| News Home (Main Page) |  | | LATEST WORLD NEWS | | | | | 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 Adinkra | Names in Ghana | | | | * 10.05.2010 | Minister justifies assemblies' purchase of Low Cost houses * Source: | Bolgatanga, April 11, GNA - Mr. Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, has said the decision of the Regional Coordinating Council and District Assemblies to purchase government low cost houses in the region was to ensure that workers posted to the region had accommodation. He said since there was no private estate developer in the Region it was very difficult getting accommodation for workers posted to the Region resulting in many of them refusing postings to the area. Last week occupants of government houses in the Region held a press conference in Bolgatanga to protest against the decision of the RCC and District Assemblies to purchase the houses instead of allowing the occupants to buy.
The occupants said in the 2004 budget statement, government set out a policy to sell Low cost houses across the country to tenants. They said attempts by them to purchase the houses had proved futile and they were surprised to hear that the RCC and the Assemblies had decided to purchase the houses and rent them out to workers | Policeman in Tamale remanded for attempted murder * Source: GNA | Tamale, May 11, GNA - A Tamale Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Gabriel Tey Mantey, has remanded into prison custody, Lance Corporal Mathew Nde Appiah 32, for the attempted murder of his wife.
His plea was not taken and he would reappear on May 24.
Prosecuting on Monday, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Caesar Abanga told the court that Lance Corporal Mathew Nde Appiah, stationed at Tamale, on Friday, May 7, at about 0500 hours, went to the charge office and booked for an AK47 rifle for official duties.
He said Nde Appiah returned home, at about 0900 hours to take his breakfast but suddenly gunshots were heard from his house and people rushed to the scene to find the wife in a pool of blood.
DSP Abanga said she was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital where she is still receiving treatment and pleaded with the court to remand the accused for proper investigations to be conducted.
Meanwhile, three of the four persons arrested for attempting to send ammunitions to Bunkrurugu/Yonyoo, on Saturday, have been charged for possessing ammunitions without lawful authority.
Chief Inspector Ebenezer Tetteh, the Public Relations Officer of the Northern Police Command, told the GNA, on Monday, that the case docket had been forwarded to the Attorney General's Office for study and prosecution. He said Jocab Kolan 39, Seidu Larri 25, Goori Duut 30, were in police custody awaiting trial while Abdulai Ibrahim 35, the driver had been granted police enquiry bail to report periodically while investigations continued. | New School Complex for Navrongo * Source: GNA | Gaani (U/E), May 11, GNA - The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo, has cut the sod for work to begin on a new school for Our Lady of Lourdes Girls Senior High School at Gaani in the Kassena-Nankana East District.
The first phase of the project, which is funded by the GETFund, is valued at 1.4 million Ghana Cedi and would include a dormitory, classrooms and access routes to the various sections of the school.
The Gaani community presented a 280-hectare land to the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese which is the main owner of the project. The Church decided to convert the school, which is a mixed school, to a girls' school.
The new facilities for the school would include an administration block, a library, 800 capacity dining hall, two senior staff bungalows and four semi-detached staff bungalows all to be completed by September next year.
Mr. Woyongo commended the Chief and people of Gaani for releasing land for the construction of the school and urged the school authority to ensure that the necessary documentations on the land were secured to forestall future litigation.
The Headmistress of the school, the Reverend Sister Martina Naameh, said the school was initially established in 1958 for girls as a middle school to relieve them from travelling long distance to Saint Agnes School in the Upper West Region.
She said the school had metamorphosed from a co-educational institution to a single sex school, a decision taken by the late Bishop of the Diocese, Most Reverend Lucas Abadamloora, to promote girls' education. The Chief of Gaani, Naba John Akayela, thanked the church and government for the project.
