| News Home (Main Page) | | African Newspaper | | LATEST WORLD NEWS | | | Ghanaian Media: | | Public Agenda | | GNA-Ghana News Agen. | The Statesman | | | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2009 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2008 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2007 | | PHOTO REPORTS | | VIDEO REPORTS | | ARTS in GHANA | | Food & Drinks in Ghana | | Africa Cup 2008 | | Ghana Hotels | | Links / Websites | | Ghana Districts | | Ghana Tourism | | Ghana Classifieds | Names in Ghana | | | | * 23.01.2010 | Don't over rely on the oil sector - Dr Nkrumah cautioned * Source: GNA | Abura Ahanta (W/R), Jan. 23, GNA - Dr Sekou Nkrumah, National Coordinator of the National Youth Council (NYC), has cautioned government not to overly rely on the oil sector to the detriment of other sectors. He said it would be suicidal for government, if it does that. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Abura Ahanta near Agona Nkwanta on Wednesday, Dr Nkrumah said the oil sector is a crucial and delicate area, which called for greater but carful efforts to harness its potential for the economic transformation of the country. He said Ghana's economy is agricultural-based and as such conscious effort must be made to sustain the sector by attracting more young people into it.
Through incentives such as modern irrigation facilities, agricultural implements and equipment, Dr Nkrumah believed, the youth would be attracted into the sector.
"Do not force the youth into agriculture but rather persuade them with lucrative incentives and exposure to make them see and value the benefits associated with the sector," he stressed.
Dr Nkrumah said the lack of opportunities for the youth was a contributory factor to why most young people today found themselves engaging in crimes, drugs, stowaways, frauds and other negative practices. He said it was a shame that in spite of the several undeveloped lands, the agriculture sector was still unable to feed the nation and create the needed employment opportunities | | | | ______________________ |
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| LATEST GHANA NEWS Saturday, 23 January 2010 WEEK 03 - 2010 |
| * Saturday, 23 January 2010 | | Ashanti NPP Chair mad at Nana Addo * Source: Ghanaian Chronicle | A meeting between the 2008 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and 15 out of the 39 constituency chairmen in the Ashanti Region, has resulted in tension among the executives of the party.
The meeting, which was held at the Ahodwo residence of one of Nana Addo's chief campaign strategists, Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffuor, over the weekend, has angered the remaining 24 constituency chairmen who were not invited to the programme, since they were perceived to be supporters of Alan Kyerematen.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Yaw Amankwaa, who confirmed the tension in an interview with this reporter, alleged that at the said programme, Nana Addo mentioned the names of certain individuals as his preferred choice of candidates for specific positions in the party.
Nana Addo, reportedly, told the chairmen that he supports F. F. Anto for the position of Ashanti Regional Chairman, and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey as National Chairman, instead of former National Vice Chairman, Stephen Ntim.
The Regional Chairman could therefore not fathom why Nana Addo took such an initiative by inviting only 15 out of the 39 constituency chairmen in the region for the said meeting, since it breeds disunity in the party.
To him, somebody who is seeking re-election to lead the party should not have indulged in such as an exercise.
“As a man who is seeking to become the president of Ghana, he should be seen as unifier, so if in his own party, we have 39 constituency chairmen, including all the party executives, and he chooses 15 as those he can deal with, and also backs candidates who are contesting for both regional and national chairmen, and openly stating that he cannot work with Ntim, but Jake, then he has drawn the battle lines,” he said, adding, “even if you are elected as the flagbearer, what are you going to tell the remaining 24 of the 39, since you have already chosen 15?”
He accused Nana Addo of dividing the party, stressing: “this has become a major source of worry and pain for members of the party in the region, especially the executives. I think some of us should sit down with him and advise him so that he would either rescind his decision, or render an apology to the other party members he says he will not be able to work with.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer for Nana Addo, Herbert Krampa, confirmed that Nana Addo was in Kumasi over the weekend.
Mr. Krampa also admitted Nana held a series of meetings whilst in Kumasi, some of which were held behind closed doors with some individuals and group of persons, but could not tell whether he indeed met the 15 constituency chairmen.
He however denied Nana Addo asking the constituency chairmen to vote for his preferred choice of candidates in the impending regional and national elections, since according to him, Nana Addo would not do any such thing, let alone give them monies to influence their decision in the impending elections.
Meanwhile, firebrand NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for the Assin-North constituency, and known supporter of Nana Addo, Kennedy Agyepong, has criticised a list of names making rounds in the party, suggesting certain names and individuals as preferred candidates of the presidential aspirants.
He could not fathom the extent to which factionalism was gaining roots in the party. Speaking on Oman FM's 'National Agenda' morning show on Tuesday, the MP, whose no-nonsense attitude has earned him the nickname 'Akompreko,' asked delegates in the impending national congress of the NPP, to vote for competent people, regardless of their supposed camps.
