| HOME (Main Page) | | | | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2009 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2008 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2007 | | PHOTO REPORTS | | VIDEO REPORTS | | AUDIO REPORTS | | EDITORIAL | | LATEST WORLD NEWS | | | | ARTS in GHANA | | Food & Drinks in Ghana | | Africa Cup 2008 | | Ghana Hotels | | Links / Websites | | Ghana Districts | | Ghana Tourism | | Ghana Classifieds | Names in Ghana | | | | *27.11.2009 | | Veep condemns military brutality in Bawku | Accra, Nov. 27, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Friday described the military brutality meted out to some civilians in conflict- stricken Bawku as unfortunate and regrettable.
He stressed that it was an act that needed to be condemned. Mr Mahama made the observation when he joined Muslims at the Independence Square in Accra to mark this year's Eid-Ul- Adha festival. He however cautioned that the isolated case of human right abuse should not be used as a general measure to mar the reputation of the highly disciplined Ghana Armed Forces.
"We all know we have a much disciplined military. They have received awards on peacekeeping and the isolated incidence should not be used to characterise Ghana's army," he said.
Mr Mahama gave the assurance that perpetrators of the conflict would be brought to justice whilst those who smuggled ammunitions to the area would be apprehended.
Speaking on the insecurity situation in Bawku and surrounding areas, Mr Mahama called on Muslims in the area to use the festival to reflect on how they could co-exist in peace and security.
He expressed worry that the town, which was once noted for its economic activity in the North is now unable to contribute towards national development owing to the conflict.
"Bawku is strategically located in the North- Eastern corner of the country, which once served as a commercial centre. However because of the insecurity, teachers, nurses, doctors and others are leaving the place," he said.
Mr Mahama called on the Muslim community to take drastic steps to improve the literacy level among them.
He said education was one of the effective tools the country could use to reduce poverty and attain its socio-economic development agenda. Mr Mahama noted that most developed countries attained higher economic status because they prioritised education.
He expressed dissatisfaction that Ghana was still struggling with "some 70 per cent literacy rate with the Muslim communities and especially the Northern part of the country recording as low as 50 per cent". "Illiteracy is what is preventing us from achieving the quality of life we want," he said.
He advised the Muslim youths to carry on the merry making activities in a more disciplined and relaxed manner to promote peace and security. Mr Mahama lauded the peaceful co-existence among the various religious groups and stressed that it should not be taken for granted. He observed that in many countries, other religious groups could do due to divergent views.
Mr Mahama said religion must unite the people and not separate them. In a sermon, Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Shaributu, said Eid-Ul-Adha was a day of sacrifice for Muslims and urged the worshippers to submit to the will of their creator, Allah.
He called on adherents to sacrifice for the poor and needy in order to please Allah.
Sheikh Shaributu said there was the need to empower the youth in moral uprightness to discourage them from engaging in the cyber crime, popularly known as "Sakawa." He called on the worshippers to live with each other in peace and security in order for the country to attain its socio-economic agenda. Eid al-Adha is the second of the two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims across the world and usually takes place a day after the pilgrims conducting the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, descend from Mount Arafat.
| | *26.11.2009 | | Soldiers rape girls at Nalerigu | Eight soldiers and some policemen have allegedly raped four girls, aged between 15 and 17, at Nalerigu in the Northern Region where they were deployed to quell a public disorder in the town on Tuesday evening.
While some of them had forceful sex with the girls, others preferred to fondle the private parts of their victims at gunpoint, according to residents.
Another source put the number of girls raped at seven.
One of the victims of the gang-rape told Joy FM yesterday that she was raped repeatedly by two soldiers and a policeman.
According to her, she is 19 years old, and an apprentice seamstress. She said the security men forcibly entered her room, took her Madam’s money and gang-raped her without using condom.
“Two of them went two rounds each and another also had two rounds of sexual intercourse with me,” she narrated last night.
All this while, she said, they pushed the muzzle of their gun in her mouth after using it to lift up her skirt.
Upon a report, she was sent to the Baptist Medical Centre where a foreign doctor took care of her.
The action, which attracted the anger of residents, took place in the presence of a certain Joe Manaba, a student of the Nabongu Junior High School who told DAILY GUIDE that the rape victims were his sisters.
According to Manaba, three of the girls (whose names are being withheld) were gang-raped by the soldiers who stormed their house ostensibly in search of some mischief makers.
The soldiers, he said, went to the Sabon Zongo quarters of the town shortly after the last prayer (Isha) of Muslims and in one of the houses, they knocked on the door of a room.
When it was opened, the occupants were greeted by fierce-looking soldiers who ordered all of them to lie on the floor.
The rampaging bunch proceeded to lash their victims, after which they locked all the women but took aside the three whose names are being withheld, taking turns to rape the girls.
According to the eyewitness, not even the pleas from his mother could stop the soldiers from continuing their action and they threatened to beat her up if she did not shut up.
Although the Gambaga Divisional Police Commander, Bismarck Achaab, had denied there was any such misdemeanour on the part of the security agents, he was quick to add that there was a report about a rape.
The Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP Awuni Angwubutoge, said he was awaiting the outcome of a medical doctor’s report before taking action on the case.
He however doubted that his men would engage in such a misdemeanour.
The alleged rape cases took place when there was heightened security in the town after some houses were set ablaze in retaliation of the death of the People’s National Convention (PNC) parliamentary candidate in the Nalerigu-Gambaga constituency, Moses Alando Banaba.
Reports said military personnel detailed to the town terrorized residents in the late hours of Tuesday, brutalizing them, seizing their valuables and raping the girls.
The scandal was said to have come in the wake of a public uproar about a video footage of a soldier maltreating two naked men in Bawku.
A cross-section of persons spoken to, expressed dissatisfaction with the presence of the military in the town, claiming this was exacerbating the situation in Nalerigu.
As at press time, the Nayiri, paramount Chief of the area, appealed for calm in the town and promised there would not be a repeat of the misconduct from the soldiers.
It would be recalled that the murder of Moses Alando Banaba, a pharmacist at the Baptist Medical Centre, started generating tension in the town, leading eventually to the burning of houses including that of the Salifu Tia, the suspected murderer.
