| 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 | | | | * 27.01.2010 | Accra slums to access potable water * Source: Public Agenda | World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 90% of all global diarrhea cases can be attributed to inadequate sanitation, hygiene and unclean water.
In addition to this, 300,000 cases of Malaria occur in Ghana every year from inadequate sanitation among others.
In view of these problems, especially in some urban slums in Ghana, the Corporative Housing Foundation (CHF), a non- profitable organisation with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has lunched a three year programme dubbed Ghana Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene for Urban Poor (WASH-UP).
Communities to benefit from the programme include Avenor, Nima and Ayidiki a suburb of Newtown in Accra, New Takoradi and Kojokrom in Sekondi Takoradi in the Western Region where water, sanitation, hygiene and related problems are particularly severe.
Speaking at the launch on thursday, the Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hon Alhaji Saani Iddi disclosed that the Ministry has reviewed the National Housing Policy to include some innovative solutions for slum challenges.
He noted that the Water Policy, which provided the framework for the development of water resources in Ghana, would ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the management for the water resources by assuring full socio-economic benefits for present and future generations.
This is targeted at all water users and providers, water managers and practitioners, policy makers, NGOs and International Organisations, he added.
The Minister stressed that the Government of Ghana was in support of all initiatives as proposed in the NDC Manifesto which states that it will work to ensure that every household has reliable and affordable drinking water and implement strategies for maintenance and improvement of drainage and expand public sewage to other urban centers.
Francis Philip Ampadu, the programmes coordinator of CHF mentioned that the project being undertaken will fall under five interventions namely water, sanitation, business, behavioral change communication and governance.
Under these interventions are pipe extensions, water kiosks, household connections, roof catchments, improved water supply, household and school toilets, micro -credit, capacity-building, business improvement, business information.
Explaining what CHF will be doing, he told the audience that "The behavioral change communication and governance includes hygiene promotion, hand washing facility, strengthening of linkages between partners, capacity building, and inclusions of community interests in metropolitan plans."
Hon. Isaac Tetteh Bossah, the Assembly member for Avenor told this paper that he was grateful for the implementation of the project since the Avenor community has for sometime been faced with the problem of drainage, due to the nature of the area. He promised to advise his community members to participate in and support the smooth running of the project. | | | | ______________________ |
| * * * * * Please note: Some links may open in a new window! 
| LATEST GHANA NEWS Wednesday, 27 January 2010 WEEK 04 - 2010 |
| * Wednesday, 27 January 2010 | Mills Must Be Reshuffled! * Source: Daily Searchlight | LAWYER OWUSU Afriyie, an aspirant for the position of General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said that if there is any reshuffle to be made, then President Professor John Atta Mills needs to be reshuffled first, because he is the epitome of incompetence in as far as the governance of the nation is concerned!
He has also described the first year of the Mills-led administration as a total disaster, which has left a bitter taste in the mouths of all Ghanaians.
Lawyer Owusu Afriyie, who is popularly called Sir John, made these assertions in an interview with the Daily Searchlight yesterday. He stressed that Ghanaians were facing so many difficulties as a result of the incompetence of National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
“If you look at the past one year that Professor Mills has been the leader of this country, things are moving backwards over one hundred and eighty (180) degrees and the man is asleep, he cannot move and he is static and nothing in this country is moving,” he stated.
According to him, the epoch where one could get up early in the morning and hope for something better in the day were over, and this is due to the pitiless economic decisions by the government.
“Again in one year, businesses have collapsed, unemployment has risen, petroleum prices have been quadrupled and everything is not moving well,” he observed.
Ghanaians he said have regretted voting for the NDC and are yearning to see the return of the NPP back to power in 2012.
“This is a cosmetic reshuffle that he has done and the most important thing is that the man is asleep and very slow also. The President should wake up or either Ghanaians will show him the exit,” he said.
“Even President Rawlings has said there is pain in the chest of some people and also there is nothing new in the reshuffle. He is just reshuffling for the sake of it,” he claimed.
