THE Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Church, Rt Rev. Francis Amenu, has underscored the need for Christians to renew their faith in Christ.
He said the call had become imperative, because no matter the situation one found oneself, the strength in the word of God would liberate one from fear and timidity, which would be replaced by the spirit of love and self-control.
He said humanity were faced with a myriad of problems, but with solace in Christ, all of them would be resolved because He only had control and power over all things.
Rt Rev. Amenu delivered this sermon on the theme: “Jesus the Lord of our storm” at a thanksgiving service to wind off a three-day 49th Northern Presbytery Delegate’s Conference of the church at Kadjebi over the weekend.
He said the victory of politicians was the work of God, and so they were expected to work conscientiously to leave a mark after their tenure in office.
Rev. Amenu called on the congregation in the church to play a part in addressing issues bordering on education, adding that church leaders should also take the lead in instilling discipline in schoolchildren, so that they could grow as responsible citizens.
He also called on the government to reconsider the administration of mission hospitals to avoid further deterioration of some of them, especially those at Adidome and Worawora.
The Presbytery Chairman, Rev. C.N. Agbley, for his part, said there was the need to strengthen cordial relationship between the church and the state to promote rapid and sound social, political, economic, moral and spiritual advancement of the nation.
He, however, decried the high rate of internet fraud by many young people, adding that this had attracted negative impact on the country, rendering international business transactions with Ghana suspect.
Rev. Agbley said child slavery into the fishing industry and the negative dress code among the youth were a worry to the church, and urged all and sundry, irrespective of their social status to help stand in the Lord and to remove those things that had made the Ghanaian society an uncomfortable place to live in.
The Northern Presbytery of the EP Church comprises Jasikan, Kadjebi, Ahamansu, Nkwanta, Asato, Asukawkaw, Tapa-Amanya, Kete-Krachi, Dambai, Bodada, Kpassa, Dodi-Papase and the Worawora areas.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
ASOGLI TRADITIONAL COUNCIL EXPRESSES CONCERN (PAGE 17)
The Asogli Traditional Council has expressed its concern on the deliberate misrepresentation and unsavoury remarks made against the Agbogbomefia, Togbe Afede XIV, in connection with the speech he delivered during the visit of President John Evans Atta Mills to the Volta Region last April.
The council explained that what the Agbogbomefia said were the exact and honest feelings of all genuinely concerned citizens of the Volta Region who were touched by the plight of their people and who wanted to do something about the situation.
The council said Togbe Afede XIV’s comments definitely did not refer to only the past eight years, though that was the most recent period since he had ruled for almost five years.
“Successive governments continued to pay very little attention to the development issues of the region,” the press release stated.
The release, jointly signed by the Fiaga of Matse Traditional Area, Togbe Osei Tutu IV; Fiaga of Ziavi Traditional Area, Togbe Kwaku Ayim IV, and Fiaga of Shia Traditional Area, Togbe Dadzawa III, and issued at Ho on Monday said it disagreed entirely with allegations that Togbe Afede’s remarks had tribal undertones and that tribalists hiding behind their mischievous interpretation of what Agbogbomefia said did so just to create disaffection for him.
It said as the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, he spoke on behalf of the chiefs and people of the region, which comprised several ethnic groupings like Ewes, Guans, Akans, Dangbes, Konkombas, among others.
Ever since he was installed as a traditional ruler, the Agbogbomefia has never made a speech without lamenting over the sorry state of his people and his desire to fight abject poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and disease.
He works so hard to get his people emancipated from the vicious circle of stagnation, it stated.
It, therefore, said that Agbogbomefia certainly expected the government to do its part to complement the efforts of the chiefs and the people, and if that was not forthcoming, he had every reason to say what he had said.
The council explained that what the Agbogbomefia said were the exact and honest feelings of all genuinely concerned citizens of the Volta Region who were touched by the plight of their people and who wanted to do something about the situation.
The council said Togbe Afede XIV’s comments definitely did not refer to only the past eight years, though that was the most recent period since he had ruled for almost five years.
“Successive governments continued to pay very little attention to the development issues of the region,” the press release stated.
The release, jointly signed by the Fiaga of Matse Traditional Area, Togbe Osei Tutu IV; Fiaga of Ziavi Traditional Area, Togbe Kwaku Ayim IV, and Fiaga of Shia Traditional Area, Togbe Dadzawa III, and issued at Ho on Monday said it disagreed entirely with allegations that Togbe Afede’s remarks had tribal undertones and that tribalists hiding behind their mischievous interpretation of what Agbogbomefia said did so just to create disaffection for him.
It said as the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, he spoke on behalf of the chiefs and people of the region, which comprised several ethnic groupings like Ewes, Guans, Akans, Dangbes, Konkombas, among others.
