Feel free and comment: | Please note: Some links may open in a new window! - Robbers Kill 30-Year-Old Woman And Injure Another On Yutong Bus Attack- Ashanti Leads Crime Statistics - Rainstorm hits Sunyani Municipal area - KNUST to offer scholarships to students with disability - CHRAJ is keen to stop trokosi - Ms Lamptey - Ghana to borrow $800m from China to develop gas - Kweku Bonsam: I am holier than Bishop Obinim - Offices of Chronicle newspaper locked over GHS500,000 damages - Police hunt Bawku 'butchers' - Armed Robbery reduced by 14% in first half of 2011 - Police - John Tia to critics: Info Ministry won’t be scrapped - Obinim is a fake pastor - Kennedy Agyapong - Police hunt Bawku 'butchers' - Two Bawku farmers butchered - KNUST To Introduce Scholarship Scheme For Physically Challenged Persons |  Now even more than 150! |  |
| Robbers Kill 30-Year-Old Woman And Injure Another On Yutong Bus Attack *Source: Asempa FM Some suspected armed robbers numbering about five, on Friday morning attacked a Yutong bus with registration number, GT 4658-11 traveling from Enchi in the Western Region to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, killing at least one passenger.
The robbers reportedly fired three times into the bus, after robbing passengers of cash and personal belongings at Wassa Dunkwa around 5:30 am. Shortly after the incident, the bus driver, Christian Blay told Asempa FM that the deceased who is yet to be identified, is a female of about 30 years.
Blay said at least four other vehicles were also robbed, while another person on his bus has been rushed to the Asankraguaa Government Hospital in critical condition after he was shot in the forehead by the robbers.
Christian Blay said the robbers ordered him to drive the bus from the scene soon after the incident which he complied with, but drove to the Asankragua Police station to report. An officer on duty at the Asankragua Police Station confirmed the incident to Asempa FM but refused to comment further. | Ashanti Leads Crime Statistics *Source: GNA Crime statistics for the first half of the year has shown a decline in armed robbery, compared to the same period in 2010, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), DCOP Prosper K. Agblor has said.
However, the Ashanti Region tops the chart with 176 incidents recorded in 2011, as against 110 in 2010, indicating a 60 percent increase in robbery cases in that region.
Accra placed second with 113 cases in 2011, as against 248 in 2010, representing 54.4 percent decrease. The Central Region followed closely with 94 cases in 2011 as against 92 in 2010, showing 2.2 percent increase.
A total of 584 robbery incidents were recorded from January to June 2011, as against 684 incidents in the same period in 2010, indicating a decrease of 100 cases which represented 14.6 percent.
During the period under review, a total of 191 suspected armed robbers were arrested, with some 120 firearms retrieved from suspects while about 33 of the suspects have been convicted.
Out of 183 vehicles which were snatched, police have managed to recover 81.
The CID boss appealed to members of the general public who might have been victims of violent crimes and had their cars snatched from them to call at the CID Headquarters, Accra, with documents covering the vehicles and their identifications to collect their cars.
Tema placed fourth by recording 56 cases in 2011 against 94 in 2010, representing 40 percent decrease, followed by the Eastern Region which had 53 cases in 2011, as against 44 in 2010, representing 20 percent increase.
Brong-Ahafo Region took the sixth position with 32 cases in 2011, as against 19 in 2010, showing an increase of 68.4 percent.
Western Region followed with a record of 19 cases in 2011, as against 25 in 2010, indicating a reduction of 24 percent while the Volta Region recorded 17 cases in 2011, as against 23 in 2010, a reduction of 26.1 percent, to claim eighth position.
The Northern Region placed ninth with a record number of 11 cases in 2011, as against 9 in 2010, showing a 22.2 percent increase. The Upper West Region had 9 cases in 2011, as against 20 in 2010, representing a reduction of 55 percent, to claim the tenth position, with the Upper East placing eleventh, recording 4 cases in 2011, as against 12 in 2010, indicating a 14.6 percent reduction.