He particularly did not understand why a person like Stephen Amoah, who he described as hard-working, loyal and competent, should not be voted for to become national youth organiser of the party.
When most party people were scared to come out during the 2008 presidential run off, he noted that this gentleman was visiting about nine radio stations a week, all in defence of the party.
His comments are said to have sparked a debate in the Nana Addo camp, since some people feel he is breaking ranks.
Mr. Agyepong, however, repeated his comments on Citi FM's 'Eye-witness' programme, hosted by Shamimah Muslim, the same day, saying that the supposed Nana Addo, Alan factions were tearing the party apart, and could possibly affect the chances of the NPP in the 2012 general | | | Ministry takes steps to save Adomi Bridge from collapse * Source: GNA | Adomi (ER), Jan. 23, GNA - The Ministry of Roads and Highways is to put in measures to prevent overloaded vehicles from using the Adomi Bridge to save it from collapse.
The measures include building of weight in-motion sensors on the pavement leading to the bridge to control an automatic gate at the approaches to the bridge.
The gate will only open to trucks within the weight limit of 30 tons. Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, disclosed this when he led a team of officials from the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) to inspect the bridge on Friday.
He said at the two points leading to the bridge, Kpong and Asikuma junction, axle weighing equipment would be put in place to check the weight of vehicles to ensure that they comply with an axle limit of 11.5 tons. Mr Mettle- Nunoo appealed to all, especially the security agencies, to ensure that drivers comply with the regulations to help save the bridge, adding that should it collapse the Government would required not less than $500 million to replace it.
He said the Ministry was taking those measures in view of the problems encountered on the bridge recently, and advised drivers to stick to the approved weight limit of 30 tons per vehicle.
The Deputy Minister explained that at the time of the construction of the bridge in the 1950's, only few vehicles were using it but now the volume of traffic had increased thus putting a lot of pressure on it. He expressed worry about the actions of some drivers whom he said were not only damaging the bridge but the roads as well, and stressed that the bridge is a strategic national asset and "we must protect it". Mr Mettle-Nunoo said measures were being put in place to ensure that vehicles do not line up on the bridge for the drivers to pay their tolls but would cross it one at a time to relieve the pressure on it. He disclosed that should the worst situation arise, alternative routes would be found for big trucks and only salon cars would be permitted to use the bridge.
Meanwhile, five drivers who attempted to cross the bridge with their overloaded vehicles were arrested and would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
The bridge was built between 1955 and 1956 and was inaugurated by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the then Prime Minister of the Gold Coast, now Ghana. Sir Charles Noble Arden Clarke, was then the Governor of the Gold Coast.
The contractor for the project was Dorman Long Bridge Engineers Limited, while the Engineers were Sir William Halcrow and Partners and Freeman Fox and Partners. | | > BACK to TOP < | Ghanaian sports journalists assaulted by security officials * Source: GNA | (From: William Ezah, GNA Special Correspondent in Luanda, Angola, courtesy Ministry of Youth and Sports)
Luanda, Angola, Jan 23, GNA - Security personnel on Friday afternoon assaulted a Ghanaian Sports journalist Fiifi AHunu Tackie of Radio Gold at Hotel President in Luanda, where the Black Stars are lodged. Ahunu Tackie who was at the hotel of the Black Stars to att= end a press conference organized by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) ahead of their crucial game against host nation Angola, was severely beaten by eight security personnel at the hotel.
Defenseless Ahunu Tackie was at the mercy of the security officials who were initially four but upon calls for reinforcement, four more men joined the brutality and subjected the Ghanaians to further beatings.
The security officials who would not take any form of explanation, later handcuffed the journalist, seized his accreditation, took him to the police station and detained him for over 30 minutes. Ahunu Tackie in the process lost his wallet containing 1000USD. It all happened when the security officials prevented two members of the Millennium Supporters Union of Ghana (MISUGHA) and Andy Nortey of Ghanaian Times from entering the hotel to attend the press conference arguing that they had no right to enter the hotel.
Ahunu Tackie in an attempt to explain to the security officials that the two supporters and Nortey were Ghanaians and are supposed to be part of the programme, incurred their displeasure and subsequently launch= ed series of attacks on him in the presence of Opoku Afriyie team manager of the Black Stars, and the GNA reporter.
Ghanaian Times reporter, Nortey, had his fare share of the attack when he was carried by four security personnel who threw him out of the hotel with little difficulty and he had no option than to boycott the press conference and left for his hotel.