Ever since he was installed as a traditional ruler, the Agbogbomefia has never made a speech without lamenting over the sorry state of his people and his desire to fight abject poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and disease.
He works so hard to get his people emancipated from the vicious circle of stagnation, it stated.
It, therefore, said that Agbogbomefia certainly expected the government to do its part to complement the efforts of the chiefs and the people, and if that was not forthcoming, he had every reason to say what he had said.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
WORK IN UNITY — AHIADZRO (PAGE 15)
A veteran politician from the Volta Region, Mr Prince Ahiadzro, has asked residents of the Ketu-North District Assembly to work in unity and do away with trivial issues that can undermine the progress of the district and that of the nation as a whole.
He said Dzodze, the district capital, had been a focal point in the history of party politics because from independence, under Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to date, Dzodze had produced not less than seven regional ministers for the region.
He also said all the three regional chairmen of the Convention People’s Party(CPP), the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) came from Dzodze.
Mr Ahiadzro, who is the outgoing Regional Chairman of the CPP, appealed to President J.E.A Mills to re-nominate Mr Moses Azaglo as the District Chief Executive, with the assurance that this time round, he would be confirmed.
He expressed his regret that development was stagnated in the whole district, stressing that “nothing is going on in Ketu-North”.
He said Dzodze, the district capital, had been a focal point in the history of party politics because from independence, under Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to date, Dzodze had produced not less than seven regional ministers for the region.
He also said all the three regional chairmen of the Convention People’s Party(CPP), the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) came from Dzodze.
Mr Ahiadzro, who is the outgoing Regional Chairman of the CPP, appealed to President J.E.A Mills to re-nominate Mr Moses Azaglo as the District Chief Executive, with the assurance that this time round, he would be confirmed.
He expressed his regret that development was stagnated in the whole district, stressing that “nothing is going on in Ketu-North”.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
CEPS SUSPECTS RECRUITMENT (PAGE 3)
RECRUITMENT, transfers and promotions within the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) have been suspended until further notice.
The suspension, according to the Executive Secretary of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board (RAGB), Mr Sallas Mensah, is to facilitate the smooth integration of all the revenue agencies into one authority.
He gave the assurance, however, that more personnel would be recruited after the integration exercise and asked the staff not to fear any form of redundancy.
Mr Mensah was addressing CEPS officials at Aflao during an inspection tour of some revenue agencies in the Volta Region on Thursday.
He said the exercise was a challenging responsibility which needed the political will to execute, explaining that it was only Ghana and Nigeria that had delayed in integrating their revenue agencies into an authority, adding that study tours would be organised to countries which had the system in place to disabuse people’s minds about the negative perceptions they had of the concept.
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Aflao Collection Point and urged the personnel to remain committed in order to face the challenges in the changing world.
The Commissioner of CEPS, Mr Emmanuel Doku, said modern-day CEPS was expected to be instrumental in trade facilitation by checking counterfeit and contraband goods, illicit drugs and money laundering.
He said governments all over the world relied on CEPS to provide data on international trade and breaches of security, adding that the position of CEPS officials at the frontiers was pivotal in playing this key role.
Mr Doku said the automation project of the service was quite successful and that all major entry points of the nation had been automated, leaving just smaller stations to be tackled in a second phase.
He said the service was complying with all the recommendations from review workshops aimed at minimising revenue leakage, while facilitating trade, and added that the automation project had made CEPS to achieve its target in the last financial year.
He indicated that international training courses were in the offing to upgrade the knowledge of officials on new trends in international trade.
Mr Doku said the annual target set for the year had been reviewed from GH¢2,295.4 million to GH¢2,853 million and urged the staff to improve on their performance to be able to face the bigger task.
The Member of Parliament for Ketu-South, Mr Albert Zigah, advised CEPS at Aflao to maintain the prevailing high standards and urged its management to motivate the personnel for hard and diligent work done.
The suspension, according to the Executive Secretary of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board (RAGB), Mr Sallas Mensah, is to facilitate the smooth integration of all the revenue agencies into one authority.
He gave the assurance, however, that more personnel would be recruited after the integration exercise and asked the staff not to fear any form of redundancy.
Mr Mensah was addressing CEPS officials at Aflao during an inspection tour of some revenue agencies in the Volta Region on Thursday.
He said the exercise was a challenging responsibility which needed the political will to execute, explaining that it was only Ghana and Nigeria that had delayed in integrating their revenue agencies into an authority, adding that study tours would be organised to countries which had the system in place to disabuse people’s minds about the negative perceptions they had of the concept.
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Aflao Collection Point and urged the personnel to remain committed in order to face the challenges in the changing world.