He said the community also needed portable water and irrigation dam for dry season farming and to serve as source of drinking water for their animals. | | . | | ______________________ |
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| Latest Ghana News Tuesday, 11th May 2010 WEEK 19 - 2010 | * Tuesday, 11th May 2010 | "I am the best man to lead the NPP and Ghana now" - Prof. Frimpong-Boateng * Source: GNA | | Dormaa Ahenkro (B/A), May 11, GNA - Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirant in the 2012 Presidential election on Thursday reiterated that Ghana could only actualise its dream of becoming a wealthy and prosperous nation if the structure of the national economy was changed from dependency on the export of raw materials. The current global socio-economic development trends and dictates required that the base and foundation of the nation's economy must be science/technology- led and knowledge-driven, with due application of environmental best practices, he stressed.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng, an internationally renowned cardio thoracic surgeon, who began his campaign last Saturday, was addressing a meeting of polling station executives of the party at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong-Ahafo Region.
The campaign slated to be formerly launched on Wednesday, May 19, at the Christ the King Hall in Accra, took the professor to 12 constituencies in the Region.
They included Tano North, Tano South, Asunafo North, Asunafo South, Asutifi North, Asutifi South, Sunyani East, Sunyani West, Brekum, Dormaa East, Dormaa West and Jaman South constituencies, where he implored party members to give him the mandate to lead the NPP in the next presidential election.
He told the would-be delegates to the party's upcoming congress at which the flag bearer would be elected, that a vote for him would signify a drastic change in the nation's socio-economic development.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng indicated that Ghana needed a visionary and pragmatic leader who was abreast with the complex issues of globalization and also understood what was needed to achieve socio-economic development, explaining that it revolved around commitment to, and effective application of, science and technology.
He said the poverty gap of the country resulted from the failure by successive governments to realize that science and technology under-pinned the development paradigm of all prosperous nations in this era, adding the Asian Tigers of South Korea, Malaysia and China were clear examples. Citing his experiences and achievements in the fields of medicine, management, administration and farming, Professor Frimpong-Boateng argued that he was the rightful candidate to lead the NPP to save the country from socio- economic stagnation.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng, therefore, appealed to the delegates to give him the party's mandate and subsequently assist in the campaign to wrestle political power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2012 general election.
He debunked the heroic claim by some members of the NPP that they had suffered, sweated and toiled for the progress and stability of the party. The Presidential hopeful described those assertions as unjustifiable, saying that was not necessarily a qualification for one to be given the mandate as the party's flag bearer.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng explained that the real heroes who had suffered and toiled for the survival of the party were those who lost their lives, resulting in perpetual grief and pain for their parents and relatives during the events of 1995 "Kumepreko," demonstration, and the 2009 Chereponi by-election among others.
He intimated that he had been initiated into the United Party (UP) tradition as a boy in 1958 by his late grandfather, Opanin Kwame Appiah, a pillar of UP in the Atwima-Nwabiagya Constituency, adding that he had been involved in the affairs of the party ever since. Besides being a founding member of NPP in 1992, an active Kumepreko participant in 1995, offering financial support to some party members since 1992, and providing medical and surgical treatments to party members, he had also saved the lives of victims of violence of the Kumepreko in 1995, and at Chereponi and Yendi in 2009, he stated.
The NPP Presidential aspirant said his professional accomplishments had provided the pedestal for the necessary international good-will that would facilitate any attempt to obtain foreign assistance where necessary for the country. He added that the German Government would help efforts to improve primary health-care such as malaria treatment and eradication.
"Ghana is the only place where the German Government assisted in the establishment of the National Cardiothoracic Centre with supplies credit of 16 Million Deutsche Marks to provide equipment apart from the provision of seven personnel including Doctors, Nurses and Technicians whom they paid for seven years because they knew that I could handle the high-tech nature of the project"
Professor Frimpong-Boateng indicated. Mr Adusei Sarkodie, former Member of Parliament for the Atwima-Nwabiagya constituency and a member of the Professor's campaign team, described him as a unifier who would be acceptable to not only NPP followers but all Ghanaians.