In all, a total of 584 robbery cases were recorded in 2011, as against 684, showing a 14.6 percent reduction.
The CID boss mentioned Latebiokorshie, Odorkor Terrazo House, Odorkor Tipper, New Gbawe, Sakaman Total filling station, Blue Lagoon-Sakaman, Tweneboah-Dansoman, Palace Town-Anyaa, Agbogba, Ashongman Estate, Dzorwulu, Taifa-Burkina, Dome CFC, Busia Junction-Odorkor, Kanda and Achimota-St. Johns, Antie Aku-Sowutuom as robbery prone zones in Accra.
Boadi-Tech, Atimatim, Ohwinase, Royal House-Bantama, Atasamanso, Anoma-Kokrom-Tarkwa, Anloga Junction, Oforikrom, Asuofoa, Adum Pampaso to Buokrom F-line, Ash Town, Atonsu, Awia Cemetery, Tafo Pankrono, Ahinsan, Bremen West Junction, Amakom and Afful-Nkwanta are the robbery prone zones in the Ashanti Region.
The Brong-Ahafo has Techiman-Wenchi-Bamboi, Techiman-Kintampo-Buipe, Atebubu-Kwame Danso-Kajeji, Ejura-Atebubu-Yeji, Brekum-Drobo-Sampa, and Hwediem-Nkaseim-Goaso Highways as its robbery prone areas.
So far, a number of 14 persons died- 10 police officers and 4 armed robbers, while 50 persons got injured. Two suspected robbers were lynched by the public.
The CID boss warned the public, especially taxi drivers, to be wary of persons who hired their services at night to outlandish places. He advised that when passengers try to get down or pick someone on the way, they should be very careful because they may be picking accomplices.
When they suspect such passengers, they (drivers) should drive straight to the nearest police station.
They should occasionally watch their driving mirrors to check if they are being trailed by motorbikes or other vehicles.
He noted that bus drivers should occasionally observe the demeanor of passengers.
DCOP Agblor assured the public that the police were on top of the crime situation and appealed for public-police partnership to clamp down on the activities of robbers.
He noted that without public participation, the Police Service could not achieve these modest gains and reminded the public of the IGP’s reward for informants who gave information leading to the arrest of wanted or suspected persons.
He further assured that informants’ identities would remain confidential, adding that the Service was doing its best to track down small arms production in the country since the main source of arms to robbers were local manufacturers. | Rainstorm hits Sunyani Municipal area *Source: GNA Sunyani (B/A), Aug. 12, GNA – Residents affected by a recent rainstorm at Airport residential area in Sunyani, have appealed to the Municipal Assembly to come to their aid, by providing adequate drainage to offset the persistent flooding of the area.
Nana Yaa Abrafi-Bonsu, spokesperson for the residents of the area, made the appeal through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani on Wednesday.
She said the recent rainstorm in the municipality flooded parts of the residential area and destroyed personal properties and cash.
Nana Abrafi-Bonsu complained about the inadequate drainage system in the area and called on the Municipal Assembly to remove buildings and structures blocking the waterways to address the problem.
In another development, the recent rainstorm in the municipality had ripped off roofs of buildings at Baakoniaba in the municipality.
Damage caused to property is estimated at GHC2000.
A number of residents, who received injuries, as a result of the flood, were rushed to the regional hospital in Sunyani where they were treated and discharged | KNUST to offer scholarships to students with disability *Source: GNA Kumasi, Aug. 12, GNA – The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), would from the 2012/13 academic year, institute a scholarship scheme for students with disability, who gain admission into the institution.
Professor William Otoo Ellis, the Vice chancellor, said the modalities would soon be determined by the Academic Board.
He was addressing the national disability conference of the KNUST Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies in Kumasi.
The initiative was a demonstration of the University’s commitment to build the competence of the disabled towards national development.
The three-day meeting is on the theme “Breaking barriers for the inclusion of persons with disability in national development.”