The Commissioner of CEPS, Mr Emmanuel Doku, said modern-day CEPS was expected to be instrumental in trade facilitation by checking counterfeit and contraband goods, illicit drugs and money laundering.
He said governments all over the world relied on CEPS to provide data on international trade and breaches of security, adding that the position of CEPS officials at the frontiers was pivotal in playing this key role.
Mr Doku said the automation project of the service was quite successful and that all major entry points of the nation had been automated, leaving just smaller stations to be tackled in a second phase.
He said the service was complying with all the recommendations from review workshops aimed at minimising revenue leakage, while facilitating trade, and added that the automation project had made CEPS to achieve its target in the last financial year.
He indicated that international training courses were in the offing to upgrade the knowledge of officials on new trends in international trade.
Mr Doku said the annual target set for the year had been reviewed from GH¢2,295.4 million to GH¢2,853 million and urged the staff to improve on their performance to be able to face the bigger task.
The Member of Parliament for Ketu-South, Mr Albert Zigah, advised CEPS at Aflao to maintain the prevailing high standards and urged its management to motivate the personnel for hard and diligent work done.
Friday, June 19, 2009
ANLO RURAL BANK HOLDS AGM (PAGE 27)
The Anlo Rural Bank declared GH¢32,711 in the last financial year as against GH¢3, 927 in the previous year.
Total income also grew from GH¢172,607 in 2007 to GH¢227,862 in 2008 with deposits and current accounts increasing from GH¢882,869 to GH¢1,032,153 within the same period.
The bank also recorded growth in its total assets from GH¢1,420,355 to GH¢1,673,758 within the same financial year while shareholders funds also increased from GH¢223,818 to GH¢256,530.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mr W.E. Fugar, announced this at the eighth annual general meeting of shareholders at Anloga.
He said notwithstanding many challenges, the bank recorded those appreciable growths, adding that the spiralling increase in the price of crude oil and food prices, the credit crunch and the prolonged parliamentary and presidential elections were some major events that affected the banking industry in the country.
He also said inflation increased to 17 per cent by the close of the year and that the cedi depreciated by 26.4 per cent and 20.9 per cent against the US dollar and the Euro respectively.
He also said the bank had to grapple with certain non-performing loans, resulting in increased provision for bad and doubtful debts that increased from GH¢38,917 in 2007 to GH¢44,585 in 2008.
It, however, became evident that MASLOC funds made available through the bank for 105 people were collected by three persons who allegedly used fake documents to access the loan.
Some other shareholders said the blame should rather be put on the credit control committee because they had woefully failed to handle their schedules.
Mr Fugar said in order to cope with the challenges of the credit crunch, there would be many operational challenges such as the rolling out of a “susu’ scheme towards the achievement of the right balance between loan expansion and investments, adding that major efforts would also go into cost control, which would lead to significant growth in profit of the bank.
In an address, the President of the Volta Region branch of the Apex Rural Bank(ARB), Mr Francis Kwami Akoto, explained that despite the galloping growth in the profit margin of the bank, it was not possible to grant dividends to shareholders because it was not permitted by law.
He said the bank had really resurrected in view of its negative past and said it had become a leading institution occasioned by the sterling qualities of board members.
Total income also grew from GH¢172,607 in 2007 to GH¢227,862 in 2008 with deposits and current accounts increasing from GH¢882,869 to GH¢1,032,153 within the same period.
The bank also recorded growth in its total assets from GH¢1,420,355 to GH¢1,673,758 within the same financial year while shareholders funds also increased from GH¢223,818 to GH¢256,530.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mr W.E. Fugar, announced this at the eighth annual general meeting of shareholders at Anloga.
He said notwithstanding many challenges, the bank recorded those appreciable growths, adding that the spiralling increase in the price of crude oil and food prices, the credit crunch and the prolonged parliamentary and presidential elections were some major events that affected the banking industry in the country.
He also said inflation increased to 17 per cent by the close of the year and that the cedi depreciated by 26.4 per cent and 20.9 per cent against the US dollar and the Euro respectively.
He also said the bank had to grapple with certain non-performing loans, resulting in increased provision for bad and doubtful debts that increased from GH¢38,917 in 2007 to GH¢44,585 in 2008.
It, however, became evident that MASLOC funds made available through the bank for 105 people were collected by three persons who allegedly used fake documents to access the loan.
Some other shareholders said the blame should rather be put on the credit control committee because they had woefully failed to handle their schedules.
Mr Fugar said in order to cope with the challenges of the credit crunch, there would be many operational challenges such as the rolling out of a “susu’ scheme towards the achievement of the right balance between loan expansion and investments, adding that major efforts would also go into cost control, which would lead to significant growth in profit of the bank.