The ugly incident attracted huge presence at the reception of the hotel including customers, staff and officials of the hotel and journalists from the international media. This put the press conference on hold for over an hour as officials of the GFA led by Fred Pappoe and Randy Abbey moved to resolve the issue. Reacting to the incident, Abbey said the conduct of the policemen was unprofessional and brutish since they had no right to lay hands on the Ghanaian. He said the security officials erred by not contacting the team liaison officer for explanation in the course of the argument before acting.
Abbey told the press conference that, the Ghanaians will lodge another complaint to CAF as they are not satisfied with security arrangements and safety of the team at the hotel.
He said the management of the Black Stars are not happy with security arrangements at the Hotel, adding that the security attacht to the team have not been up to the task.
He said the issues will dominate discussions at a meeting with officials of CAF on Saturday. The FA spokesman said they have also made an official complaint to the police for an investigation to be conducted into the matter. | > BACK to TOP < | No hostel for Ho Nursing School is unacceptable-Mama Atroto * Source: GNA | Ho, Jan. 23,GNA- Mama Atrato II, Board Chairperson, Ho Nurses' Training College, on Wednesday scolded the various governments for their inability to provide the Ho Nurses Training Institutions with hostels for students since its establishment.
She said that situation was unacceptable, especially when out of the 84 Nurses' Training Institutions in the country only the one at Ho was put up without hostels. Mama Atrato, who is also Queen of the Ho-Dome, a suburb of Ho, was speaking at the induction of 842 students, in the first and second years, admitted into the institutions for Community Health and General Nursing diplomas.
Mr. James Agboada, Principal, said as result of the unavailability of hostels and houses to rent for the students, they were scattered all over the town, many without places of convenience. He said despite the problem, which was affecting discipline the school was doing well, recording, 85.4 percent pass for Community Nurses and 66.2 for Registered General Nurses in the last exams. Mr. Agboada observed that nursing was a demanding profession that needed only dedicated people and that at anytime during the time of training, a student who felt he or she could not conform could quit. He said besides hostels, the institution was in dire need of additional classrooms, laboratories and an Assembly Hall. He said Lecturers also did not have accommodation, forcing some of them to commute to school from Akosombo, Tema and Dzodze. Mrs. Cecilia Kalitsi, Deputy Registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council, said the expectation of the Council was that students would come out to meet the demanding standards of nursing.
She said a good nurse must win the trust and confidence of clients. Mr. Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister regretted the disparity between numbers qualifying for the courses and numbers admitted, promising government would expand infrastructure to support higher enrolment. He said the doctors bungalows in Ho were about complete and would be occupied soon and that the defunct Worawora Nurses School would be reactivated and a new one established at Kete-Krachi. The Minister suggested that nursing trainers adopted the sandwich approach to increase access to training. Lt. Gen Arnold Quainoo, (rtd), Member of the Council of State, observed that efforts in formulating policies must reflect in changes for the better within the various sectors. | | > BACK to TOP < | Don't import foreign conventions to adulterate traditions - Veep * Source: GNA | Damongo (NR), Jan. 23, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to kingmakers of the Gonja Traditional Council not to import any foreign convention to adulterate their traditions on succession that would jeopardize the enskinment of their next king.
He said in Ghanaians had confidence in the succession of kingship in Gonjaland and stressed the need to choose a worthy successor to the king to ensure that the process was peaceful and devoid of acrimony to serve as a good legacy in honour of the late king.
Vice President Mahama made the appeal in Damongo on Friday when he led government delegation to the funeral of the Yagbonwura Bawa Doshie I, Overlord of Gonja, who died on January 1, this year after a protracted illness.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor accompanied with some former ministers under his regime were among the dignitaries who paid their last respect to the late Yagbonwura who many described as a unifier and a peacemaker.
Other dignitaries included some ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), District Chief Executives and a representative of Asantehene and were greeted with a display of rich Gonja culture and tradition. Vice President Mahama said: "As a son of Gonjaland, I plead that the honour we can give to our late king is to ensure that his succession is peaceful and devoid of acrimony," and that there should be no interference in the enskinment process.
He appealed to the Committee of Eminent Chiefs appointed by former President John Agyekum Kufuor to mediate in the Dagbon crisis not to allow the death of Yagbonwura to affect their work in finding lasting peace for Dagbon.
He said it was necessary to allow those given with the authority to choose a worthy successor based on tradition, customs and usages of Gonja and allow who ever is chosen be a worthy successor to fill the vacuum created as a result of the king's death.
On the creation of a new Region out of the Northern Region, which the late king was a strong advocate, Vice President Mahama said government was in the process of setting a committee of inquiry to do the necessary due diligence on justification to split the region into two.
He if the committee recommends a split, the government would act on it and a referendum would be decided and if 80 per cent vote in favour, the splitting of the region would be done.