Issues being discussed ranges from employment and empowerment, education, recreation, health care to mobility for persons with disabilities, among others.
The progress report on the KNUST disability project would also be discussed.
Prof Ellis said the Centre, which was inaugurated last year, runs programmes for the blind and partially sighted, adding that, plans were far advanced to equip it with assistive technology to support the training of persons with other forms of disability.
He said with the passage of the Disability Act (Act 715), the task of responding appropriately to the needs of the disabled required a stronger collaboration among stakeholders.
This would help promote efforts at “breaking the barriers that prevent the total inclusion of those with disability in the national development process.” | CHRAJ is keen to stop trokosi - Ms Lamptey *Source: GNA
Accra, Aug. 11, GNA – Ms Vivian Lamptey, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), on Thursday said the Commission would continue to hold discussions with fetish priests and traditional leaders on ways to stop “trokosi” in the country.
She said even though the practice of “trokosi” had reduced significantly due to efforts of the Commission and other human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs), there still existed pockets of servitude and coercion.
Ms Lamptey was speaking at a workshop on Religion, Culture, and Human Rights in Ghana organized by the African Centre for Development Law and Policy (ACDLP) in Accra.
The workshop, which was partnered by CHRAJ, Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and Centre for National Culture, Volta Region, was aimed at engendering dialogue and discussions on the practice of “trokosi” and related practices such as the “fiashidi”.
Trokosi is a practice in Ghana, Togo and Benin where fetish shrines take human beings, usually young virgin girls, in payment for services, or in religious atonement for alleged misdeeds of a family member.
Ms Lamptey said out 17 “trokosi” shrines monitored by CHRAJ in the Volta Region from the beginning of 2011 only six girls were found to have been taken to two shrines.
She said the criminalization of the practice was not the best way to tackle the problem.
Ms Lamptey said even though the “trokosi” practice violated the rights and freedoms of the people involved, the prosecution of perpetrators would serve as the last resort of the Commission.
Mrs Marian Atta-Boahene, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Programmes, the Ark Foundation, said the decriminalization of the “trokosi” practice would not be in the best interest of the country.
He said Ghana was a signatory to many international conventions that frowned on any practice which forced women into servitude and slavery and violated their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
She insisted that the “trokosi” practice still existed in the country and urged CHRAJ to intensify its efforts to clamp down on the activities of the perpetrators, especially the fetish priests at the various shrines.
Osofo Kwakuvi Azasu, High Priest of the Afrikania Mission, said the whole idea that the “trokosi” practice was a violation of women’s rights was coming out of a misconception.
He said the “trokosi” shrine was nothing but a convent where women who were privileged in society were sent to be trained to become useful to the community through skills training.
Osofo Azasu said the claims by NGOs and people who purported to be liberating these “trokosi” women were false since there was no such thing as slavery and servitude at the “trokosi” shrines.
He said the NGOs who went to North America and Europe to portray that there was slavery in Ghana and needed funds to liberate them were doing that for their own selfish benefits.
He said “trokosi” was part of the African religious practice and so the attempt by the NGOs with support from Western countries was a means to destroy the enhancement of African spirituality. | Ghana to borrow $800m from China to develop gas *Source: The Africa Report Ghana will borrow $800 million from the state-owned China Development Bank to develop its natural gas infrastructure and the first gas could be expected by the end of 2012 or early 2013, the head of the Ghana National Gas Company said.
George Sipa-Adzah Yankey, who did not give any details on the loan, also said on Thursday that Ghana's gas production is expected to stabilise at around 120 million cubic feet per day. The deal, which has been signed off by the cabinet but needs parliamentary approval, comes after the West African state joined Africa's club of oil-producing nations in December last year when its Jubilee field came on line. A gas pipeline will link the offshore production site to a new processing plant in the Western regional of Bonwire as part of efforts to boost the country's energy supplies.