The burning of the houses was said to have been committed by supporters of the deceased in retaliation of his murder.
The 2008 parliamentary candidate for the People’s National Convention, Moses Alando Banaba, was shot and killed by Salifu Tia.
Eyewitnesses said the victim was on his way to work when he was killed by his assailant. The shooting incident, according to security sources, was believed to be a spillover from Bawku following a long-standing tribal conflict between the Mamprusis and Kusasis over chieftaincy succession.
| | Mills arrives in Trinidad and Tobago | From Benjamin Mensah, GNA Special Correspondent, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain, Nov 26, GNA - President John Atta Mills has arrived in Port of Spain to take part in the 21st Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting scheduled for November 27 to November 29.
The Meeting, the 21st since it began in 1971, is on the theme "Partnering for More Equible and Sustainable Future" and the summit is expected to be attended by 53 former British colonies.
Among the issues to be discussed are the impact of the global financial meltdown, restructuring the economies of poorer nations after the crisis and whether to re-admit Zimbabwe the organisation. President Mills is expected to make a statement at the summit and will hold talks with some of the leaders attending the summit. > BACK to TOP < | | | | ______________________ |
| Please note: Some links may open in a new window! | | LATEST GHANA NEWS 23.11.2009 - 29.11. 2009 WEEK 48 - 2009 |
| | > Go to WEEK 49 - December 2009 | * Sunday, 29.11.2009 | | Aggrieved Tema West NPP members make final appeal to party hierarchy | Tema, Nov. 29, GNA - Aggrieved members of the Tema West Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have appealed to the National Executives of the party to ensure that its constitution was respected by every member. Making the appeal at a meeting in Tema over the weekend, the aggrieved members said if the top hierarchy of the party did not act swiftly to ensure that nobody breached the rules and regulations governing elections, there was the likelihood that NPP would lose the seat come 2012. Dr Martin Antwi, Second Constituency Vice Chairman, who made the appeal on behalf of members, said it was regrettable that recently polling station executives were selected and not elected.
He alleged that the party's modalities for elections were recently flouted by the sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Mrs Irene Naa Torshie Addo, thus leading to the polling station executives being selected instead of elected.
The top hierarchy, he said: "looked on helplessly, and allowed this shameful event to go on without bringing the situation to order." Dr Antwi said, investigations at most polling stations in the constituency revealed several irregularities in the electoral process. He said it was sad to note that earlier petitions sent to the National Executives had fallen on deaf ears.
He, therefore, urged the national executives to act swiftly in order to get the rules to work in Tema West before it was too late. Dr Antwi said the meeting to address the issue was the beginning of a united force towards an onward march to justice, dedication and commitment to the party.
It will be recalled that on Monday, November 23, 2009 the aggrieved members in the constituency issued a press statement signed jointly by Dr Antwi and Mr Henry Osei-Owusu, Constituency Secretary, accusing the MP and the Constituency Chairman of using the "disputed constituency album" to elect new executives against the laid down rules.
> BACK to TOP < | | Veep joins alma mater to celebrate golden jubilee | Accra, Nov 29, GNA - The Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, on Saturday joined pupils of his alma mater, Achimota Basic School, to celebrate its golden jubilee and speech and prize-giving day. The celebration which was on the theme: 'Education, an investment for future', coincided with Mr Mahama's 51st birthday. It was a moment of nostalgia for the Vice President as he recounted his days at the school before leaving for Tamale Secondary School for his second cycle education.
He advised the pupils to take their lessons serious as that was the only tool to empower them for the future adding that they were lucky to be part of the Achimota Family and urged them to take advantage of its resources to develop themselves.
The Vice President said the school's boarding system had made most of its products to "bond well" no matter their ethnic or political affiliations which fostered peace and unity in the country. Mr Mahama expressed gratitude to teachers who taught him at the school and commended the current staff for working hard to maintain the high academic standard of the school.
Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, Director General of the Ghana Education Service, cautions schools against resorting to dubious means to get their students to pass examinations, which had resulted in the current examination malpractices.
He said that education should not be reduced to just passing examinations but should be used as tool for holistic human development for improved performance.
Mr Bannerman-Mensah called on parents to invest in the education of their children to enable them to benefit from the country's oil find and other opportunities.
He asked parents to support teachers for proper upbringing of children. Mr Frank Armah, Headmaster of Achimota Junior High School, appealed for assistance to fence round the school to end encroachment on its lands and to purchase a vehicle since the only bus was inadequate. Mr Ken Ofori Atta, an old student, who chaired the occasion urged the school children to take their studies seriously.
The Achimota School, which established in 1927, was closed and reopened by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana first President in 1959. It currently has a student population of 3217 pupils excluding the senior high school level students. > BACK to TOP < |
* 28.11.2009 | | NDC to tax Beer, Cola & Fanta! | The prices of various beverages such as beer and various bottled drinks are set to go up following the decision by government to impose an ad valorum tax on the beverages instead of the Excise Tax that was in place.
By this arrangement, it is expected that the prices of the various beverages would go up, thus dissuading many people from patronizing beer and other drinks at a time when many Ghanaians are either celebrating Eid-al-Adha or Christmas!
So far, industry has started complaining, and yesterday, Mr. George Nketiah, an expert on tax at the PricewaterhouseCoopers, said that the decision may lead to falling revenue for industry as well as losses in taxes, with its attendant losses in jobs in public and private sectors! “There is the fear that the prices of these products are going to be significantly increased, and that would ultimately affect the revenue of these companies, and the taxes generated from these revenues,” Mr Nketiah told newsmen in Accra.
| Source: The Daily Searchlight |
> BACK to TOP < | 4th African Arts Fair opens in Accra | Accra, Nov. 28, GNA - The African Art and Culture Development Company Limited (AACD) at Osu in Accra, has opened its 4th African Gift Fair showcasing 24,000 different types of exotic and modern African artefacts. The artefacts made from authentic local raw materials to satisfy the needs of all segments of society, are being showcase by over 20 renowned artists and craftsmen drawn from all over the country. The 10-day event, which began on Friday, is under the theme: "African Renaissance".
