11 INSTITUTIONS ACCREDITED TO TRAIN MEDICINE COUNTER ASSISTANTS (PAGE 21)

THE Pharmacy Council has accredited 11 institutions for the training of medicine counter assistants (MCAS) to enhance comprehensive pharmaceutical service delivery in the country.
So far, six of the institutions have been accredited in the Greater Accra Region and one each in the Ashanti, Western, Volta, Eastern and Northern regions.
They are Pfago Services Limited, Rapha Development Limited, Avenue Chemist Limited, CS Allot Pharmacy, Sene’s Pharmacy, EMEF Training Centre (all in Accra), G-Health Consult in Kumasi, Zunaida Pharmacy in Somanya, Volta Health Consult Limited in Ho, Chamalt Pharmacy in Tamale and Kraspect Ventures in Takoradi.
The Registrar of the Pharmacy Council, Mr Joseph Nyoagbe, announced this at the graduation of 126 newly qualified MCAs from the Volta Health Consult Limited in Ho.
He said so far, a total of 1,642 MCAs had been trained nationwide and had been awarded certificates after passing the Ghana Pharmacy Council Medicine Counter Assistants Examination.
Mr Nyoagbe added that his outfit had joined the sequence of the pharmaceutical service delivery team comprising pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, licensed chemical sellers and MCAs.
He cautioned the MCAs against acting like pharmacists because they were expected to operate only as assistants to the superintendent pharmacists.
The Director of Volta Health Consult Limited, Mr Divine Azameti said it was prudent to train MCAs in view of the need for more professionals to cope with the problem of excess workload due to the National Health Insurance Scheme.
He said it was also in accordance with de-urbanisation of pharmaceutical care delivery in the country and that pharmacists who set up pharmaceutical services were now assured of enough MCAs to work for them in order to reduce the urban movement of the youth.
Mr Azameti appealed to the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to absorb MCAs into hospitals and health delivery facilities in order to provide services on dispensary duties.

STOP DIGGING TRENCHES ON ROADS (PAGE 28, JULY 13)

THE Volta Regional Police Commander, Mr David Ampah-Bennin, has denounced the practice in some communities in the region where the digging of illegal trenches across major roads has become rampant in an attempt to slow down vehicles.
He warned that the police would not countenance the emerging trend because it posed greater danger to lives and vehicles.
He said the trenches had been causing more accidents leading to the deterioration of vehicles, adding that the police would co-operate with the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Department of Urban Roads to stop communities which may embark on such activities.
So far, the road from Juapong through Asikuma and Sokode-Ando to Ho and from Ho through Woadze to Hohoe have been damaged by some communities apparently to deter drivers from speeding.
In his first interview with the Daily Graphic since assuming office, Mr Ampah-Bennin said the command would wage war on criminals who wrongfully intercepted vehicles and robbed market women, cultivators of Indian Hemp and smugglers of goods and prohibited items.
He said the police were for the communities and urged the general public to co-operate with them as allies to reduce crime and create a peaceful environment for steady development.
The regional police commander said the police would supervise the overall vision of the government to ensure that the people of Ghana lived without fear and work to achieve their goals.
Mr Ampah-Bennin also promised to work towards the completion of projects designed for the police in the region to improve on their welfare.

OBAMA URGED TO MAKE CLIMATE CHANGE PRIORITY (PAGE 18. JULY 11)

A civil society group on climate change, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), has urged the visiting American President, Mr Barack Obama, to work conscientiously for climate change and justice in the world.
“As President Obama makes his first official trip to the sub-Saharan Africa, we urge him to make climate change and justice his highest priority for the next coming months,” the PACJA said in a statement issued to coincide with the US President’s visit to Ghana.
“This is to ensure a fair and effective climate deal when the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meet in Copenhagen in December, this year,” it stated.
The statement said the arrival of President Obama in Ghana after attending a G-8 summit of the most powerful economies was symbolic and positioned the United States better to take the climate change crisis with the greatest enthusiasm to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of all nations.
It said it was mainly the poor who were adversely affected by climate change, which was now threatening efforts at poverty management and erasing the progress made towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), stressing that “the two challenges must be tackled at the same time in order to achieve global justice and sustainable development”.
It said President Obama would appreciate that greening the economy was the way forward to creating prosperity and reducing emissions, adding that the US must make efforts that corresponded to their historic responsibility and economic capacity in order to work together with Africa and to ensure climate justice.
It likened climate injustice to instances of a cattle nomad in his father’s birthplace in Kenya who cannot have enough water for his animals, a rice farmer in Mozambique who has lost his farmlands to floods, a pigmy hunter in Congo who has been forced to leave his habitat, or an old African mother who has prepared her planting grain and waiting at her doorstep wondering when rain will come, to the luxury of an average American who can afford three meals a day.