In an address, the President of the Volta Region branch of the Apex Rural Bank(ARB), Mr Francis Kwami Akoto, explained that despite the galloping growth in the profit margin of the bank, it was not possible to grant dividends to shareholders because it was not permitted by law.
He said the bank had really resurrected in view of its negative past and said it had become a leading institution occasioned by the sterling qualities of board members.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
EP CHURCH CELEBRATES EDUCATION WEEK (PAGE 40)
THE Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church is noted for its immense contribution to educational development in the country in partnership with the central government.
This dates back to the time the European missionaries set foot on the soil of this country for evangelism to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people.
To date the church has established two colleges of education (teacher training colleges), five senior high schools, 95 junior high schools, two vocational institutes, 372 primary schools and 204 kindergartens, employing more than 2,908 teachers in the schools.
Of late the church has successfully established the E.P. University in Ho to consolidate the quest for true, quality and tertiary education for people in the region in particular and the nation as a whole.
The educational pursuit of the church over the years, has facilitated the enrolment of several hundred of thousands of children in the Volta Region and elsewhere, especially in basic schools.
It is for this reason that the church has fixed June 4-11 of every year as E.P. Church education week.
The celebration of this year’s event on the theme: “Newness in Christ”, was aimed at transforming the education sector.
Many activities heralded the celebration. They include congregational prayers, clean-up exercises, debates and a symposium on topics such as the relevance of educational reforms in Ghana, challenges confronting church-based schools, Christian values versus traditional or customary practices, parental control as an inevitable tool for child upbringing.
Other activities covered the adverse effects of occultism on the growing child and fund-raising in all E.P. churches.
In accordance with the upgrading of physical infrastructure of selected basic and second-cycle educational institutions, the E.P. Educational Unit has proposed the collection of a total of GH¢809.20 to start a GH¢200,000 education endowment fund, with the money being sourced form internal and external sources.
A new administration block estimated at GH¢160,000 is to be constructed for the educational unit in addition to three-bedroom official bungalows for the general and regional managers.
According to the acting General Manager of E.P. Educational Unit, Reverend W.H.Y. Azornu, high-profile technocrats at various branches of the church were to be identified to form a think tank to advise on matters of professional relevance to the development of the church’s educational department.
He said incentive packages would be instituted to reward deserving teachers and the heads of the educational institutions under the church as a way of motivating them to stimulate improvement in their performance.
“These are among other interventions that have been designed for implementation in three phases spanning over a nine-year period that start from 2009 to 2019 with each phase to be implemented in three years,” he stated.
Pertinent to the theme of the celebration, it was appropriate to advise pupils and students as target groups on required values to make them productive citizens to their families and the nation.
That was why the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, urged the children to take their studies seriously and not to get involved in any form of social vice, stressing that they should be disciplined and law-abiding.
He urged them to abstain from the use of hard drugs, indecent dressing and the promotion of licentious songs among schoolchildren, reminding them of the recent upsurge of cyberfraud known as “Sakawa”.
Mr Amenowode said cyberfraud was not a game but an illegal and unholy activity that could have adverse implications for their future and should, therefore, be avoided.
He decried the prevalence of sexual promiscuity among schoolchildren, stressing that it was shameful and embarrassing.
The regional minister stated that the high rate of teenage pregnancy among Junior High School (JCS) candidates in the recently written Basic Education Certificate Examination attested to the growing canker.
Mr Amenowode, therefore, alerted the schoolchildren of the existence of HIV and AIDS and cautioned them to comport themselves to avoid contracting the dreadful HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
He underscored the importance of education as a major factor in the socio-economic development of any nation, adding that all nations depended on education as a vital tool for their human resource.
The regional minister, therefore, commended the E.P. Church for the great role it had played and continued to play in education delivery, and said the government would continue to work hard to enhance the partnership between the missions and the state for quality education promotion.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the E.P. Church, Right Reverend Francis Amenu, said the church could be counted among the key players in the provision of educational facilities nationwide.
He stated that the church’s educational pursuits started from the primary level through the senior high to the university level.
In an address read on his behalf, the Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr G.Y. Kploanyi, said the theme for the celebration was unique in view of the numerous challenges facing education in the region, particularly when educational standards had been falling.
He, therefore, said the E.P. education week was a bold and concerted effort needed by all stakeholders to address the falling standards in the region.
The Volta Regional Manager of E.P. schools, Mr E.K. Dzikunu, said the celebration would rekindle public interest and involve them in educational matters in order to bring schools closer to the public and stimulate interest in children to enrol in schools.
This dates back to the time the European missionaries set foot on the soil of this country for evangelism to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people.
To date the church has established two colleges of education (teacher training colleges), five senior high schools, 95 junior high schools, two vocational institutes, 372 primary schools and 204 kindergartens, employing more than 2,908 teachers in the schools.