Revelling in its past success, this year's fair is expected to attract thousands of buyers from across the continent. Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensa, Minister of Tourism was among a number of dignitaries, who attended the opening of the Fair. Thrilled at the quality and beauty of the products, she called on all to attend the Fair to patronise the products to boost the country's tourism industry.
Mr Fidelis Oppong-Mensah, General Manager of the AACD said the crafting of the products coupled with the organization of the Fair was to encourage and promote the use of African heritage.
This year's event offers visitors the opportunity to observe artists and craftsmen at work as well as purchase products at reduced prices to encourage the industry players to do more to improve on their income. Statistics shows that every 2000 arts products purchased results in the creation of 10 meaningful jobs in the industry and the AACD seeks to develop the industry and extend its activities beyond the African Continent to create more jobs and improve livelihoods.
AACD also hopes to cut down on travel expenses of buyers through deploring other markets as well as reach others who may not have the time to travel to Ghana. > BACK to TOP < | Konadu's "Position" Doesn't Exist - Gen. Mosquito | Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, may be on a ‘wild goose chase’ in her campaign to become the First Vice-Chairperson of her husband’s party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Even though Nana Konadu has stepped up her campaign to win the position, NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu-Nketia popularly called General Mosquito, has dropped a bombshell saying that the former First Lady is campaigning for an ‘alien’ position; one that does not exist in the party.
This announcement comes after Mrs. Rawlings and other party top gurus who publicly declared that they would contest various executive positions within the party were accused of flouting the NDC’s regulations by commencing their campaigns ahead of December 1- the date officially allowed for campaign to commence.
Mrs Rawlings, who is also the President of 31st December Women’s Movement, was in the Eastern region this week, canvassing for votes while meeting party people.
Asiedu-Nketia had told journalists on Tuesday in Accra that the NDC does not have anything like the rank of vice chairpersons into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, et cetera positions, but what pertains, according to him, is that all vice chairpersons in the party are considered as having equal status and they are subordinates of the chairman who assigns any of them duties as and when necessary.
He said the same arrangement pertains in all other deputy positions within the party, including that of Deputy General Secretaries.
The General Secretary indicated that all incumbent Ministers of State, MPs, District Chief Executives and Council of State Members who wish to contest for posts within the party must first resign their current positions.
Meanwhile, the former First Lady is continuing with her lively campaign which seems to have gained the endorsement of many party members.
The comments from Asiedu-Nketia comes at a time his party is perceived as going through a power struggle between party-founder, Jerry Rawlings, and President Atta Mills, who rode to power on the wings of the NDC.
Though the President is running around the country telling Ghanaians he is ‘in charge’, he is certainly not in control of his party and DAILY GUIDE has information that the little influence with which he cuddles himself in the NDC is even being pulled from under his feet.
Jerry John Rawlings is said to have sworn to ensure that the President becomes immaterial in the party and that no ‘Atta-Mills loyalist’ takes up any executive position at the national, regional or constituency level of the party. Even the NDC foreign branches have not been left out in the power struggle that is obviously going well for Rawlings and his group.
The tango has been extended even to current Ministers in government and a number of them still pledge their allegiance to Jerry Rawlings.
The ultimate agenda, reports say, is to ensure Prof. Mills does not win the next NDC presidential primaries, as his style of Presidency and selection of government appointees has not pleased the powers that be within the party.
The good old Prof. may end up being a one-term President as a more ‘favored child’ from the founder’s stable may be pegged against him.
To make matters worse, his own Vice President, John Mahama, is said to have an eye for the Presidency and is alleged to be sponsoring a few of his loyalists to take up executive positions in the party, such as his spokesperson, John Jinapor, who is nursing the ambition to succeed Haruna Iddrisu, MP for Tamale South and Minister of Communications, as the NDC Youth Organiser.
Reports say the ‘Operation Cut Mills off’ is believed to be a brainchild of Jerry Rawlings and was conceived after President Mills decided to ‘be his own man’ so as to probably purge himself of the belief that he is Rawlings’ ‘poodle’; an otherwise well-intended agenda that has made him bite the very fingers that fed him and a step towards committing political suicide.
DAILY GUIDE can report that it is for this reason that no other person than Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has started campaigning for the first vice-chairmanship position of the party.
Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, perceived as a dye-in-the-wool Rawlings loyalist, has also made his intentions clear to contest for the position of 2nd vice chairman and interestingly, Nana Konadu has been quick to jump to his defence after the party gave hints that he may be penalized for starting his campaign and passing ‘unpleasant comments’ about persons in the current administration.
She had explained that what Spio was reported to have done or said was in tandem with the pulse of the rank and file of party members, thus he has committed no crime.
The NDC goes to congress in January 2010 to elect new party officers or renew their tenure of office and reports say the founder would file a candidate against any candidate whose loyalty to him is in doubt.
Though current National Chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei, has not really stepped on the toes of the founder, he is said to be a little too liberal for Rawlings’ taste and therefore, the search for a replacement is on course.
General Secretary Asiedu-Nketia himself may have candidates competing against him from the Rawlings camp if he attempts to seek a renewal of his mandate.
Source: Daily Guide
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* 27.11.2009 | | Nana Konadu pledges to revitalise NDC | Accra, Nov. 27, GNA - Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings says she is standing for the position of First Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to strengthen the party's structures and boost unity.
Nana Konadu also the President of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM), said she was also keen to pursue a strong agenda to bring women and the youth into the party and make the NDC more dynamic and ensure that it grows bigger from the grassroots.
A statement issued by the Office of the former President in Accra on Friday, said Nana Konadu was speaking during a tour of the Eastern Region, where she re-inaugurated branches of the DWM at Asuom, Kade, Odumase and Krobo.
"The party needs unity and discipline and I will work hard with my colleagues to ensure that we move the party onto a new pedestal," she said. Nana Konadu also used the tour to interact with the traditional authorities.
She said the revival of the DWM started in 2003 after efforts by the New Patriotic Party to crush it had failed.
