the GNA interacted with him, while another, a female beggar, stationed around the main Taxi rank said she received a large amount of the old coins from a philanthropist and was yet to count it.

Others who spoke to the GNA had money between 30 thousand cedis and 55 thousand cedis with some of them receiving smaller amounts of the new currency, but conceded that the dashes this few days had been good and unprecedented.

Source:
GNA

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Retailers and buyers in Wa haggle over old cedis


WA, Jan. 1, GNA- Several traders in the Wa Municipality had a very hectic time on Monday convincing customers to accept the old cedis, a day before the deadline for its withdrawal comes into effect. A visit to the business centre and some shops by the Ghana News Agency showed that while some shopkeepers were accepting the old cedis, customers especially those from the villages were refusing to accept it as change.

Most of those interviewed appeared not to be aware that the old currency could be changed for the new Ghana cedis at the Banks after the deadline and no explanation would let them change their minds. Mr Mahamudu Darimani, a shopkeeper noted that although the exercise had been a huge success the inadequate supply of the coins was creating the problem.

"I have only the old currency to give to customers as change because when I went to the bank to change them I was told that they were too busy so I should come after the New Year holiday". "I went to another bank and they said they did not have the new coins", Mr Darimani said.

Other shopkeepers who refused to accept the old currency in their transactions said they had already changed all old cedis in their possession and would not accept it again, adding that they do not have time to go back to the bank to queue to change the old currency. However, in the bigger departmental shops and super markets in Wa, transactions in both the old and new Ghana cedis was going on briskly and smoothly with traders of perishable items in the central market also doing the same.

Source:
GNA

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