Of late the church has successfully established the E.P. University in Ho to consolidate the quest for true, quality and tertiary education for people in the region in particular and the nation as a whole.
The educational pursuit of the church over the years, has facilitated the enrolment of several hundred of thousands of children in the Volta Region and elsewhere, especially in basic schools.
It is for this reason that the church has fixed June 4-11 of every year as E.P. Church education week.
The celebration of this year’s event on the theme: “Newness in Christ”, was aimed at transforming the education sector.
Many activities heralded the celebration. They include congregational prayers, clean-up exercises, debates and a symposium on topics such as the relevance of educational reforms in Ghana, challenges confronting church-based schools, Christian values versus traditional or customary practices, parental control as an inevitable tool for child upbringing.
Other activities covered the adverse effects of occultism on the growing child and fund-raising in all E.P. churches.
In accordance with the upgrading of physical infrastructure of selected basic and second-cycle educational institutions, the E.P. Educational Unit has proposed the collection of a total of GH¢809.20 to start a GH¢200,000 education endowment fund, with the money being sourced form internal and external sources.
A new administration block estimated at GH¢160,000 is to be constructed for the educational unit in addition to three-bedroom official bungalows for the general and regional managers.
According to the acting General Manager of E.P. Educational Unit, Reverend W.H.Y. Azornu, high-profile technocrats at various branches of the church were to be identified to form a think tank to advise on matters of professional relevance to the development of the church’s educational department.
He said incentive packages would be instituted to reward deserving teachers and the heads of the educational institutions under the church as a way of motivating them to stimulate improvement in their performance.
“These are among other interventions that have been designed for implementation in three phases spanning over a nine-year period that start from 2009 to 2019 with each phase to be implemented in three years,” he stated.
Pertinent to the theme of the celebration, it was appropriate to advise pupils and students as target groups on required values to make them productive citizens to their families and the nation.
That was why the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, urged the children to take their studies seriously and not to get involved in any form of social vice, stressing that they should be disciplined and law-abiding.
He urged them to abstain from the use of hard drugs, indecent dressing and the promotion of licentious songs among schoolchildren, reminding them of the recent upsurge of cyberfraud known as “Sakawa”.
Mr Amenowode said cyberfraud was not a game but an illegal and unholy activity that could have adverse implications for their future and should, therefore, be avoided.
He decried the prevalence of sexual promiscuity among schoolchildren, stressing that it was shameful and embarrassing.
The regional minister stated that the high rate of teenage pregnancy among Junior High School (JCS) candidates in the recently written Basic Education Certificate Examination attested to the growing canker.
Mr Amenowode, therefore, alerted the schoolchildren of the existence of HIV and AIDS and cautioned them to comport themselves to avoid contracting the dreadful HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
He underscored the importance of education as a major factor in the socio-economic development of any nation, adding that all nations depended on education as a vital tool for their human resource.
The regional minister, therefore, commended the E.P. Church for the great role it had played and continued to play in education delivery, and said the government would continue to work hard to enhance the partnership between the missions and the state for quality education promotion.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the E.P. Church, Right Reverend Francis Amenu, said the church could be counted among the key players in the provision of educational facilities nationwide.
He stated that the church’s educational pursuits started from the primary level through the senior high to the university level.
In an address read on his behalf, the Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr G.Y. Kploanyi, said the theme for the celebration was unique in view of the numerous challenges facing education in the region, particularly when educational standards had been falling.
He, therefore, said the E.P. education week was a bold and concerted effort needed by all stakeholders to address the falling standards in the region.
The Volta Regional Manager of E.P. schools, Mr E.K. Dzikunu, said the celebration would rekindle public interest and involve them in educational matters in order to bring schools closer to the public and stimulate interest in children to enrol in schools.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
PEKI-AGBATEH LAND DISPUTE SETTLED (BACK PAGE)
A Legal tussle over the ownership of a 2,000-hectre at Peki-Agbateh in the Volta Region has been settled out of court, paving the way for the Volta River Estates Limited (VREL) to engage in large-scale production of pineapples for export and for the local market.
Thirty-two families, all claiming ownership of the land, were embroiled in the dispute, but briefing journalists at the weekend, the Spokesperson for the families, Mr Kofi Sabon, said the matter was settled out of an Appeal Court, and in consultation with the traditional landowners, the company was given the right of entry to the land.
“We are no longer fighting over the land. Mistakes of the past will not be committed again; traditional landowners and the government will sit together to plan strategies on how the land can be used in the best interest of the people,” he declared.
According to Mr Sabon, the company, owned by a foreign investor, had tremendous expertise, and with the right approach, it would be able to turn Agbateh into a profitable venture, adding that the gesture was a win-win arrangement. He, therefore, called on all citizens of Peki to co-operate with VREL to create jobs for the youth in the area.