WORKSHOP ON GROWTH OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS HELD AT HO (PAGE 22)

THE Volta Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Nana Pobee Asomaning Darko,has urged proprietors of private educational institutions to update their knowledge on emerging trends in the labour market in order to operate according to laid down regulations.
He said it was important to be guided by relevant laws pertaining to the recruitment of teachers and other staff in order not to infringe on the labour law.
Nana Asomaning-Darko said this when he addressed heads and proprietors of private schools in the Volta Region at a day’s workshop to promote the expansion and growth of private schools in the region at Ho on Thursday.
It was organised by the Volta Regional branch of GNAT with a Ho-based non-governmental organisation, Community Action, as service provider under the sponsorship of the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC).
Nana Asomaning allayed the fears of the participants that the workshop was organised with the aim of coercing them to become members of GNAT or to be unionised.
He added that it was rather to their advantage to gain the exposure to the labour act in order to operate more efficiently.
Nana Asomaning, however, urged the participants to consider becoming members of GNAT or affiliate members since there were several advantages to be derived.
The Executive Director of Community Action, Mr Orisha Afa, said the region had been acknowledged as the cradle of education from which a high calibre of human resource were produced.
He said although private schools were considered as a business entity, it was incumbent upon them to be abreast with laws guiding education as well as government policies on education.
The participants brainstormed on an overview of the Labour Act, and the benefits and disadvantages of unionisation.

FIAGA OF ZIAVI CALLS ON VR MINISTER (PAGE 23)

THE Fiaga of Ziavi Traditional Area, Togbe Kwaku Ayim IV, has advised the government to initiate projects it could execute rather than starting many projects at the same time and leaving some of them uncompleted.
He said the people in the traditional area appreciated the commitment of the government towards the development of roads and schools in the region.
Togbe Ayim, however, appealed to the regional minister to impress upon the government to help develop the road linking Ziavi to adjoining communities such as Klefe.
Togbe Ayim said this when he led a delegation comprising wing and sub-chiefs as well as queens from the traditional area, to pay a courtesy call on the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenewode, at his office.
He appealed to the regional minister to assist the people to complete the construction of a bridge over the Atakpla stream which they initiated several years ago.
According to the Fiaga, the construction of the bridge would open up areas like Tsyome-Afedo, Anfoeta, Hlefi, Saviefe, Etordome and Avatime traditional areas and also facilitate the carting of farm produce to the Ho market.
Togbe Ayim, on behalf of the chiefs in the area, promised to release vast tracts of land, spanning Ziavi, Matse, Tsyome-Afedo and Hlefi areas to the government for large-scale agricultural ventures that would create jobs for the youth in the area.
He suggested the institution of micro-finance loans and tractors to enable the people expand their vegetable, cassava, yam, banana and cocoyam farms.
Togbe Ayim called for assistance in controlling soil erosion that was seriously destroying the streets and the foundation of houses in the area.
Mr Amenowode assured the chiefs that the government would do everything possible to ensure that the Youth in Agriculture programme was extended to the area.
For his part, the Deputy Regional Minister, Colonel Cyril Necku (retd), charged the chiefs and people in the area to revive the Zigi Cultural Troupe of Ziavi to serve as a source of entertainment and tourist attraction in the region.

EVANGELICAL UNIVERSAL CHURCH DONATES TO CURED LEPERS (PAGE 29)

THE women’s wing of the Evangelical Universal Church in Ho has presented assorted items to the cured lepers in Ho as part of the national week celebration of the Christian Women Association of the church.
 The items included two bags of rice, a quantity of key soap, toilet rolls, loaves of bread, a quantity of matches and a large quantity of used clothing.
  Making the presentation, the National President of the association, Dr Mrs Jane Gadzekpo said the gesture was in response to the plight of the inmates of the leprosarium.
She said the gift was intended to give the inmates hope in accordance with Biblical tenets on the provision of health, food, shelter and clothing for the poor.
    Receiving the items, the Principal Technical Officer in charge of Leprosy Control Programme at the Ho Polyclinic, Mr Anthony Adjavon, thanked the group for the gesture.
   He called on other organisations to emulate the example of the women to make it possible to feed the inmates three times a day, instead of the current precarious situation where they were fed once a day.           