He announced that the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has accepted to fund the construction of the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road, which aprt from its socio-economic benefits to the people would be a tribute to the late king while the Japanese government was also providing funds to expand the Damongo water treatment plant.
Mr.Kufuor described the late king as a unifier, peace-maker and looked beyond his traditional boundaries in search of peace. According to Mr. Kufuor, every meeting between the two of them was an occasion for the king to surprise him with his depth of wisdom. He said the late king lived a life worthy of emulation and appealed to the people of Gonjaland to choose a worthy successor to continue from where the late king left of.
The Yagbonwura Bawa Doshie I, who died on January 1, this year, left behind three widows, 25 children and 66 grand children. | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | Archived News for 2010 | | | Saturday, 23 January 2010 | - Ashanti NPP Chair mad at Nana Addo - Ministry takes steps to save Adomi Bridge from collapse - Ghanaian sports journalists assaulted by security officials - No hostel for Ho Nursing School is unacceptable-Mama Atroto - Don't import foreign conventions to adulterate traditions - Veep - Angolan Police Deny Ghana 'Intimidation' - Don't over rely on the oil sector - Dr Nkrumah cautioned | | | Archived News for 2010 | Go to 22.01.2010 Go to 21.01.2010 | Go to 15.01.2010 Go to 14.01.2010 Go to 13.01.2010 Go to 12.01.2010 Go to 11.01.2010 Go to 10.01.2010 Go to 09.01.2010 Go to 08.01.2010 Go to 07.01.2010 Go to 06.01.2010 Go to 05.01.2010 Go to 04.01.2010 | | Your REPORT Your STORIES * Your PHOTOS PUBLISH NOW! | 
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| | | | * 23.01.2010 | Angolan Police Deny Ghana 'Intimidation' * Source:AFP | Angolan police dismissed out of hand an accusation of intimidation made by the Ghana team ahead of Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations' quarter-final with hosts Angola.
Ghana complained on Friday of "disgraceful intimidatory" tactics deployed by Angolan security forces designed they claimed to destabilise them ahead of the last eight face off with Angola.
The declaration by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) followed what was described as a "brutal" attack on a Ghana journalist at the team hotel in Luanda.
GFA spokesman Randy Abbey condemned the attack and another reported assault on a fan last Tuesday as well as other incidents which have injected a distinct note of bad blood ahead of Sunday's match.
Abbey confirmed an official complaint had been delivered to organisers CAF citing "the harassment and intimidation tactics that the Angolans are deploying".
"We've compiled all these and lodged a formal complaint with CAF - then this issue (the attack on the journalist) took place," he told a press conference at the team hotel in Luanda on Friday morning.
"Football has come of age - these incidents shouldn't occur in 2010, perhaps in the 80s it would be understandable.
"This is disgraceful; we're just hoping that things will improve.
"But if it's because they (Angola) are dreading the possibility of elimination, then they better come again because we intend to defeat them and they can assault us however much they like."
Angolan police later rejected Ghana's claims.
"The Ghana team like all the other teams competing in the Africa Cup of Nations are welcome in Angola.
"There is no question of any intimidatory tactics being used," an incredulous Jorge Bengue, spokesman for the Angolan police, told AFP late on Friday.
Ghana made their claims after Ghana reporter, Fiifi Tackie, working for private radio station Radio Gold, was apparently set upon by police and security officials after being refused access to a press conference.
One witness, Ghana journalist Franck Abdai, told AFP: "The reporter was denied permission to attend the press conference, and was surrounded by security officers and police and beaten up.
"He was arrested but later released."
Ghana radio station Peace FM reported on its website: "The journalist was brutally attacked."
This account was however challenged by Bengue, who said: "This morning at Ghana's team hotel a Ghana journalist tried to get into the press conference without accreditation.
"Security were on hand and after around five or ten minutes he was allowed to go in. There was no major incident."
Before this altercation the GFA had already written to organisers CAF to complain after a fan was attacked by police at Tuesday's game against Burkina Faso.
Abbey listed other examples of what the GFA claimed were heavy-handed police tactics since their arrival in the Angolan capital.
"We have issues with the Angolan Police - they've set-up a 24 hour surveillance unit transmitting live from our hotel with the use of an OB (Outside Broadcast) van.
"When we protested, they presented a different story and even went to the extent of accusing us of assaulting their policemen.
"We find that very unfortunate.
"The other issue has to do with Obour (the Ghana supporter).
"He was beaten up and his private organ allegedly pulled...As I speak to you now, his medical bill is about 900 dollars.
"There have been a couple of occasions where security personnel detailed to provide us protection at training grounds, are found to be either asleep or loitering about, whiles the team is on a bus waiting for them...sometimes for more than 40mins."
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