Lawyer Owusu Afriyie noted that it was obvious that the first year reign of the Professor Mills-led government has brought the nation to the brink, with sharp divisions in the society, a situation that is created by a government into whose bosom the good people of Ghana have invested their destinies.
He however expressed optimism and hopes that life under the NPP would restore confidence in Ghanaians and urged party faithful to ‘plan strategically’ and get involved in the ‘ongoing restructuring’ of the party.
Meanwhile in parliament, the New Patriotic Party MP for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, who describes Mr. Bagbin as a “heavyweight” in parliamentary affairs, said he is yet to come to terms with what informed the President’s decision to move the Majority Leader to the Works, Housing and Water Resources ministry.
“They are the most experienced Members of Parliament that you can have at any given point in time,” he said.
“I don’t [think] that it is a deliberate ploy to weaken Parliament as an institution but it is unfortunate that they are taking all three of them and other experienced Members of Parliament to the Executive side… Parliament will be very, very week.”
However National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Mfantseman West, Aquinas Quansah, has expressed different concerns.
He is unhappy that most of the MPs were not consulted before the changes to their leadership were made.
“Just consult us so that, at least, we’ll be in the know. We just don’t wake up and the following day we know we are coming to meet a new leader,” he indicated.
But another NDC MP disagrees. Dominic Azumah, MP for Garu Timpani believes the appointments will not create any vacuum in Parliament.
He said the current leadership of the House has shown that they are capable of handling affairs. | | > BACK to TOP < | Reshuffle Wahala: MPs React * Source: Ghanaian Times | The reconvening of Parliament yesterday was over-shadowed by the cabinet reshuffle on Monday that saw major changes in the Majority leadership in the House.
Having some fun.. Hon. Akua Sena Dansua (Ms) and Hon. I.T. Mensah (NDC)
Three longest serving Members of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, Majority leader (NDC-Nadowli West), John Akologu Tia (NDC-Talensi), Deputy Majority Leader and E.T. Mensah (NDC-Ningo Prampram), Majority Chief Whip have been re-assigned to ministerial positions.
The re-shuffling of the three and of the Cabinet in general triggered comments from a section of MPs. In interview with the Times at Parliament House, Ambrose Dery (NPP-Lawra Nandom) Deputy Minority Leader, lamented the absence of the three MPs, saying their experience would be greatly missed and would certainly affect the work of the House.
“I will certainly miss the Majority Leader, Alban Bagbin, on the front bench of the Majority caucus,” he said. He, however, acknowledged that the NDC had the prerogative to decide who should be where and at what time. Mr Dery expressed the hope that the incoming leadership, made up of Cletus Avoka as Majority Leader and Rashid Pelpuo as his Deputy, would fill the gap being created.
Mr Dery said Mr Bagbin’s absence would be most felt at this time when the leadership of the house was working to strengthen parliament as an independent arm of governance.
Expressing similar sentiments, Frederick Opare-Ansah (NPP-Suhum) and Minority Chief Whip, said removing experienced Members of Parliament from the Majority bench to the Executive “would have an effect on the work of Parliament”.
Mr Opare-Ansah said legislative work thrived on consensus-building which the leadership had tried to maintain in the House with the outgoing leadership. He expressed the hope that the incoming Majority leadership would follow in the same vein, adding, “if we are to have belligerent, uncooperative leadership in the House, then we will run into problems with the work of Parliament.”
Welcoming the reshuffle as a normal practice in governance, John Ackah, (NDC-Suaman) said it would afford others the opportunity to build on what their predecessors had left. He said though the services of the outgoing leadership would be needed in the House, their services would equally be needed in other areas.
Mr Ackah, who is the Chairman of the Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture said, Rashid Pelpuo was doing well as the Sports Ministry but the President probably thought that he could perform the same way in Parliament.
Mr Mathias Puozia (NDC-Nadowli East) said although changes were necessary, it should not be so radical but should be made in a piecemeal fashion. “I think that, this will not augur well for the majority,” Mr Puozaa added.