"The China Development Bank have agreed to finance the project and plans have reached advanced stage," Yankey said, adding that the project would take 18-20 months to complete. Yankey said the contract to build the infrastructure has been awarded to Houston-based INTECSEA, which is part of the WorleyParsons Group.
"We are expecting the infrastructure to be fully installed and first gas commissioned by end of 2012 or latest early 2013," he added. Most of the gas will fuel Ghana's gas-fired power plant at Aboadze but Ghana aims to export gas in the future, he said.
According to an agreement between the government and exploration companies, Ghana will receive all of the first 200 billion cubic feet of gas, after which the state will only receive its share. | Kweku Bonsam: I am holier than Bishop Obinim *Source: JoyFMJonline Renowned spiritualist Nana Kwaku Bonsam has thrown a spiritual challenge to beleaguered man of God Bishop Daniel Obinim.
This is in response to the Bishop’s challenge on Wednesday that any individual who has condemned his action should come and face off with him in a spiritual battle.
Bishop Obinim has confessed having sexual intercourse with the wife of one of his associate pastors. He is said to have apologised to his church members even though he openly declared on Peace FM on Wednesday that he has cursed a child that resulted from the sexual relationship he had with the woman.
In an interview with Joy News' Sammy Darko, Kweku Bonsam said if no one comes up against the so-called man of God, he will personally throw the challenge to him.
He said he will prove to Bishop Obinim through his signs and wonders that the gods have power and that the Bishop is not a man of God.
Asked whether he was holier than Bishop Obinim, Nana Kwaku Bonsam did not mince words in stressing that “Yes, I am holy that Obinim too much – hundred percent.”
Explaining his position, Kwaku Bonsam said, he will not go and have any amorous relationship with the wife of his lieutenants and that he will not curse his own innocent child who has been born through no fault of his, adding “I am not going to use a pinch bar to beat somebody, to go and kill somebody in a radio station.”
Meanwhile, the Women and Children’s Ministry says it will intervene in the case where the Bishop has confessed to putting the child he fathered out of wedlock under a curse.
The mother of the child has threatened legal action against the self acclaimed Bishop Obinim. This was after he publicly boasted that he cast a spell to paralyze their child.
The ministry has condemned the action. Deputy Minister Hajia Gariba Boya told Joy News they are going to ensure that the child is well catered for.
She said the ministry’s concern is “to make sure that whatever relationship you have or you had before, once there is a child, the child must not suffer because the two of you have decided to end your relationship.” | Obinim is a fake pastor - Kennedy Agyapong * Source: GNA The Member of Parliament for Assin North , Kennedy Agyapong, has described the embattled Bishop Obinim as a “fake” bishop who deserves former president Rawlings’ PNDC-like manner of public flogging and punishment.
He said fake pastors of Obinim’s sort couldn’t have survived to perpetuate their fraud had they lived in the era of former president Rawlings’ PNDC regime.
He has therefore apologized to President Rawlings for the previous attacks he leveled against him for using brute force to engender control in the country during the heady days.
Hon. Kennedy Agyapong believed that the democratic dispensation in the country has contributed greatly to the mushrooming of fake pastors whom he accuses of fleecing their impoverished congregations to sponsor their plush lifestyle.
“If this was the PNDC, you people would see what Rawlings would have done. In this case, I will apologize to Mr. Rawlings because in the PNDC era, none of this Obinim nonsense would have tolerated, where he had the guts and audacity to say that that he has cursed the child.
He is a fake pastor. Big time.
The congregation will go to church from Monday to Friday, and these pastors will amass wealth at the expense of the poor”.
The bishop has confessed to having an extramarital with the wife of a junior pastor in his International god’s way church.
He also boastfully confessed using spiritual powers to curse a child of the woman he slept with, making the little girl lame and deranged.
In a related story, the Queen mothers in the Eastern region are convening an emergency meeting tomorrow over the matter.
They intend meeting Bishop Obinim to have him reverse the curse he allegedly invoked on the little boy.