Nana Konadu claimed that members of the movement were harassed whilst its projects were taken over by the district assemblies, painted and labelled HIPC projects, even though the projects were financed from funds raised from donor agencies and non-governmental organisations. She said fortunately the women were undaunted and continued to work underground to keep the flame of the movement alight. "Because we did not want the members to feel they had been abandoned we decided to revive the branches. and renewed membership drive and surprisingly the women responded in their droves. We offered them small loans to revive or start new projects.
"Over the past six months however the women have been keen to publicly assert themselves and wanted the movement's leadership to grace every inauguration or membership drive campaign to give the events wider public attention. I have no option but to oblige and have been delighted by some of the responses I have received," Nana Konadu stated.
Nana Konadu visited the movement's oil palm processing project at Otumi. The project was inaugurated 14 years ago. The statement said she was thrilled to hear the success stories of the women who used proceeds from the project to send their children to school and cater for their families.
It said the President of the DWM was however asked to intervene to add value to the produce of the factory by repackaging them for Togolese vendors, who purchase the oil in large drums and paid a pittance. Nana Konadu promised to explore the possibility of bottling the oil at the Nsawam Cannery when it resumes production to add value to the produce and create a wider market for it. > BACK to TOP < | Minister assures UE tomato framers of market | Pwalugu (UE), 28, GNA - The Minister of Trade and Industries, Ms Hannah Tetteh has assured farmers in the Upper East Region of ready market for tomato to prevent glut of the produce during this year's harvesting period. She said government was negotiating with the Investment Bank and other financial institutions to support the Pwalugu Tomato factory to purchase the produce.
Ms Tetteh gave the assurance when she visited the Northern Star Tomato Factory at Pwalugu in the Talensi-Nabdam District and some farmers in the Tono Irrigation site at Navrongo, to find out how best government could solve problems facing the farmers, on Thursday. She said the factory was producing below capacity as it needed about 800 metric tones of tomato to fully operate every month. Ms Tetteh said government would expand irrigation facilities, offer more farm inputs at subsidized prices to tomato farmers to enable them to increase production to feed the factory.
Ms Tetteh stressed that within the next six months the plight of the tomato farmers in the region would be over and said government was determined to revamp the factory to help reduce poverty. She appealed to Management of the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR) to ensure that the country became self sufficient in food production, especially rice.
Ms. Tetteh visited personnel of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service and the Ghana Immigration Servise at some security posts in the region. She advised them to work harder to generate more revenue for development to prevent the country from relying on donors. The Managing Director of ICOUR, Alhaji Issah Bukari said Irrigation facilities in Tono and Vea could be expanded if the necessary support was provided and suggested the adoption of drip irrigation. He said that if farmers were resourced properly the country could become self-sufficient in rice production at least by 80 per cent. Mr. Ahmed Bogobire, leader of the farmers, said people who took loans to invest in tomato production faced difficulties because of the lack of market. He commended government for subsidizing the price of farm inputs in the area and appealed to the authorities to include tomato farmers in the package. The Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo said that the Regional Coordinating Council would discourage traders from buying tomatoes from Burkina Faso, to create market for the vegetable in the region. > BACK to TOP < |
* 26.11.2009 | | Police officer (Tema) sues Joy FM | A police officer at the Tema Newtown Police Station in the Greater Accra Region, has sued two private radio stations and a television network, for damaging his reputation.
L/Cpl. Ernest Alorli, alias Donkor, has filed a writ against Meridian FM, Joy FM and TV3 Limited, for dragging his name in the mud.
The plaintiff is therefore seeking damages in the sum of GH¢600,000, jointly and severally, against the defendant companies, in addition to cost.
In his statement of claim, the plaintiff indicated that in August this year, the defendant companies broadcast that “one Ernest Alorli alias Donkor, a policeman stationed at Tema Newtown Police Station, had been arrested for supplying assault rifles to armed robbers for their operations.”
According to the plaintiff, the said broadcast attracted a lot of public condemnation, which subsequently impugned his reputation among members of the society.
L/Cpl. Alorli pointed out that the defamatory words carried on the networks of the defendant companies, impute dishonest and treacherous conduct and a dint of criminality, which attracts a very high sentence.
Plaintiff, who pointed out that he had suffered irreparable damage as a result of the actions of the defendant companies, further indicated that he had since the broadcast of the news item, been “shunned and avoided by members of his community, including his good old friends,” adding that the actions of the defendant companies had brought him into public odium.
| Source: Ghanaian Chronicle |
> BACK to TOP < | UNICEF Director recommends use of iodated salt | Tinkurugu (N/R), Nov. 26, GNA - Dr. Gianfranco Rotighiani, Regional Director for Central and West Africa of the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF), has appealed to parents, especially those in the rural areas, to ensure that iodated salt was used in the preparation of all meals given to children.
(c) picture: www.EventPicture.co.uk / ghana-net.com
He urged pregnant women to always sleep under Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) to avoid contracting malaria. Dr. Rotighiani said this when Madam Margaret Nmini, Acting District Director of Health Services for Savelugu/Nanton, revealed that only 12 percent of households in the district use iodated salt despite efforts made to promote its sale and consumption in the district. Dr. Rotighiani and some officials of UNICEF are in the district to inspect some projects funded by the organisation.
He and the team visited the Nanton Health Centre to access the impact of UNICEF's support for the maternal and child health care and nutrition support to the health facility.
NICEF provided a poly tank for the health centre as part of its integrated hand washing programme. The team also visited the Nanton L/A Primary School where it had also provided a poly tank and recreational facilities. The team also inspected a community water supply system at Tampion and the Libga dam water filtration system. Mad Nmini said 50 mothers groups had been formed in the district under the programme. She said the percentage of mothers practicing exclusive breast feeding had increased from 65 to 87 within the past three years while there had also been a significant improvement in the use of ITNs.
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* 25.11.2009 | | Focus on Election 2012, NPP polling station officials told | Kumasi, Nov. 25, GNA - Mr Isaac Osei, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin constituency, has called on the party's polling station officers to focus and work hard to return the NPP to power in Election 2012.