Earlier on the floor of Parliament, the Minority spokesman on Youth, Sports and Culture, Isaac Asiamah (NPP-Atwima Mponua), kicked against the reshuffle at the Sports Ministry “at this moment when the Minister is leading the Black Stars at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.”
Mr Asiamah said if the Black Stars should fail to win the cup, he would blame it on the reshuffle.
| | > BACK to TOP < | Farmers call on govt to ban importation of rice * Source: GNA | | Tamale, Jan. 27, GNA - Government has been asked to ban the importation of rice into the country and encourage the production and consumption of the foodstuff locally. |  Ghana-Net.com`s - pro Ghana Rice..campaign | Mr. Mohammed Adam Nashiru, President of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, a civil society organization, who made the call, suggested to the authorities to increase tariff on imported rice, to create market for locally produced rice to increase the income of farmers to support the economy.
The leader of the Association was speaking at a meeting of rice farmers from the Tamale area, on Tuesday. Mr. Nashiru said the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Region Regions (the three Northern Regions) last year produced 500,000 metric tones of rice and could meet the local demand for the staple. He expressed worry that lack of interest and political will by successive governments to support rice production had led to low production of the crop in the country.
Mr. Nashiru called on government to take positive steps to support farmers to increase yield to reduce the country's high import bill on rice. Mr. Roy Ayariga, National Programme Coordinator of the Northern Rural Growth Programme, advised rice and maize farmers in the three Northern regions to increase output since local and external demand for rice and maize was high.
He encouraged farmers in the Northern Region to engage in dry season farming to increase production. The Single Mothers, operators of a restaurant in Bolgatanga, served local rice as lunch for the participants, to promote the consumption of the food in the country. | | > BACK to TOP < | “NPP Has Not Learnt Lessons From My Book” – Arthur Kennedy * Source: Peacefmonline | Former Communications Director for the Nana Addo Campaign Team in the 2008 General Elections, Dr. Kobina Arthur Kennedy, is expressing worry about the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s lack of united front in fighting a common cause.
According to the former NPP presidential aspirant, who was pilloried and maligned following a book he authored and titled, “Chasing The Elephant Into The Bush; The Politics of Complacency”, his Party has not learnt any useful lessons from their 2008 election loss.
“The leaders of the party have fallen prey to unhealthy activities characterized by factions in the party…But one day the NPP will thank me for my wonderful works especially in the next general elections in 2012,” he said.
Dr. Arthur Kennedy said he has detailed various suggestions in his book and some other measures that the party must in order to win power back again from the ruling NDC government.
Speaking on Adom FM, he said, NPP activists and party sympathizers will attribute the party’s victory in the 2012 elections to the fact that they heeded his advice, which is contained in the book, and “in the same way NPP party leaders should be blamed for deriding his advice should there be an electoral loss.”
In a related development, acclaimed playwright and poet, “Uncle” Ebo Whyte, has lauded Dr. Arthur Kennedy for his resolve to write a book about the NPP’s electoral defeat in spite of the fact that he will be the bad books of some influential people or elders of the party.
“He knew the price he was going to pay. Dr. Kennedy knew this could bring trouble, yet he looked beyond his personal political gain,” he said.
Speaking on the same platform, Mr. Ebo Whyte was of the view that “if there were two or three such books, Ghana’s politics will change.”
“If anyone believes it does not give a true account of what happened, he or she should also write one,” he added. | | | | | | | | | | | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | Archived News for 2010 | | | Wednesday, 27 January 2010 | - Mills Must Be Reshuffled! - Reshuffle Wahala: MPs React - Farmers call on govt to ban importation of rice - “NPP Has Not Learnt Lessons From My Book” – Arthur Kennedy - AFAG slams persecution of EO Group! - Accra slums to access potable water - Minister Caught Bonking In Car | | | Go to 28.01.2010 Go to 26.01.2010 Go to 25.01.2010 Go to 24.01.2010 Go to 23.01.2010 | 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! | 
| | All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | | 
| 
| | | | * 27.01.2010 | AFAG Slams Persecution Of EO Group! * Source: Daily Searchlight | The Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) has reacted angrily to the political persecution of Ghanaian businessmen and especially that of the Ghanaian shareholders in KOSMOS Energy, the EO group, the company that discovered Ghana’s oil fortune.