He said Ghana had had enough of leaders with political science, sociology, military and legal backgrounds since independence but seemed to be "marking time" in the quest to better the lot of the people, hence this time the mantle of leadership should be given to someone with science and technology background for a change in the country's development paradigm. He, therefore, said among the party's presidential aspirants Professor Frimpong-Boateng possessed the requisite credentials to lead the party and the country.
Dr. Kofi Sarpong, a medical practitioner and an executive member of the NPP in the United States of America, said among the five candidates Professor Frimpong-Boateng was the one with the pedigree and without any blemish to attract floating voters to enable the NPP to recapture political power in 2012. | > BACK to TOP < | Managements of four companies appeal to President Mills for redress * Source: GNA | Tema, May 11, GNA - Nana Kwadzo Arthur, Managing Director of Odart Stevedor Company, has appealed to President John Evans Atta Mills for assistance in the renewal of licences for four stevedoring companies that have been withdrawn by the management of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
The companies involved, Odart Stevedor, Dashwood, CTS and Fountain View Stevedor, have also been directed by GPHA to cease operations. A letter dated April 22, 2010 signed by Mr N.P. Galley, Director- General of GPHA, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday, directed managements of the companies to disengage from the Tema Port by Sunday, May 30, 2010.
Nana Arthur, making the appeal in an interview with the GNA, said the companies had contributed to operations in the shipping industry and were surprised by the directive from GPHA that was likely to affect about 5,000 workers who had to be laid off due to the withdrawal of their licences. In a related development, workers unions from the affected companies on Monday jointly held a press conference to draw government's attention to the directive, and appealed to management of GHPA to reconsider its decision not to renew their operating licences.
Wearing red arm-bands and bearing placards with various inscriptions amid chanting of war songs, the workers expressed displeasure over the directive from management of GPHA. Mr J.A. Beninya Abdul Hakeem, Spokesperson for the workers' Unions, expressed confidence in the government, saying "as a father for the nation President Mills should demonstrate the 'I care for you attitude' to intervene in the matter.
"The recent cancellation of the operating licences have affected and would continue to affect most of us because we do not even expect to be paid salaries for this month. The Minister of Transport and Director-General of GPHA should consider the amount of money the State would lose through the non-payment of income tax and SSNIT contributions as a result of this action," he said. Mr Hakeem appealed to government to handle the issue with a sense of urgency devoid of discrimination. | > BACK to TOP < | JJ Strikes Kufuor Again * Source: GNA | Barely 24 hours after arriving in Accra from Kumasi, where he and his sweetheart attended the 60th Birthday bash of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, former president Rawlings has gone public to deny that he had reconciled with former President Kufuor, as was published by The Chronicle and other media publication last week Friday.
Mr. Rawlings claims he was ambushed in Kumasi, and that there was no reconciliation, as was published by the media. Speaking to joyonline in Accra on Friday, former President Jerry John Rawlings insisted that he would keep chasing after justice for injustices, corruption, and crimes that occurred under the Kufuor-led administration.
And, until that is achieved, Rawlings said he would find it difficult reconciling his indignation at the rule and person of Kufuor, so much as to render efforts at reconciling their differences unproductive.
According to Rawlings, he was grateful for the many efforts Otumfuo was making to reconcile him and Kufuor, however, it would be a dangerous precedent to set if the many crimes and blatant corrupt practices that were fictitiously investigated, do not come to justice. “Quite frankly, I don’t see how we can talk about resolving differences, when these issues have not been dealt with, have not been investigated, etc., okay. Resolving so-called differences can come about, you know, when we get to the bottom of the abuses that took place (under the Kufuor-led government). In other words, let’s come to terms with the reality of what happened.
“I am a strong believer of justice, in the power of virtue, okay, and I am afraid if people are going to practice vice, and you expect me to feel comfortable with them, I will have difficulties with that, and so will my wife,” former President Rawlings reiterated.
The following is how The Chronicle reported the original story on Friday, read on. The Long-cherished dreams of many Ghanaians to see the two country’s surviving former presidents, Mr. Jerry John Rawlings and Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, come together, came to pass yesterday, when the two exchanged pleasantries at the 60th Birthday of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, which was held at the St. Cyprians Anglican Church in Kumasi.