He advised them not to waste time but to unite and start "an aggressive door-to-door campaign" in their respective areas to win more supporters for the NPP. Mr Osei, who was interacting with newly elected NPP polling station offices for the constituency in Kumasi, said victory for the party would not come on "a silver platter" and encouraged them to work assiduously to boost NPP's chances of winning the polls in 2012. The MP asked the officers to strive to understand Ghana's political landscape to enable them to employ the right strategies to woo voters for the party.
Mr Osei appealed to all polling station chairmen to find out the number of registered voters in their respective stations and to ensure that names of qualified persons appeared on the electoral roll. He said next year's Population and Housing Census was crucial to national development and tasked all NPP officials to encourage the people to embrace the exercise.
Mr Osei praised NPP members and supporters in the constituency for ensuring peaceful elections of polling station officers. Mr Kofi Adu, a NPP polling station officer for Subin, pledged that the officers would unite and initiate plans to enable NPP recapture power in 2012. > BACK to TOP < | Bagbin: J.J. Is Right, Mills Is Surrounded By Bootlickers | The Majority Leader in Parliament Hon. Alban Sumana Kinsford Bagbin has okayed the call by the former president, Jerry John Rawlings that President Mills should straighten up and be serious in the handling of the country’s economy.
(c) picture; www.EventPicture.co.uk / ghana-net.com
Hon. Bagbin opines that if this is not done, the party would be embarrassed and the nation could be turned upside down. Speaking to Peace Fm on “Kokrokoo” he said he only support the call as a party front runner and to seek the welfare of the NDC party. “I only supported the call by the former Pres. Rawlings to the current President Prof. Mills to take a second look at some of the happenings in the government including some of the representatives who are parading around the corridors of power.
I gave my candid honest view as to what is happening in government and this is after I have had the opportunity to meet with the chairpersons of various constituencies in the Greater Accra region and I think that the call is in good faith because there is really a challenge to the NDC government and the earlier we look into the better it will be for the government and the country” he stated.
However, the Majority leader stated that there was no internal mechanism to discuss such pertinent issues harboring the NDC government. “If w had the internal mechanism to discuss those things indoors they may not be discuss in public, but earlier calls and pressures to fix those internal mechanisms have not yet received any favourable response. so people are compelled for the love of the party and mother Ghana to bring out these issues… the people around the president might not be giving the right signals and information to the president and we see that those people were not even people who have for all these years shown that they are committed to the philosophy of life that the NDC ascribes to…
So if we are going to have fair weather friends always being year representatives or delegates and people acting on your behalf who are faint hearted and in other words, they, don’t believe strongly with what you preach and practice, you will definitely have problems in initiating your programmes” he told Kwami Sefa-Kayi “that is why some of us who have anchored this whole system since its inception in 1993, feel obliged and embarrassed, it is imperative for us to blow the whistle when we think that things are not going on well. “Frustrations In NDC Government”.
The Majority Leader believes that the frustrations in the NDC party are real and not deep seated. “Not only just referring to them as frustrations but after disappointments and we don’t want this to go into the state of despondency or disperse. so it is that they need people to champion their cause, they need themselves to be able to make inputs, and it is important that their interest be factored into what is happening, so it is an important matter that we can gloss at” he told Peace FM.
He outlined that the main issue had to with the Presidents appointments which is made up of old friends who even at a point in time clearly stated they were retiring from active politics. Also there was a clear exhibition that they do not believe in the life and philosophy and practice of the NDC. Then as well there will be benefitting not what Ghanaians will benefit from. “There is a problem that we need to solve” the Former President, Rawlings is just being specific, being exact, and calling a spade a spade” I think that those words may hurt but it is better to be told the truth, than to gloss it in what people call it decency or diplomacy” he added.
| Source: peacefmonline.com |
> BACK to TOP < | | Mills Ministers Are School Boys! | Checks made by The Statesman indicate that serving Ministers of the Mills-Mahama government are in fact school boys.
Our checks so far have revealed that at least six such ministers are students in various institutions. Already there is controversy that President Mills and Vice President Mahama have appointed a Team B squad of ministers.
What was not known however was that some very vociferous members of the squad are actually school boys.
Both Deputy Ministers of Information are pursuing full time courses. James Agyenim Boateng is at the Ghana School of Law and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is at the Zenith University College.
The Statesman can confirm that two other deputy ministers of state are pursuing courses at GIMPA. More worrying is the fact they are both deputy regional ministers outside of the capital.
The question is what time do they get to attend the affairs of the state, for which they are paid full time salaries, given four wheel drive vehicles, saloon vehicles and a full time police guard?
A Deputy Minister of Finance is also known to be sharpening his financial skills pursuing a Masters programme at the London Business School, UK. This requires regular travels outside of the country to attend classes.
Some ministers are known to be attending various distance learning courses, with overseas institutions.
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| * 24.11.2009 | | MP calls for national efforts to check emotional violence against women | Accra, Nov 24, GNA - Mr. Stephen Balado Manu, Member of Parliament for Ahafo- Ano South, on Tuesday called on policy makers, psychologists and law enforcement agencies to educate the public against emotional violence against women.
He observed that a lot of women who had suffered emotional violence such as disappointments in marriage, lost of jobs and forced marriages are either parading the streets with psychiatric problems or given up in life. "A lot more have over the years died of emotional problems, which we need to tackle to avert. reoccurrence."
Mr. Balado was contributing to a statement by Hajia Mary Boforo Salifu, Member of Parliament for Savelegu on the marking of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. He attributed some of the causes of the violence to the economic problems that existed between spouses.
Mr. Balado expressed regret that some men prevent their wives from engaging in party politics for the fear that they could be wooed by lustful politicians during the line of duty.
Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, Member of Parliament for Mion also condemned the general abuse of housemaids by women who at times are at the forefront against violence against their colleagues. He condemned the abuse of female pupils by lady teachers who are at times captured by the media for inserting certain items into the private parts of the victims. Dr. Alhassan said these acts constituted abuse against the rights of the pupils.