For his part, the Managing Director of VREL, Mr Hubert van den Broek, disclosed that 500 hectares had earlier been leased to the company, adding that planting had also started since March, this year.
He said so far, 70 persons had been employed out of the 200 projected to be employed by the close of the year.
Mr Broek disclosed that 5,000 metric tonnes of pineapples would be produced within 12 months. He also stated that 3,000 tonnes were also earmarked for export, with 2,000 for processing and for the local market.
He appealed to the community to be patient, explaining that when their operations commenced, the gains would be extended to them, arguing that as a company operating on International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, the safety of workers and their contributions to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust( SSNIT) would be guaranteed.
Mr Broek noted that land issues in Ghana ought to be understood very well before going into any form of investment, saying that one must know where to approach it from.
He said for now, the broken-down water supply system at Agbateh had been restored for the people following the beginning of the project.
It would be recalled that Mr Kofi Sabon and Mr Jonathan Coli, on behalf of 32 families, filed a writ at the Ho High Court to restrain an American company, Equatorial Capital Ventures, from going ahead with an agro-processing project on the land.
The government acquired the land in 1975 and duly paid compensation to landowners for a Ghana-German Resettlement Farm operated by the Germans, but the project collapsed after the Germans had left and had been handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Thirty-two families, all claiming ownership of the land, were embroiled in the dispute, but briefing journalists at the weekend, the Spokesperson for the families, Mr Kofi Sabon, said the matter was settled out of an Appeal Court, and in consultation with the traditional landowners, the company was given the right of entry to the land.
“We are no longer fighting over the land. Mistakes of the past will not be committed again; traditional landowners and the government will sit together to plan strategies on how the land can be used in the best interest of the people,” he declared.
According to Mr Sabon, the company, owned by a foreign investor, had tremendous expertise, and with the right approach, it would be able to turn Agbateh into a profitable venture, adding that the gesture was a win-win arrangement. He, therefore, called on all citizens of Peki to co-operate with VREL to create jobs for the youth in the area.
For his part, the Managing Director of VREL, Mr Hubert van den Broek, disclosed that 500 hectares had earlier been leased to the company, adding that planting had also started since March, this year.
He said so far, 70 persons had been employed out of the 200 projected to be employed by the close of the year.
Mr Broek disclosed that 5,000 metric tonnes of pineapples would be produced within 12 months. He also stated that 3,000 tonnes were also earmarked for export, with 2,000 for processing and for the local market.
He appealed to the community to be patient, explaining that when their operations commenced, the gains would be extended to them, arguing that as a company operating on International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, the safety of workers and their contributions to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust( SSNIT) would be guaranteed.
Mr Broek noted that land issues in Ghana ought to be understood very well before going into any form of investment, saying that one must know where to approach it from.
He said for now, the broken-down water supply system at Agbateh had been restored for the people following the beginning of the project.
It would be recalled that Mr Kofi Sabon and Mr Jonathan Coli, on behalf of 32 families, filed a writ at the Ho High Court to restrain an American company, Equatorial Capital Ventures, from going ahead with an agro-processing project on the land.
The government acquired the land in 1975 and duly paid compensation to landowners for a Ghana-German Resettlement Farm operated by the Germans, but the project collapsed after the Germans had left and had been handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
STOP INTERFERENCE IN DISBURSEMENT OF MICROFINANCE (PAGE 14)
THE Supervising Manager of the Anlo Rural Bank, Mr Godwin Kodzovi Ahadzi has expressed misgivings over what he describes as unnecessary government interference in the microfinance industry.
According to him, poverty in Ghana would have been eradicated long ago but for the interference of officialdom.
Mr Ahadzi said this when he addressed a workshop as part of a financial literacy campaign organised by the Support Programme for Enterprise, Empowerment and Development (SPEED) for senior managers of rural banks in the Volta Region in Ho on Tuesday.
The workshop was part of a campaign jointly organised by Stratcom Africa and SPEED under a programme for sustainable economic development jointly funded by the German Technical Development Agency (GTZ) and the Danish Agency for International Development (DANIDA), in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Mr Ahadzi said the future of microfinance through rural banks was very bright, adding that with intensive education and good customer care, the portfolio would rise drastically.
On the proposed merger of rural banks, he said it was not advisable, saying that microfinance should rather be made workable.
“We should work out for quality microfinance services, not quantity,” he said.
In an address, the Microfinance Advisor of SPEED, Mr Ken Appenteng-Mensah, said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would benefit from improved access to adequate and demand on-lending financial and non-financial services made available at SPEED.
He said there were three components of services relating to funding facility, technical assistance to the microfinance sector and business development services under the project.