According to the group it has been following with keen interest the unfolding drama with shock and dismay.
According to AFAG, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which is an off-spring of the PNDC has set its regime on the premise of attacking indigenous businessmen, labeling them as thieves and imperialist collaborators. The latest victim of these activities is the EO group owned by Mr. George Owusu and Dr. Bawuah Edusei.
AFAG has wandered why the Attorney General of the Republic would charge the EO group with 25 counts leaving KOSMOS alone when both companies entered into an agreement with the Government of Ghana (GoG).
AFAG described the charges as floppy and politically motivated and intended to dent the image of the two in the corporate world and to devalue KOSMOS shares.
The charges include failure to call an annual general meeting in the year 2003 and failure to circulate profit/loss account.
Addressing the media yesterday, Anthony Karbo, a leading member of AFAG, said that giants in the oil industry like Hunt Oil, Fusion Oil and gas, Santa Fe, NUEVO and Dana all came to Ghana to explore Oil in commercial quantities but they failed and described Oil exploration in Ghana as a ‘grave yard’.
“But for the perseverance and dedication of the EO group after being rejected by 12 oil companies in USA, Ghana wouldn’t have found the Jubilee Oil Fields”, Karbo stated.
The group also revealed that the Chinese oil company that reluctantly rejected coming to Ghana to explore oil in 2003 is now in a position to buy $4 billion shares of KOMOS with the help of Tsatsu Tsikata in order to produce Oil when they could not afford $1million to drill an oil well in a day when the EO group solicited for their interest.
The 3.5% working interest owned by the EO group has become the subject of the persecution, even though it forms part of the 90% shares of KOMOS Oil, and not from the 10% shares of Ghana.
The proposals to give 90% shares to the exploring private firm and 10% to state was introduced by Tsatsu Tsikata, the person allegedly fronting for the Chinese Oil Company, as an enticement sufficient enough to bring foreign experts to explore at their own cost. | Minister Caught Bonking In Car * Source: NewsOne | Ordinarily, having an extramarital affair is no news in Ghana but Ghanaians would be interested in the story of a very top politician who was caught having sex with a young lady in his car.
The said vehicle is a black Toyota Land Cruiser V8 with dark tainted glasses. The lady in question is not a public figure and her identity is yet to be uncovered. The face and voice of the said politician has become very popular in the media and he is said to be the owner of at least one tractor. He does not hail from Southern Ghana and he is noted for being quick in responding to issues in the media.
The ‘News-One’ newspaper gathered from the grapevine that about a month ago, the politician’s vehicle was seen parked at a serene location near Cantonments in Accra when a group of young men, upon seeing the vehicle, started to argue among themselves that the vehicle might belong to a rich person.
The young men, when they got closer to the V8, observed it was bouncing in a rather unusual manner and that someone was moaning faintly in the vehicle. Out of curiosity, the youngsters decided to peep into the vehicle to find out why it was bouncing, only for them to see two people having sex at the rear seat.
Because of the tainted nature of the glasses, they could not see the occupants clearly so some of them went to the front of the car and started to peep from the windscreen which was not tainted. The occupants of the vehicle, on seeing the youngsters, got alarmed but could not move the vehicle because both of them were on the rear seat.
It was when he got down from the rear seat that the youngsters recognized him and started to call him, Honourable’, honourable’. He reportedly gave the youngsters an amount of money before moving the vehicle. Having been rendered redundant for several months due to his basket mouth, the bonking politician has been caught up in the recent cabinet reshuffle. | | |
|
|