The proud and colourful occasion, which brought delegations from neighboring African countries, became the reconciliatory platform for the two prominent personalities, whose long standing political rivalry had become the source of concern to many Ghanaians. The two ex-presidents, and their better halves, exchanged heartwarming greetings and cheers in the presence of the Otumfuo, signifying the promise made by the Asantehene two years ago to reconcile the two experienced politicians.
During the 2008 electioneering campaign, the Asantehene made a promise, when ex-President Rawlings visited him at the Manhyia Palace, to foster unity between him and Mr. Kufuor, after the latter had left office.
Even though it is believed the two have been meeting the Royal King occasionally behind closed doors, what occurred at the St. Cyprian’s Cathedral yesterday, was a blissful and a memorable sight, which many Ghanaians will love to remember.
The forecourt of the Anglican Church was filled with the serene atmosphere of peace and unity, as the two former first couples joined the King of Asante to receive the communion and benediction from powerful clergies of the church. The occasion also climaxed the Asantehene’s 11 year reign, as the custodian of the Golden Stool and the Ashanti Kingdom. | > BACK to TOP < | Renovation of bungalow not for personal comfort - MCE * Source: GNA | Wenchi (BAR), May 11, GNA - Mr Yaw Osei Agyei, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Wenchi, said on Monday that the ongoing renovation of his official residence is not for his personal comfort. He said it was in line with keeping state assets and properties in good shape to benefit generations even yet unborn. He said this after conducting Mr Elvis Afrieyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and a group of journalists round the facility, to see the extent of damage caused to the three-bedroom house with boys' quarters at Wenchi.
The Works Department of the Wenchi Municipal Assembly, following a thorough assessment of the extent of deterioration, reviewed the cost of renovating the building to GHc45,000 as against an initial estimate of GHc23,000.
About a fortnight ago, newspaper reports criticised Mr Agyei for deciding to spend such an amount to renovate the building. But Mr Agyei said instead of criticising him for spending that amount on the project, he should rather be commended for taking the bold decision because "the more we continue to delay on putting it back in good shape, the more the cost of renovating it will continue to rise." He said the building was left to deteriorate in 2004 after its last occupant was transferred to head the Tain District, following agitation by residents against her rule in Wenchi.
Apart from the main structure which also needs some repair works, there is virtually nothing including windows, doors, tiling, ceiling, wiring among others on the building. He said since then, it had seen no renovation adding the next Chief Executive who was appointed in 2006 refused to stay in the building because of its deplorable nature and instead operated from a hotel which cost the Municipal Assembly huge sums of money. Mr Agyei said in keeping with modesty, which was the cornerstone of the Mills' administration, he decided to remain in his father's house where he grew up and run the affairs of the Municipality. Mr Afrieyie Ankrah, who was appalled at the deterioration of the building, called on all to uphold the culture of maintenance to preserve national property.
He commended the MCE for taking the bold decision to renovate the state property, saying it could even serve as an alternative lodging place for the President when so decided by National Security, whenever the President was in Wenchi.
Later, Mr Afrieyie Ankrah toured some ongoing projects including a six-unit classroom block with store, library and staff common room for Ayaayo community, six-unit classroom block with kindergarten and library for Subinso Number Two Primary School, and a three-unit classroom block with offices and store for Abotareye community. He also addressed Heads of Department and assembly members of the Municipality at the assembly hall and answered questions on government policies which included health, education, agriculture, roads construction and decentralization, among others.
The Deputy Minister is in the Region for a week's visit to familiarise himself with activities of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA's) and also to inspect ongoing development projects in six selected MMDA's. | > BACK to TOP < | President secures release of 6 Ghanaian detainees * Source: Daily Graphic | President John Evans Atta Mills has secured the release of six Ghanaians in prison custody in Equatorial Guinea for minor identification offences.