He disclosed that 16 towns had been earmarked in the Volta Region for a road show aimed at intensifying financial literacy and that the exercise was expected to end by July 20.
According to him, poverty in Ghana would have been eradicated long ago but for the interference of officialdom.
Mr Ahadzi said this when he addressed a workshop as part of a financial literacy campaign organised by the Support Programme for Enterprise, Empowerment and Development (SPEED) for senior managers of rural banks in the Volta Region in Ho on Tuesday.
The workshop was part of a campaign jointly organised by Stratcom Africa and SPEED under a programme for sustainable economic development jointly funded by the German Technical Development Agency (GTZ) and the Danish Agency for International Development (DANIDA), in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Mr Ahadzi said the future of microfinance through rural banks was very bright, adding that with intensive education and good customer care, the portfolio would rise drastically.
On the proposed merger of rural banks, he said it was not advisable, saying that microfinance should rather be made workable.
“We should work out for quality microfinance services, not quantity,” he said.
In an address, the Microfinance Advisor of SPEED, Mr Ken Appenteng-Mensah, said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would benefit from improved access to adequate and demand on-lending financial and non-financial services made available at SPEED.
He said there were three components of services relating to funding facility, technical assistance to the microfinance sector and business development services under the project.
He disclosed that 16 towns had been earmarked in the Volta Region for a road show aimed at intensifying financial literacy and that the exercise was expected to end by July 20.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
BUSINESSES TO BE REGISTERED AT REGIONAL LEVEL (PAGE 20)
PLANS are far advanced to facilitate the registration of businesses at the regional level through the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in collaboration with the Registrar-General’s Department.
The Ho Municipal Manager of BAC, Mr Charles Dartey, disclosed that negotiations had been completed and that when operational, it would enhance business posture in the regions.
Mr Dartey, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview, said the existing process was plagued with inexplicable delays in the registration of businesses in Accra, adding that it took not less than three months to register a business outside the region.
He emphasised that decentralisation in the registration of companies would encourage more people to register their businesses and access loans from financial institutions.
Mr Dartey said a registered business provided legitimate identity and established legality and confidence.
The Ho Municipal Manager of BAC, Mr Charles Dartey, disclosed that negotiations had been completed and that when operational, it would enhance business posture in the regions.
Mr Dartey, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview, said the existing process was plagued with inexplicable delays in the registration of businesses in Accra, adding that it took not less than three months to register a business outside the region.
He emphasised that decentralisation in the registration of companies would encourage more people to register their businesses and access loans from financial institutions.
Mr Dartey said a registered business provided legitimate identity and established legality and confidence.
FARMER, 23, TO DIE BY HANGING (BACK PAGE)
THE High Court in Ho has sentenced a 23-year-old farmer to death by hanging for murder.
The convict, Mpareba Tinjoe from Saboba near Yendi, was convicted by the court presided over by Mr Justice Kofi Essel-Mensah after a seven-member jury had found him guilty on four counts of murder.
He was convicted for the murder of Kabana Ahiaku, Santo Kamasa, Voegborlo Gbese and Agama Hator whom he shot dead following a dispute.
Presenting the facts of the case, the Chief State Attorney for the Volta Region, Mrs Felicia Otchere-Darko, said on July 11, 2004 a younger brother of one of the victims drove a herd of cattle through the farm of the accused despite his protest.
She said a confrontation ensued, leading to the seizure of a cutlass belonging to Tinjoe.
She said filled with anger, the convict later laid ambush for the deceased persons and shot them with a single barrel gun.
The matter was reported to the police at Dambai leading to the arrest of the accused.
The convict, Mpareba Tinjoe from Saboba near Yendi, was convicted by the court presided over by Mr Justice Kofi Essel-Mensah after a seven-member jury had found him guilty on four counts of murder.
He was convicted for the murder of Kabana Ahiaku, Santo Kamasa, Voegborlo Gbese and Agama Hator whom he shot dead following a dispute.
Presenting the facts of the case, the Chief State Attorney for the Volta Region, Mrs Felicia Otchere-Darko, said on July 11, 2004 a younger brother of one of the victims drove a herd of cattle through the farm of the accused despite his protest.
She said a confrontation ensued, leading to the seizure of a cutlass belonging to Tinjoe.
She said filled with anger, the convict later laid ambush for the deceased persons and shot them with a single barrel gun.
The matter was reported to the police at Dambai leading to the arrest of the accused.
Monday, June 8, 2009
MODERN KINDERGARTEN BLOCK FOR KPEDZE-TODZE (PAGE 40)
THE Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode has inaugurated a modern kindergarten block for the people of Kpedze-Todze in the Ho Municipality.
The $10, 000 project comprising two rooms and toilets were executed by the community through communal labour with support from 30 student volunteers from the Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.