Nana Afua Wiafe Akenten II, Queen Mother of Akyem Awahem in the Akyem Abuakwa traditional area in the Eastern Region, spokesperson for the queen mothers, has said that they are compelled to arrange this meeting because of their maternal nature.
“We are mothers for all and so when we heard the news we were very shocked at how a pastor could curse an innocent child. This is our concern and so, at the meeting we will discuss how best we can help the child”. | Offices of Chronicle newspaper locked over GHS500,000 damages * Source: JoyFMonline The Chronicle newspaper is appealing against a GHS500,000 damages awarded against it for publishing libelous materials against Vice Chancellor of the Wisconsin University, Prof Kaku Sagari Nokoe.
The court also awarded GHS10,000 cost against the newspaper.
Editor Ebo Quansah told Joy News’ Cyrus deGraft Johnson his lawyers have also filed for a stay of execution of the court’s decision.
According to him, he has information the judge has granted their request for a stay of execution and has ordered the reopening of the offices of the newspaper which had been closed for days after they failed to pay the damages.
Myjoyonline.com is however yet to independently confirm that claim.
Meanwhile the plaintiff has sworn to take his pound of flesh from the newspaper for what he says is the paper’s reckless reportage.
The Chronicle had reported in 2008 - at a time when Ebo Quansah was not the editor - that the plaintiff, who was then the Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies had sold the students' hostels to himself.
The hostels were built during the CAN 2008 as part of accommodation for the tournament.
Brother of the plaintiff told Joy News, Prof Nokoe had repeatedly drawn the attention of the newspaper to the obvious untruth it was publishing.
He said they had written several rejoinders, all of which the paper ignored and went ahead with a second publication repeating the same falsehood.
“They must suffer in their pockets for it,” he said. According to him they had sued the paper for 10 billion in damages but the court awarded GHS500,000 in damages and GHS10,000 in cost.
He said they are bent on selling the assets of the newspaper to recover their debts and to repair the bruised reputation of Prof Nokoe. | Workshop on Burili Ulcer held at Nkoranza * Source: GNA Nkoranza (B/A), Aug. 12 GNA – Mr Idris Buabeng, Programme Manager of Medical Assistance Programme (MAP) International, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Sunyani, has urged the general public not to attribute Buruli Ulcer cases to superstitions and witchcraft.
Speaking at a refresher training workshop, organised for 35 community-based surveillance volunteers (CBSV) at Nkoranza at the weekend, Mr Buabeng explained that the disease was curable and it is not caused by witchcraft.
He said MAP International, which originated from the United States, arrived in Ghana in the year 2008 and started work in Nkoranza District with the objective of offering necessary financial and logistic support towards the control of Buruli Ulcer.
The workshop was organised by the Nkoranza South District Directorate of Education to update the knowledge of the volunteers on the symptoms of the disease, to enable them to detect cases of the disease and report to the health facilities.
Mr Buabeng said MAP was currently supporting health facilities in Nkoranza South and North districts, as well as Sunyani West and Dormaa districts, in managing Buruli Ulcer cases.
He said the Programme offered capacity building for nurses, provided community health volunteers with updated information on the disease and also increased community awareness to control the disease.
The Programme Manager deplored the negative practice and attitude of some pastors, fetish priests/priestesses and herbalists, who kept Buruli ulcer and tuberculosis (TB) patients in homes with the intention of treating them.
He called on prayer camps, religious ministers and fetish priests/priestesses not to place their welfare above the health and attention of patients but rather to refer them to the hospitals.
Mr Charles Kwasi Gyamfi, Nkoranza South District Disease Control Officer called on traditional rulers, religious leaders and teachers to educate Buruli ulcer and TB patients to visit the hospitals.
He noted that, diseases such as leprosy, elephantiasis, yaws and trypasomiasis still existed in some communities and urged the volunteers to report any strange skin disease to health facilities.
Mr Gyamfi later distributed some onchocerciasis drugs to the volunteers for supply to the communities in the disease endemic zones.