Hajia Boforo called for the abolition of all forms of violence against females and appealed to the media to do their work objectively devoid of stereotypes, discrimination misinformation on issues concerning women. > BACK to TOP < | |
| * Monday, 23.11.2009 | | Air-Namibia commences direct flights from Accra | Accra, Nov. 23, GNA - Air Namibia-Ghana, has commenced direct flights from Accra to Johannesburg, South Africa and Windhoek, Namibia. The flights, the first of which commenced on Saturday, November 21, 2009, would fly five times a week.
Dedicating a town office for Air Namibia in Accra on Sunday, Mr Joseph Shipepe, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Airline, said a study conducted by the airline revealed great potential in the Accra-Johannesburg route.
"We look at it not only in terms of business but also, re-visiting the long standing friendship between Ghana and Namibia," hew said. He said flights also served as a means of integrating the West African and South African regions.
Mr Shipepe urged staff of Air Namibia-Ghana to be dedicated, hard working and disciplined in order to ensure the success of the airline. Mr Peter Addai, Country Manager of the Airline said: "We are very much aware of the task ahead and we would do all that it takes to ensure that Air Namibia succeeds," he said.
Ms Milinga Muyunda, Acting General Manager, Commercial Services said: "It is a very big challenge, which we are willing to take with both hands. We are willing to do it and we can".
She said Air Namibia was soon going to be "a citizen of Ghana. "We are going to work hard and make sure we get that citizenship," she added.
The town office was dedicated and blessed by the Rev. Father Fred Agyeman In the last five years, Air Namibia has been adjudged the best regional airline.
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| * Sunday, 29.11.2009 - Aggrieved Tema West NPP members make final appeal to party hierarchy - Veep joins alma mater to celebrate golden jubilee - Level of Science and Tech Education is low - Prez | * 28.11.2009 - NDC to tax Beer, Cola & Fanta! - 4th African Arts Fair opens in Accra - Konadu's "Position" Doesn't Exist *Gen. Mosquito | * 27.11.2009 - Veep condemns military brutality in Bawku - Nana Konadu pledges to revitalise NDC - Minister assures UE tomato framers of market - Joint military operation arrests Nigerian ship - Canada injects 4.5 million dollars to improve agric in the North - Ho Municipal Hospital commended for quality care initiatives | * 26.11.2009 - Soldiers rape girls at Nalerigu - Police officer (Tema) sues Joy FM - UNICEF Director recommends use of iodated salt - Mills arrives in Trinidad and Tobago | * 25.11.2009 - Focus on Election 2012, NPP polling station officials told - Bagbin: J.J. Is Right, Mills is surrounded by "Bootlickers" - Mills Ministers Are School Boys! - Government to harness potentials in tourism industry - Minister - Who Switched Ghana Off? - Bongo Naba advocates for independence of district assemblies | * 24.11.2009 - MP calls for national efforts to check emotional violence against women - Ghanaians should demand their right to vote for DCE's - Nduom | * Monday, 23.11.2009 - Air-Namibia commences direct flights from Accra | | | | Your REPORT Your STORIES * Your PHOTOS PUBLISH NOW! |  | | All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | |  |  | | | | Level of Science and Tech Education is low - Prez | Takoradi, Nov 29, GNA - President John Evans Atta-Mills has said the level of Science and Technology Education is low despite the introduction of the subjects into the curricula of basic schools, under the Educational Reform of 1987, and the establishment of some resource centres at the senior high level.
He identified the lack of well-equipped laboratories and workshops, inadequate qualified teachers, lack of incentives for teachers and the misconception that Science and Technology are difficult subjects as some of the challenges that needed to be addressed to improve the situation.
President Mills stated these in an address, read for him by Miss Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh, 
a Deputy Minister of Education, at the Centenary Anniversary Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Ghana Secondary Technical School, (GSTS) at Takoradi, on Saturday.
The address was based on the anniversary theme, "100 Years of Science and Technology Education in Ghana - It's Impact and Challenges." The President said: "As a nation, we need more scientists, technologists, doctors, engineers, technicians, agricultural scientists.to support our total national development."
He commended GSTS for being a model of technical education, saying, "this is a tradition built by the past administrators and teachers of the school who inculcated the spirit of hard work in the students reminding them of the importance of staying focused on the purpose for being in school." He urged the students of the school to build on this enviable tradition that had earned the school its outstanding reputation by being disciplined and taking their academic work seriously. President Mills, therefore, appealed to parents to support their wards towards achieving academic success and attaining high moral values. Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, the Regional Minister, whose address was read by his deputy, explained that Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) Clinic for Girls was instituted as a project in 1987 with the main objective of bridging the gender gap that existed in the field of Science and Technology.
He said the STME programme is an integral part of the wider national campaign aimed at developing and maintaining a Science and Technology culture among Ghanaians for national development. Mr Thomas Mensah, headmaster of the school, appealed to the government to assist the school to expand its infrastructure as the student population had tripled since the school was established. | | *27.11.2009 | | Joint military operation arrests Nigerian ship | Tema, Nov 27, GNA - A Nigerian Oil Vessel, christened "African Prince," has been intercepted by a joint security surveillance of the Ghana Air Force and the Navy in Tema.
The vessel, which carried 5,200 metric tonnes of fuel was intercepted at about 15 nautical miles within Ghana's territorial waters. A military intelligence source which disclosed this to newsmen in Tema on Thursday, said the Nigerian Vessel which operates from Lagos to the Niger Delta, carried on board a 28-member crew made up of 22 Nigerians and six Palestinians.
The source alleged that the body of a 39-year old Nigerian Chief Cook, who was found dead on the vessel, had been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
The source indicated that the military had a tip-off from an International Marine Intelligence Agency called Personal and the Indemnity Club, of an alleged hijacking of the vessel.
The source said acting upon the tip-off, the Ghana Air Force managed to locate the ship, and informed the Ghana Navy which quickly dispatched two Naval Ships for an operation.
The source said upon the vessel's interception, it was detected that the consignment of fuel found on it was alleged to have been stolen from the Niger Delta in Nigeria, and was to be off-loaded in the sub-region. The source said upon interrogation, the crew claimed that the vessel was allegedly hijacked by 11 armed men off the coast of the country's water's. According to the source, before the arrival of the Ghana Navy, all the eleven suspected hijackers managed to escape in patrol boats. The source indicated that the ship was currently under tight security at the Tema Harbour Oil Berth Anchorage.