The President struck the deal with his Equatorial Guinean counterpart, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Thursday as part of his three-day state visit to that country, during which he affirmed Ghana’s ties with Equatorial Guinea.
This came to light when President Mills addressed the Ghanaian community in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, last Thursday.
He cautioned, however, that the gesture should not serve as a guarantee for them to indulge in negative practices in that country.
On the oil find in Ghana,the President assured Ghanaians living abroad that his administration would make judicious use of the oil.
He urged them to join forces with the government to ensure the rapid progress and development of Ghana.
The President acknowledged that Ghana had a lot to learn from Equatorial Guinea in the field of energy but noted that “we also have a strong human resource expertise to offer”.
He recalled the significant support Ghana gave to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire when those countries were engulfed in civil strife, as well as the peace-keeping role Ghana continued to play world-wide.
“With all these experiences, I am not in doubt that we can do it here. There is a lot we can do together to develop ourselves,” he stressed.
President Mills urged the people to respect the laws of the host country and also visit their country of origin to acquaint themselves with the development programmes of the government.
He said there was rule of law, democracy and respect for governance institutions which had made Ghana a model of good governance in Africa.
When he took his turn to address the gathering, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Chris Kpodo, described the relationship between President Mills and President Mbasogo was phenomenal and asked the Ghanaian community there not to engage in vices to soil the established ties.
“Whatever you do will go to enhance the image of your country. Whether you are here legally or illegally, you are Ghanaians and must be responsible,” he added.
He asked them to register in their various communities to enable the government to holistically address their concerns, saying, “It is only when you are united that we can tackle your challenges.” | | > BACK to TOP < | Don't settle defilement cases at home" -Mrs Abban *Source: GNA | Gomoa Afransi (C/R), May 11, GNA - Mrs Barbra Victoria Abban, Central Regional Coordinator of the Girl-Child, has urged traditional rulers, opinion leaders and politicians to avoid settling rape and defilement cases at home.
Mrs Abban said this at a three-day gender equality workshop at Gomoa Afransi in the Gomoa East. The workshop was sponsored by United Nation Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and organized for Chiefs, officials of the Gomoa East District Assembly, Media, Non Governmental Organization (NGOs), Religious leaders and opinion leaders. She explained that "such cases are first degree felony, because they are serious offences that should be handled by the court". "It is solely the responsibility of security agencies and government organizations to bring the perpetrators to book", she said. She noted that rape and defilement could damage the future of the victim and expressed concern about some chiefs, parents, heads of schools and circuit supervisors of the Ghana Education Service (GES), who conspired to settle these matters.
Mrs Abban appealed to the District Assemblies and traditional rulers to explain the harmful and dangerous effects of rape and defilement to young girls and urged them to be cautious with their dealings with men. The Regional Director of Ghana Education Service (GES) Mr Kwame Sarfo Kantaka in a speech read for him said the abolishing of school fees and the introduction of capitation grant at the basic schools has led to an increase in enrolment. According to the Regional Director, in the 2004-2005 academic year, Kindergarten enrolment went up from 500,000 to more than 800,000 whiles that of primary schools increased by 67 percent. Mr Kantaka noted that, Ghana is making a steady progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on universal primary education and gender equality in education in 2015. Mrs Betty Amissah, Gomoa East District Girl-Child Officer said a total of 13 school girls got pregnant during the 2009 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) but reduced to four this year. She said this laudable achievement was chalked because of the intensive educational programme embarked upon by the District Directorate of Girl-Child, on the dangers of teenage pregnancy and its related issues. | > BACK to TOP < |
| | | Tuesday, 11th May 2010 | "I am the best man to lead the NPP and Ghana now" - Prof. Frimpong-Boateng Managements of four companies appeal to President Mills for redress JJ Strikes Kufuor Again Renovation of bungalow not for personal comfort - MCE President secures release of 6 Ghanaian detainees Don't settle defilement cases at home" - Mrs Abban Deficit , a threat to Ghana’s economy – Veep NDC leadership in Volta calls for an end to mudslinging Community appeals against timber felling Registration of ECOWAS Nationals in VR begin this week Farmers attend rally on CSSVD Control at Suhum Minister justifies assemblies' purchase of Low Cost houses Policeman in Tamale remanded for attempted murder New School Complex for Navrongo | Your Opinions | Have Your Say!