The Nkoranza South District Director of Health Services, Madam Salamatu Ibrahim, commended the volunteers for their immense support to the Ghana Health Service, towards the provision of quality health service delivery to the people in the area. | Armed Robbery reduced by 14% in first half of 2011 - Police * Source: Citifmonline The Greater Accra Region recorded the highest number of robbery cases for the first half of 2011 according to figures from the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.
The Greater Accra Region recorded 113 cases for 2011 as compared to 248 for the year 2010.
The Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions also recorded increments in armed robbery cases for the first half of the year, recording 176 cases from 110 in 2010 and 32 cases from 19 in 2010 respectively.
But nationwide, armed robbery cases reduced by 14 percent for the first half of 2011.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday August 11, the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Prosper Kwame Agblor said “a total of 582 robbery incidents were recorded from January to June 2011 as against 684 incidents the previous year 2010, a decrease of 100 cases representing 14.6%.
"Statistics indicate that averagely 3 cases of armed robbery were recorded daily from January to June 2011”.
He added that “a total of 191 persons connected with robberies were arrested over the period, 14 lives were lost through robbery.
"Out of these, 10 persons including one policeman were innocent victims, whilst 4 were armed robbers. 50 robbery victims were injured over the period.
“A total of 183 vehicles are on record as having been snatched from various drivers and road users over the period and out of these 81 of them have been recovered by the police.
"In addition, 120 firearms were seized by the police over the period under review”.
DCOP Prosper Agblor praised government and some institutions for their contribution to the success stories of the Ghana Police in General.
He said “to enhance investigation of cases by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Police Administration with the assistance of the Spanish Government has introduced the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). Currently 3,500 data has been collected."
He assured the general public that “the Police Service is on top of the crime situation notably robbery and there should be no cause for alarm”.
He also appealed to the public to “continue assisting the Police by providing us with credible information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of criminals” adding, “our informants should be rest assured that their identities will not be disclosed”.
| John Tia to critics: Info Ministry won’t be scrapped Source: Citifmonline The Minister of Information, John Akologo Tia, has defended the relevance of the Information Ministry and slammed critics calling for its closure.
He describes such critics as “ill-informed” about the work of the ministry.
Professor Emmanuel Gyimah Boadi of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and former Zebilla MP John Ndebugri are among critics who have described the Information Ministry as superfluous and only being used for propaganda purposes.
Professor Gyimah Boadi says due to the proliferation of mass media, he is convinced the Ministry has lost its relevance, and must be scrapped.
Professor Gyimah Boadi and John Ndebugri also wonder if the Information Services Department (ISD) is relevant in Ghana’s governance.
However, reacting to the criticism at a press conference in the Upper East Region on Thursday August 11, Information Minister John Tia vehemently defended his Ministry, saying the Ministry cannot be scrapped since it is one of the most important Ministries to the Government.
“I call such critics the greedy and least amongst us. When you say there are radio stations everywhere and the newspapers everywhere, as for the radio maybe because of the local dialect people can talk and leave it there but the newspapers: how easily accessible are they?
“What is worrisome to me since the changeover of Government is that it appears that what was right yesterday is wrong today. I just don’t understand that. Those who are calling for this are definitely members of the NPP. CDD and all those organizations never called for the scrapping of the Ministry of Information.
“Today they describe the Ministry of Information as a propaganda wing of the government, therefore it must go. They should wait, when they have their turn they can scrap it”. | Police hunt Bawku 'butchers'* Source: JoyFMonline The Upper East Regional Minister Mark Wayongo has described Thursday’s machete attack on two farmers on their farm in Bawku as a big blow to the prevailing peace in the area and assures that the police are on a manhunt for the perpetrators.
“It is a very, very big blow. We were in the midst of a regional ministers’ conference when this news broke. I was surprised, I was shocked to hear that this incident had taken place,” he told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh Thursday evening.
He said the police have been instructed to hunt down the assailants as soon as possible.