Meanwhile, the national security apparatus had conducted investigations to ascertain the ownership of the vessel, the source concluded. | | Canada injects 4.5 million dollars to improve agric in the North | Saboba, (N/R), Nov. 27, GNA - Community-driven Initiatives for Food Security (CIFS), a Canadian funded project, is investing 4.5 million Canadian dollars in 250 communities in the Northern Region to improve food security and local governance.
The project aims broadly to improve household food security with support to community driven-initiatives, district-wide food security initiatives and to strengthen local government structures. Mr Kuupiel Cuthbert Baba, Project Manager of CIFS-Ghana, announced this at the 2nd CIFS' "Stakeholder Experience Sharing Festival" at Saboba in the Saboba district of the Northern Region on Thursday. It was under the theme: "Improving food security and participatory governance through stakeholder experience sharing and learning". Mr Baba mentioned some of the beneficiary districts as Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo, East Mamprusi, Chereponi, Saboba, Yendi, Gushegu, Karaga, Zabzugu/Tatale, Kpandi, Nanumba North and South and East Gonja districts. The communities are Domon, Sobiba, Bukuli, Ligalbn, Wokon, Bokase, Nambiini and Chereponi all in the Chereponi district. Mr Baba said CIFS had supported farmers in the communities with bullocks for ploughing and donkeys for women to enable them transport their produce from the farms to the markets.
He said the NGO had also among other things encouraged farmers in the communities to undertake the cultivation, processing and utilisation of Soya bean and the rearing of small ruminants and grain banking. He said the introduction of bullock traction had led to the increase of the acreage of farm lands while the cultivation of Soya bean had improved the nutritional quality of food for women and children. Mr Baba said the introduction of grain banking had also ensured the availability of food for the people during the lean seasons. He urged the district assemblies and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to ensure the sustainability of the projects so that peoples' livelihoods were improved.
Mr Ali Adolf John, Saboba District Chief Executive said government would invest in agriculture to maintain the production of crops that had surplus production whilst adequate measures were also being put in place to increase the production level of crops that had deficit production. | | Ho Municipal Hospital commended for quality care initiatives | Ho, Nov. 27, GNA -The Ho Municipal Hospital has been commended for its quality health care initiatives. The Acting Deputy Director Clinical Care at the Volta Regional Health Directorate, Mr Robert Adatsi, gave the commendation at the induction of a "Clients Receiving Team" (CRT) at the Hospital on Tuesday. He said the hospital was the first to subject itself to Peer Review which has been adopted by some district hospitals in the Region. The latest initiative was however borne out of the Hospital's "Patients Satisfaction Survey."
The CRT would see to patients care problems on arrival at the hospital through to their final destination of care, assure patients in distress of their safety and get them to adjust to the hospital's environment. The Team would also ensure that patients clinical outcomes were positive, create a comforting synergy the patient can rely on, quickly correct any mishap in the process of transporting emergency cases to the hospital, and avert any further injury to emergency cases rushed to the hospital by those accompanying them.
Mr Adatsi observed that what brings satisfaction to patients was not so much the cure for their ailments, but their satisfaction from the way they were received and treated at the hospitals and clinics. "A satisfied client leaves with a sound psychological and emotional feeling that he or she has been treated as a human being," he said. He said for many patients just a smile could be the panacea to their problems and that experience endears them to the hospital for a long time. Dr John Eleezar, Ho Municipal Health Director, who administered the oath of commitment to the members of the team, said laudable though the initiative was its effects on the patients would depend largely on the care extended to them beyond the CRT to other sections including the wards and Out-Patient's Department.
He therefore urged the management of the hospital to take reports from the CRT seriously, and take disciplinary measures against those who flout quality assurance rules.
The Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr Gafatsi Normanyo said a monitoring and evaluation system was being instituted to retrain the CRT members and ensure continuous improvement in their standard of performance. He said the members were trained by the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) in customer care, for improved patronage and by the Ho Nurses' Training College on how to receive patients.
> BACK to TOP < | | *25.11.2009 | | Government to harness potentials in tourism industry - Minister | Accra, Nov. 25, GNA - Mrs. Juliana Azuma-Mensah, Minister of Tourism on Wednesday pledged government's commitment to harness the huge investment potentials in the tourism industry for job creation and poverty reduction for economic development.
She noted that the prevailing political stability and democratic governance for the past two decades, continued to create a conducive environment for the growth of the tourism industry.
Mrs. Azuma-Mensah made the pledge when inaugurating the six-member Board of Directors for Ghana Tourist Development Company (GTDC) in Accra. She noted that most business delegations to the country, had expressed interest in the industry because it provided prospects for rapid socio-economic development and cited an Italian delegation that had decided to invest in hotels; resorts, team parks and other commercial ventures.
Mrs. Azuma-Mensah observed that over the years, GTDC had not lived up to expectation as the leading agency to promote tourism for investment or made the necessary impact to achieve its mandate. She called on the board not only to acquire and service land for private investment in tourism, but engage experts who could develop investment profiles for patronage by investors.
Mrs. Azuma-Mensah gave the assurance that the Ministry was prepared to work closely with all agencies and stakeholders in the industry to improve tourism. "We must ensure that the sector really improves the living standards of Ghanaians by creating the much needed employment, increase in revenue and reduction in poverty in communities within tourists attractions, "she said. Mrs. Azuma-Mensah urged members of the board to live up to expectat= ion and fulfil aspirations of the tourism industry, through the promotion of the investment drive to make the sector a major foreign exchange earner. Mr. Kojo Ablordepey, Chairman of the board expressed the gratitude of the members to government for the trust and confidence reposed in them to serve the country. | | Who Switched Ghana Off? | Millions of Ghana Cedis was yesterday dissipated by intermittent power outages that hit half of the country from early morning. Valuable items including fridges (notably at the La suburb of Accra and Awoshie), computers and other office equipment were reported damaged by frequent power fluctuations in the national capital, the cities of Tema, Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi.