In his inaugural address, Mr Amenowode commended the people for being a distinct community and yet embracing the spirit of communal at a time when voluntary spirit seemed to be dying in the region.
He assured them that so long as they had embraced the self-help spirit and were ready to use their hands to build, materials would be readily provided for their community projects.
Mr Amenowode advocated that in the current global economic downturn, the government must review the policy of providing infrastructure to communities through contracts.
He suggested that projects such as furniture, classroom blocks and clinics that could be built by local artisans, could be provided at about a third of the cost on the basis that materials would be provided to the communities to undertake the projects through self-help.
Mr Amenowode urged district assemblies, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the government to encourage communities to be self-reliant by identifying projects that could be executed through communal labour and set up the machinery for providing materials to such communities to help themselves.
The Project Coordinator, Professor Ian Mac Burnie said the project was in line with the realisation that every child had a chance for education in order to build up in life to become productive citizens.
He said irrespective of colour or race, there was the need to work together for the advancement of mankind, adding that under the second phase of the project, one more classroom block, a teachers’ office and playground would be constructed and that funds would be released in September this year.
The Country Director of the Canadian International Development Agency (CID), Mr Michael Gort said the preparedness of volunteers to work in the country underscored the good relationship between the two nations for over 100 years.
He said the kindergarten project would serve as a platform for the pupils to assume higher heights in the future.
In an address, the acting Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation(NADMO), Mr Henry Ametefe advised communities to construct buildings with sound technology, adding that a maintenance culture should be adopted for all buildings.
He said the organisation would collaborate with all municipal and district assemblies to train artisans and equip them with the relevant skills in construction in order to withstand disasters rather than granting relief to victims in times of disaster.
For his part, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Kodobisa called for emphasis on the provision of structures for children because they needed more attention than those in higher institutions.
The Executive Director of Disaster Volunteers of Ghana (DIVOG), Mr Richard Yinkah said the new building would protect the children from the risks of sunshine and rainfall with the assurance that DIVOG would work towards the provision of good infrastructure for schools in the Volta Region.
The chief of the town, Togbe Okumkah V said the completion of the project was a testimony that his people were industrious and hardworking and commended the student volunteers for also providing school uniforms to the kindergarten pupils.
Sleeping mats, learning materials and a lap top computer were donate to the kindergarten.
The $10, 000 project comprising two rooms and toilets were executed by the community through communal labour with support from 30 student volunteers from the Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.
In his inaugural address, Mr Amenowode commended the people for being a distinct community and yet embracing the spirit of communal at a time when voluntary spirit seemed to be dying in the region.
He assured them that so long as they had embraced the self-help spirit and were ready to use their hands to build, materials would be readily provided for their community projects.
Mr Amenowode advocated that in the current global economic downturn, the government must review the policy of providing infrastructure to communities through contracts.
He suggested that projects such as furniture, classroom blocks and clinics that could be built by local artisans, could be provided at about a third of the cost on the basis that materials would be provided to the communities to undertake the projects through self-help.
Mr Amenowode urged district assemblies, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the government to encourage communities to be self-reliant by identifying projects that could be executed through communal labour and set up the machinery for providing materials to such communities to help themselves.
The Project Coordinator, Professor Ian Mac Burnie said the project was in line with the realisation that every child had a chance for education in order to build up in life to become productive citizens.
He said irrespective of colour or race, there was the need to work together for the advancement of mankind, adding that under the second phase of the project, one more classroom block, a teachers’ office and playground would be constructed and that funds would be released in September this year.
The Country Director of the Canadian International Development Agency (CID), Mr Michael Gort said the preparedness of volunteers to work in the country underscored the good relationship between the two nations for over 100 years.
He said the kindergarten project would serve as a platform for the pupils to assume higher heights in the future.
In an address, the acting Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation(NADMO), Mr Henry Ametefe advised communities to construct buildings with sound technology, adding that a maintenance culture should be adopted for all buildings.
He said the organisation would collaborate with all municipal and district assemblies to train artisans and equip them with the relevant skills in construction in order to withstand disasters rather than granting relief to victims in times of disaster.
For his part, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Kodobisa called for emphasis on the provision of structures for children because they needed more attention than those in higher institutions.
The Executive Director of Disaster Volunteers of Ghana (DIVOG), Mr Richard Yinkah said the new building would protect the children from the risks of sunshine and rainfall with the assurance that DIVOG would work towards the provision of good infrastructure for schools in the Volta Region.
The chief of the town, Togbe Okumkah V said the completion of the project was a testimony that his people were industrious and hardworking and commended the student volunteers for also providing school uniforms to the kindergarten pupils.
Sleeping mats, learning materials and a lap top computer were donate to the kindergarten.
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