The farmers were attacked in broad daylight while working on their farm by unknown assailants, Bawku Municipal Police Commander, ACP Boadu Peprah has confirmed.
The victims are said to be in critical state and have been rushed to the Bawku hospital for care. One though has been transferred to the Bolgatanga hospital because his situation is even more precarious, the Minister confirmed.
Earlier accounts suggested the two had been sent to the Bolgatanga Hospital.
He said the victims have been prepared for the theatre.
Wayongo is convinced that the attack is linked to the protracted ethnic strife between the Kusasis and the Mamprusis but said the attack is an isolated case and could be contained.
The Minister said more vehicles are needed to increase mobility for the police in the area.
Mamprusi leaders have asked the youth to remain calm in the face of the provocation. One of the leaders, Alhaji Ibrahim Kobila said they will resist the temptation for a reprisal attack.
Meanwhile, the Bawku Naba has also described the incident as “embarrassing”.
His spokesperson, Thomas Abila, said the Bawku Naba is concerned about the attack because it has a potential of marring the peace in the area.
He however described the incident as an isolated case, saying, the Bawku Naba has instructed everybody to remain calm. | Two Bawku farmers butchered * Source: JoyoCitifmonline Two Mamprusis in Bawku in the Upper East region have been attacked by three men suspected to be Kusasis.
The two, who were working on their farms, are said to be in critical condition and are currently on admission in a hospital in Bawku.
It is feared the attack could re-ignite the inter-ethnic conflict that has rocked Bawku for several years, although the Mamprusis are said to be calm for now.
Police in the area are still searching for the Kusasi who carried out the attacks.
The Opinion leader for the Mamprusis, Mohammed Nande who spoke to Citi news says the attacks were unwarranted and unprovoked. | KNUST To Introduce Scholarship Scheme For Physically Challenged Persons
* Source: By David Apinga, Focus FM, KNUST, Kumasi awintida@scientist.com The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) will soon establish a scholarship scheme to enable physically challenged persons to pursue higher education in the university starting from the 2012 – 2013 academic year.
Addressing participants at the 2nd National Disability Conference being hosted by the Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies (CEDRES) of the university, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. William Otoo Ellis, acknowledged the importance of knowledge and education which he believes are very crucial in the lives of physically challenged persons.
“It is even more important at this time when we live in a global knowledge economy, to move from where we are and start looking forward and also empowering each and every one especially people with disabilities in the area of knowledge acquisition and education”, the university administrator noted.
The 4 – day conference is themed: “Breaking the Barriers for the inclusion of Persons with Disability in National Development,” and also accompanied by exhibitions of various products from physically challenged individuals including paintings, medicinal products and fabrics.
Touched by the experiences shared by some participants, the Biochemistry Professor urged stakeholders especially government and educational institutions to be innovative and creative in producing initiatives that will address the issues relating to mechanisms that will break the barriers these physically challenged people face to make the system uniform for all citizens of the country.
The Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies which has been in existence at the KNUST was commissioned in December, 2010.
Presenting a progress report on activities of the centre, the Dean of the School of Medical Sciences, Prof. Kwabena Antwi Danso disclosed that the centre is modestly equipped to provide the needed assistance for the training of a new crop of postgraduates as well as serving as a resource centre for health professionals and identified actors in disability and rehabilitation.
According to the Dean, the establishment of the centre has now paved way for KNUST to admit and assist the blind and visually impaired students to pursue academic programmes in the university.
Currently, twenty (20) students have been admitted into the masters programme (MSc. in Disability, Rehabilitation and Development) for the year 2011. Fifty (50) students are also expected to be admitted into the undergraduate programme (BSc. in Disability and Rehabilitation Studies) for the next academic year to start this August, if accredited by the National Accreditation Board.
Prof. Danso also recommended to the relevant ministries to work in partnership with CEDRES for the establishment of training programmes in all the Districts in the country. | Your Comments: | | | | | Latest Ghana News - Main Page |
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