Tamale and the already deprived northern part of the country were neither spared the nightmarish experience that halted production and destroyed property. Within the space of two hours around mid-afternoon, consumers at Kokomlemle, Adabraka, New Town, Makola and other suburbs of the Central Business District were rocked by eight power outages in rapid succession, despite earlier assurances by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) that the problem had been rectified.
Public Relations Officer of GRIDCo, Albert Quainoo asserted, while talking to The Heritage newspaper yesterday, that the sporadic power outages were caused by a serious fire outbreak which resulted in a blast into pieces of one of their equipment at Tema. He said the blast created a swing in the transmitter system and therefore, “we lost all the three lines from Tema To Achimota and the two lines from our substations to the Tema Township.” According to him, because the company lost the three lines, three generating units went out at Aboadze in Takoradi. “We had to work to restore the system around 11:00am”.
On the origin of the fire outbreak that resulted in the outages, the PRO said “we have no idea of the cause of the fire. The Heritage newspaper had to resort to calling up GRIDCo because the entity that sell power to consumers, the Electricity Company of Ghana, had blatantly shrugged off responsibility on interrogations on radio early yesterday. Other E.C.G sources had intoned that the producer, the Volta River Authority, was facing huge challenges in making available enough power, as the chief source, the Volta Lake, had lost some water and the thermal sources of power were dwindling. To a cross-section of the cursing consuming public that the paper interviewed, neither the ECG, VRA nor GRIDCo should escape blame. “They are killing us” was the consumer’s common refrain.
| | Bongo Naba advocates for independence of district assemblies | Bolgatanga, Nov. 25, GNA - The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Salifu Alemyarum, on Wednesday advocated for complete independence of district assemblies to use the common fund allocated to them the way they deemed fit for the development of their areas. He said strings attached to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) specifically directing the assemblies on how the fund should be used restricted them to work on their priorities.
Naba Alemyarum was speaking to the Ghana News Agency after addressing participants at a 16-day programme on "Activism against Gender Violence Campaign" organized by Action Aid Ghana (AAG).
He said it had become necessary for a strong advocacy work to get government to detach the strings it attached to the DACF to enable the district assemblies to meet the teaming demands for development projects. Naba Alemyarum said the idea about decentralization would be defeated if the local authority had little or no power to determine what its people wanted and how they should get their demands met. "Where then is the meaning of decentralization when the assembly, the main implementing body, cannot determine how development work should be carried out within its jurisdiction?"
Naba Alemyarum suggested that the central government could categorize the areas that the DACF should cover but should not attach specifications on how much should be spent on which category.
He said in the Bongo District for instance, the priority area was in giving adequate attention to education in all forms including sponsorships and special attention to the girl child among other things. He acknowledged that as it were, if the assembly used up funds specified for education, it could not divert money from other areas to augment the crucial needs of the people.
The Chief therefore called on the government to consider a review of the DACF to give the assemblies the free will and true autonomy to manage their own affairs at the local level.
Earlier, Naba Alemyarum spoke on the topic, "The Practice of Harmful Cultural Practices is an Obstacle to Women's Access to Justice - The Role of Traditional Authorities in Protecting the Rights of Women in the Upper East Region."
He said chiefs in the region at one of their meetings resolved to nib in the bud all forms of harmful, injurious and dehumanizing practices inimical to the health of women and other vulnerable groups in the area. He said for the first time in the history of his traditional area, he had made arrangements to include women in his court, adding that the essence of the innovation is to get women to help resolve domestic related violence and issues bordering on women and children. Naba Alemyarum called for prudent and workable actions from all spheres of society to strengthen the chieftaincy institution in the region, especially the House of Chiefs, to enable it to undertake projects to reduce harmful practices which he indicated should be a gradual process. He said the legal practitioner engaged by the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs had resigned and appealed to the government to assist the House to engage the services of a legal practitioner to handle its legal works. | | *24.11.2009 | | Ghanaians should demand their right to vote for DCE's - Nduom | Accra, Nov. 24, GNA - Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Election 2008 flag bearer of the Convention People's Party on Tuesday called on Ghanaians to support the proposal for the election of District Chief Executives (DCE's) and assembly members.
He said the current local governance system, which allowed government appointees to control the assemblies was a drawback to development. Dr Nduom was speaking at the second in the series of his "Agenda for Change" initiative, which he said would bring transformation to all sectors of the economy.
The Change agenda will focus on a series of media interactions and consultations with the Institute of Economic Affairs and the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana, on burning national issues. It also seeks to bring transformation in education, a new regime of industrialisation, and governance.
Dr Nduom noted that even though successive governments dating back to independence committed themselves to some form of decentralisation, they ended up hanging on to local authorities in order to control the people. He said the current system of local governance, was flawed by provisions in the 1992 Constitution, which was largely ineffective and did not promote development.
Dr Nduom observed that some programmes on decentralisation coupled with projects by international development partners sometimes weakened the national resolve to implement difficult reforms. He said there was the need to remove the combined suffocating influences of the President, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and regional ministers from the district assemblies to facilitate the concentration of development on the needs of the local people. Dr Nduom noted that the problem of empowering the people at the local level had persisted because certain flaws in Article 240 (1) of the 1992 Constitution had given too much powers to the President to appoint and dismiss district functionaries.
He said the Rawlings regime held on to the appointment of DCEs thinking that it would be a tool to consolidate its hold on the presidency but lost power to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which also kept the status quo.
Dr Nduom said the NPP had the perception that appointment of DC Es would build the political strength of the party yet it lost power. He said this was an indication that political control over DCEs and the assemblies to strengthen the hold of a party was not possible. "I believe that the people of Ghana want the right to elect those who rule them and make laws in their localities to gain their eyes, ears and minds.
"The people want the right to use the ballot box to select and sack those who are supposed to serve them.This right must be given by amending the relevant sections of the Constitution to give power back to the people. "If the people are smart and discerning enough to cast a ballot to elect a Member of Parliament and a president, they are definitely smart and discerning enough to cast a ballot to elect a district chief executive and assembly members", he said. | |
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