| Archived News for 2010 | Go to 10.05.2010 | News Page was last modified on Tuesday, 11 May 2010 19:33:54 | 
| All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | | | * Tuesday, 11th May 2010 | Deficit , a threat to Ghana’s economy – Veep * Source: Ghanabusinessnews.com | The vice president, John Dramani Mahama says if efforts are not made to deal with the country’s deficit, the country will be sliding down the dangerous path of economic failure of other countries like Greece, warning that the country’s deficit is the most dangerous threat to the economy.
Mahama who was speaking at the event to honour the country’s Most Respected CEO and Company over the weekend said the country has a deficit of over $1.45 billion in the petroleum sector alone.
“The Ministry of Finance has paid $550m out of this,” he said. According to Mahama, in the non-petroleum sector, the country owes between $700 million and $1 billion.
He said the government was trying to refinance these debts, by making efforts to raise money from a consortium of banks.
In December 2009, the London-based Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) forecast that Ghana’s deficit will narrow to 8.4% in 2010 before the country starts to earn income from oil production due to begin in June 2010. But now the production date has been moved to December.
The EIU in its Country Report on Ghana for 2009 also said Ghana’s economic policy environment will remain challenging in 2010, even though the global economic environment is expected to improve slowly after the recession in 2009.
According to the report the recent decision by the government to accept financial assistance from the IMF and the World Bank is indicative of the challenges that the government sees ahead.
The Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), John Lipsky also urged the country to reduce her budget deficit and remain firmly committed to macroeconomic stabilisation over the next two years to create prospects for investment and accelerated growth.
“Despite recent improvements, the budget deficit is still high,” Mr. Lipsky told a press conference at the end of a two-day official visit to Ghana.
Ghana’s budget deficit is projected to decline to 7.5 per cent of GDP in 2010 from 9.5 per cent.
However, Mr. Lipsky said this must be reduced further if the country was to avoid the risk of using its revenue from oil to fund the deficit instead of investing in productive sectors.
In this direction, he called for strengthening budget implementation to create fiscal space for oil production revenue to be used for poverty reduction programmes.
“Ghana has to create some space by reducing the fiscal demand on the economy,” he added. | NDC leadership in Volta calls for an end to mudslinging * Source: GNA | Ho, May 11, GNA - The Volta Region leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on its members to desist from mudslinging and anonymous letters against officials as means of expressing their grievances.
"We entreat them to use legitimate channels of communication to seek redress to their concerns within the party," a statement signed by Mr Simon Amegashie-Viglo, Regional Secretary of the Party, said. The statement said investigations conducted by the leadership into allegations against some political office holders in the region have turned out to be false.
It said such negative approach to resolving grievances questioned the sincerity of those involved to the cause of the party. The statement appealed to "all NDC members in the region to exercise restraint and support the appointees to enable the government fulfil its promises to the people of Ghana." It said challenges confronting the government called for steadfast and committed loyalty to the party. | Community appeals against timber felling * Source: GNA | Nkatenkwan (E/R), May 11, GNA - The indiscriminate felling of timber at Abomina Nkatenkwan in the Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District, has resulted in the collapse of two houses and the destruction of 63 cocoa farms. Making an appeal through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after conducting newsmen to inspect the extent of damage caused on Monday, the opinion leaders of Nkatenkwan threatened mayhem and bloodshed should the practice of felling timber in their farms continued.
Baffour Osei Ntiful, Odikro (Chief) of the village, also the Chairman of the Unit Committee of the District Assembly and Mr Kwame Ntow, former assembly member for the area, said the poor farmers would not sit unconcern for their source of livelihood to be destroyed.