POLICE ADMINISTRATION LAUDS CHIEFS, PEOPLE OF VR (PAGE 28)

The Police administration has commended the chiefs and people of the Volta Region for their support in the past years.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr George A. Anko-bil, gave the commendation at the passing out parade of 43 recruits at the inauguration of police cadets of Kadjebi-Asato Senior High School at the police training depot in Ho last Thursday.
He said the new police hierarchy was driven by research-based and scientifically proven strategies of policing to ensure that all menders of the service were directed by performance objectives, community-based law enforcement and citizen-centred order maintenance.
He stressed the need for police personnel to be well equipped with well rehearsed action plan, skills, knowledge and attitudes to enable them to survive the daily demands of the profession in order to adequately protect the citizens.
Mr Anko-bill explained that conflict will always arise but where in the exercise of individual liberty, a person steps on another person’s toes the police should be able to resolve the conflict.
He advised the recruits against the use of force on the public and that the public should also refrain from corrupting the police with money to do what is wrong or to prevent them from performing their duties.
Five recruits were awarded for outstanding performance in drill, musketry, physical agility, academics and the all round best recruit. They are Nannsua Konlan, Samule Sefa, Nurudeen Mubarak, Adolf Kujar and Nurudeen Mubarak respectively.

COURT SENTENCES FARMER TO DEATH (PAGE 3)

THE Ho High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Kofi Essel Mensah, has sentenced Kofi Fiaku, a farmer from Bekpoe near Dabala in the South Tongu District, to death by hanging for murdering his girlfriend.
This was after a seven-member jury had found him guilty on the charge of murder.
The convict had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was assigned Mr Godwin Kpoble, as a legal counsel.
Giving the facts of the case, a senior state attorney, Mr Koku-Mensah Akude, said in December last year, the deceased, Zashie Gbeve, was returning from a funeral and upon reaching a spot between Gonu and Bekpoe she heard a woman calling from somewhere to take cover only to turn to see the convict.
He said the convict confronted the deceased and said “today you and I shall see”, adding that Fiaku pulled out a machete from a sack and chased the deceased and slashed her neck, shoulders and fingers.
Mr Akude said the deceased fell on the ground groaning in a pool of blood and raised an alarm while the accused ran into the bush with the machete.
He said a pick-up later pulled up and Zashie placed in it but she died on the way to hospital.
He said the accused was arrested on December 18, 2008 by one Staff Sergeant J.K. Kpodo of Sogakope Police and when interrogated, he admitted the offence, alleging that the girlfriend owed him GH¢90.
Pronouncing sentence, Justice Essel-Mensah said the convict “will be hanged on the neck and buried at a place to be decided after his death”.
The convict has 90 days to appeal against the sentence.

FLOODS DESTROY FARMS IN SOUTHERN VOLTA (BACK PAGE)

Floods caused by heavy rains in the southern parts of the Volta Region have submerged farmlands belonging to more than 30 farmers at Tegbi and Dzelukorpe, leading to the loss of hybrid seed procured and planted by the farmers.
Residents told the Daily Graphic that the situation had serious implications for the food situation in the area as the next harvest appeared threatened.
According to the Chief Farmer of Tegbi, Mr Seth Jumpah, farms cultivated with tomatoes, shallot, okro and cassava had been destroyed by the floods at Woe and parts of Anloga.
He said some of the seeds were bought at GH¢32 per 25kg and GH¢130 per 100kg, saying that the floods had impoverished the farmers and called on the government to intervene and help the farmers to resume their farming activities.
Mr Jumpah said their immediate needs were seeds, fertilisers and insecticides, adding that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) should act swiftly to assist them.
The Chief of Dzelukorpe, Torgbui Dzelu, said the floods had also submerged some roads in the town, posing danger to pupils on their way to school, adding that the drainage system to the sea had been destroyed.
He also said the floods had blocked access to his palace and cut off the Keta Government Hospital from the main road.
Togbui Dzelu said a more serious crisis might occur if a similar downpour should hit the area before the present floods subsided and appealed for assistance to prevent subsequent floods.

GENDER-RESPONSIVE BUDGETING...A necessity for women empowerment (PAGE 17)