They accused one Mr Stephen Owusu, a contractor, of leading 11-member team of chainsaw operators to invade the community by felling timber indiscriminately in their farms without prior notice thereby destroying large quantity of foodstuffs and other cash-crops. When asked about his action, Mr Owusu told the community that government had given him a licence to do so but he could not produce any document as evidence.
When the community elders put pressure on him to stop his actions he threatened to arrest them.
Baffour Ntiful said at a stage, Mr Owusu took offence and together with his chainsaw operators, they attacked farmers, beat them up in order to pave way for their diabolical agenda, which in the end destroyed the 63 cocoa farms and the collapse of the two houses | Registration of ECOWAS Nationals in VR begin this week * Source: GNA | Ho, May 11, GNA - The Volta Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) would this week begin the registration of ECOWAS nationals resident in the region.
The exercise is in collaboration with the district assemblies and the Regional Coordinating Directorate. Mr Wisdom Dzomeku, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview said the exercise would document information needed for the easy location of these nationals. He said the district assemblies also needed this information for statistical purposes. Mr Dzomeku said those to be registered include Fulani Herdsmen. Meanwhile, the officials of the Immigration Service in collaboration with the Police, have located, cordoned off and sent back five herdsmen with 600 cows back to Togo.
They recently illegally entered the country through Agortime-Kpetoe. Mr Dzomeku said this followed reports by residents of Agortime-Kpetoe about the herdsmen and their cattle destroying farms in the area. | Farmers attend rally on CSSVD Control at Suhum * Source: GNA | Suhum (E/R), May 11, GNA - Participants at a farmers' rally at Suhum in the Eastern Region have described as laudable, the government's decision to allocate pesticides directly to farmers without cost. The forum was organised by the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) Control Unit of the Cocoa Board. Addressing over 360 farmers drawn from the Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District, Mr George Asante, Eastern Regional Manager of Cocoa Services Division, was emphatic that the supply of agro-chemicals, fungicides and insecticides was part of efforts by the government to help arrest the decline in cocoa production.
Mr Asante noted that the government through Cocoa Board had initiated a National Cocoa Diseases and Pest Control (CODAPEC) programme, dubbed: "Mass Spraying" to assist all cocoa farmers in the country to combat the capsid/mired and the black pod diseases. He stressed that the spraying programme had been a source of employment for the youth, involving sprayers, supervisors and mechanics in the rural communities, adding that the programme had also reduced significantly, the black pod disease and mired infestation. The Regional Manager warned that the practice of some spraying gangs to charge fees before farms are sprayed is illegal, untenable and seriously undermines the spraying exercise.
Mr Asante advised cocoa farmers to report whoever plays politics with the "mass spraying" exercise to either his office, the District Chief Executive or the Eastern Regional Minister.
He pointed out that to ensure a reduction in diversion, the police and other security agencies had been involved in checking and controlling the pilfering and illegal sale of the inputs at agro-chemical centres throughout the country and making periodic swoops to arrest and prosecute offenders. According to him, "with the additional measures put in place, the 2010 programme will be more successful and would make a significant contribution towards the attainment of the one million metric tonnes target by 2012." Mr William Wiafe Mintah, Deputy Regional Manager of Cocoa Services Division, spoke on replanting and rehabilitation, reminding cocoa farmers to be always responsible for the 'cultural practices,' which he explained to include pruning, brushing, shade management and removal of all other diseased pods, to ensure proper and satisfactory farming.
Mr Mintah urged the participants to allow their diseased cocoa trees to be cut down for replanting to ensure better yields, since cocoa farming is a business and their source of livelihood.
Earlier in a welcome address, Mr Michael Gyasi, District Cocoa Officer, said the first recorded export of beans from Ghana was in 1891 and since then cocoa had been the main export crop and a major source of foreign exchange for the nation.
Nana Debrah Amanor, District Chief Farmer, chaired the function. Other speakers were Madam Melody Atta, Regional Extension Officer and Mr Emmanuel Obeng, District Quality Control Division Officer. |
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