THE Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), Ms Akua Sena Dansua, has underscored the importance of gender-responsive budgeting and aid effectiveness to national development.
She said this was the surest way of building the capacity of women and empowering them to address issues affecting their development.
Ms Dansua said this in a speech read on her behalf at the opening of a three-day national advocacy training workshop on Gender- Responsive Budget and AID Effectiveness for selected members of parliament and staff of ministries, departments and agencies in Ho.
It was organised by MOWAC and sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
She said it did not necessarily imply “more money for women” but finding a more efficient use of scarce resources and analysing how public resources were distributed and the adjustment budgets to ensure fairness and equity in the distribution of national resources for development.
She said gender-responsive budgeting was an appropriate intervention for poverty reduction and some objectives of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) and added that the capacity of MDAs, National Development Planning Commission(NDPC) , parliament and key sectors would continue to be strengthened to track down government and donor resources for gender equality and women’s empowerment in the country.
Ms Dansua called for co-operation among all key players and identified stakeholders since it was a prerequisite for a successful implementation of gender budgeting in the country.
In an address, an advisor of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Madam Jennet Kem, said the ultimate goal was to make donors support and domestic resources more responsive to the specific needs, experiences and interests of men and women in all social categories.
She said given the complexities of gender- responsive budgeting and financing development, there was the need for a concerted approach and strong alliances, adding that the government had noted the challenge of insufficient capacities and skills among its technical staff involved in planning and budgeting to perform gender related work, hence the workshop.
She declared that the Commonwealth secretariat was dedicated to enhancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in member countries, as stated in its strategic plan and operationalised in the Plan of Action on Gender Equality for 2005-2015.
Madam Kem said the secretariat would in future work to deepen existing knowledge on the impact of revenue collection and distribution on gender equality and that had started on mainstreaming gender in the informal sector, with the aim of generating evidence to support social protection measures for women and other vulnerable actors.
In a welcoming address, the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, said if gender issues were not addressed effectively as part of the strategy of socio- economic development, there was the likelihood of lopsidedness in development.
He, therefore, urged participants to treat the subject thoroughly in order to come out with concrete and scientific recommendations for gender planning and budgeting.

VODIN APPEALS FOR REGIONAL DISTRICT OFFICES (JUNE 27, PAGE 25)

From Tim Dzamboe, Ho

An association of disabled organisations in the Volta Region, the Volta Disability Network (VODIN), has called for the establishment of regional and district offices of the National Council on Persons with Disabilities, in accordance with section 49 of the Disability Act 715.
It also called for free education for people with disability and commitment of more resources to the council to enable it perform its role effectively.
This was contained in a press release signed by the acting Chairman, Mr Francis Ansong, in connection with the third anniversary of the passage of the Persons with Disability Act which provided a legal framework to enable people with disabilities to also fully participate in activities of mainstream society.
The release reminded the government and civil society groups that the core aim of the disability act could only be achieved if there was the political will and total commitment by Ghanaians to work towards its implementation.
It, therefore, said that was the essence of VODIN, working to improve the socio-economic lives of people with disabilities through awareness about disability issues, lobbying, campaigning, advocacy for rights of people with disabilities and self-help initiatives, leading to their integration into the mainstream society.
“It is encouraging to note that with proper education and training, people with disabilities are able to lead a fulfilling and self-sustaining life with better job prospects,” it stated.
The release further stated that VODIN was urging municipal and district assemblies in the Volta Region to set up a process with the involvement of people with disabilities on how groups of people with disabilities could access Common Fund as well as other resources from district assemblies, adding “there should be nothing about us without us”.
It also called on local government agencies, banks, schools, churches and other public places to make those places accessible to people with disability by fixing appropriate facilities such as access ramps as well as sign language and Braille.
VODIN comprised of Care and Concern Action Group (CCAG), Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB), Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD), Parents Association of Children with Intellectual Disability (PACID), Volta Regional Association of the Deaf (VRAD) and Voice of People With Disabilities in Ghana (VOICE).

PRODUCTION AT VOLTA STAR TEXTILE SLUMPS (BACK PAGE)

PRODUCTION at the Volta Star Textile (VST) Company, formerly Juapong Textiles Limited (JTL), has slumped to 7,000 metres, far below its target of 65,000 metres of cloth per annum.
Saddled with inadequate capital, chemicals and spare parts, the company is on the verge of closure, the acting Technical Director of the company, Mr Evans Agyagbo, disclosed when he took the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenewode, on a tour of the various units of the factory yesterday.
Mr Agyagbo said GH¢3 million was granted the factory under the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) but only part of that amount had been ceded to the factory as working capital, making 300 machines operational while 600 others lay idle.
He said initially the factory produced 5,000 metres a day but with a modest expansion from 192 looms to 300, production had increased to 7,000 metres a day, adding that it was operating eight hours a day, instead of 24 hours.
Mr Agyagbo said market for its international standard product was readily available in the country and elsewhere and that the Ghana Textile Printing (GTP) Company and the Akosombo Textile Limited (ATL) were its immediate clients.
He said under the EDIF grant, large quantities of cotton had been procured but the company was saddled with capital for chemicals and engineering spare parts.
The acting Technical Director, a textile engineer from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said the status of the company was known to the Ministry of Trade and impressed on the regional minister that the factory was a viable entity that had to be revamped.
For his part, Mr Amenewode requested the management of the company to submit an updated proposal of operational needs for consideration.
He said the factory had the potential of becoming an industrial giant in the Volta Region and said the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council would support any move to make it to operate to at least 80 per cent level.
The minister was accompanied on the tour by the Volta Regional Deputy Minister, Colonel Cyril Necku (retd), the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr Charles Hodogbey, and the North Tongu District Chief Executive, Alhaji Bubey Dzinadu.