DISTANCE education has become a cost effective means for nations to train more teachers to meet the exigencies of the time in the education sector, the Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in-charge of teacher education, Mr Victor Mantey, has stated.
He said the conventional mode of training teachers could not meet the demand for teachers hence the distance education programme which had been successfully practised for so many years in many countries.
Mr Mantey said this in a paper titled “Teacher Education by Distance: Issues and Challenges in the Training of Non- Certified Teachers in Ghana” delivered on his behalf at the third congregation of Jasikan College of Education.
According to him 24,000 untrained teachers were undergoing training in 35 out of the 38 colleges of education in distance learning, and that the performance of the majority of them had been encouraging.
He said distance learning had gained credence in Ghana in the past 10 years, and that it had made it possible to reach teachers in geographically inaccessible areas, adding that with flexibility inherent in the system it had made it possible for teachers to combine it with full time jobs.
Mr Mantey said it had been a convenient system for teachers who could not benefit from the limited chances on study leave with pay, and also kept many families intact.
He stressed the need for the directors of education to be given adequate logistics to facilitate effective supervision.
Mr Mantey asked the graduates to desist from using school time for private businesses, and that they should not send pupils on personal errands during class hours.
The Pro Vice Chancellor of the Universityof Cape Coast, Professor D.D. Kuupole, said the day marked a turning point in their lives, and that they should endeavour to justify sacrifices that made their training possible.
Mr Kuupole who conferred diplomas on the graduates said the nation was counting on them to reverse the falling standard of education through more dedicated work.
In an address read on his behalf, the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, announced that the government had voted GH¢ 300,000 from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for each of the colleges of education for the upgrading of facilities.
The Rector of the college, Mr Gabriel Wotordzor, said the college had trained thousands of teachers who had performed at all levels of national and international development.
He said the college had always strived to achieve its mission to train teachers academically and professionally to enable them to teach effectively at the basic education school level.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Adontenhene of Buem, Nana Bugru Brantuo VI, said the good image of the college had given a good image for the town, and called for the renovation of school structures.
He asked the government to come out with a policy on study leave for teachers.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
LET'S COLLABORATE TO ENHANCE REVENUE COLLECTION (PAGE 13, MAY 29, 2010)
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, has stressed the need for a concerted action to overcome the challenges of revenue collection in district and municipal assemblies in order to generate more funds for development.
He said district and municipal assemblies must be able to strike a balance in the utilisation of all available resources in order to generate more revenue internally to augment revenue from central government and elsewhere.
Mr Amenowode said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Volta Region Budget Analyst, Mr Bright Konu, at the launch of the assembly’s revenue mobilisation campaign in collaboration with the Social Investment Fund (SIF) at Ho last Thursday.
It was dubbed: “Urban Poverty Reduction Project- Revenue Mobilisation” with focus on conscientising the people in tax and rate payment.
He said it was perceived in some circles that the District Assembly Common Fund had made assemblies lazy in generating local revenue and that several weaknesses had been identified as bottlenecks to effective revenue generation.
Some of them were fraud and abuses, untimely report on revenue collected, lack of updated data on revenue collection, adding that there was need for reward to revenue collectors as an incentive, improvement on service delivery and vigorous education of the people on the need to pay tax and rates.
Mr Amenowode underscored the essence of revenue improvement action plans with assemblymen expected to play crucial roles in the capacity as focal persons in different forms.
The SIF Focal Person for the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra regions, Mr Justice Akuffo Henaku, said the SIF was ready to assist district assemblies to enhance efficiency in revenue collection.
He said without requisite resources, it would not be possible to raise the living standard of the people, adding that 50 volunteers have been recruited to undertake house –to-house and business-to-business campaigns to educate the public for the next three months.
Mr Henaku advocated for a stronger partnership with the municipal assembly to chart the way forward.
In a welcoming address, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Kotobisah, announced that the assembly would automate its revenue collection with technical assistance from its partners in Canada, the Capital Regional District of Columbia.
He attributed the sorry state of the assembly’s finances to inadequate and untimely releases of supporting funds from central government and donors, the unwillingness of rate payers to honour their tax obligations to the assembly, dishonest and uncommitted revenue collectors, outdated values on immovable properties, inadequate and unreliable data on revenue and sources from low tax cover rate, among others.
Mr Kotobisah said the SIF would assist the municipal assembly to furnish all zonal council offices in the municipality.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr G.H Mensah, said many people did not understand why they should pay tax and that made them to be apprehensive and always on the run.
He said district and municipal assemblies must be able to strike a balance in the utilisation of all available resources in order to generate more revenue internally to augment revenue from central government and elsewhere.
Mr Amenowode said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Volta Region Budget Analyst, Mr Bright Konu, at the launch of the assembly’s revenue mobilisation campaign in collaboration with the Social Investment Fund (SIF) at Ho last Thursday.
It was dubbed: “Urban Poverty Reduction Project- Revenue Mobilisation” with focus on conscientising the people in tax and rate payment.
He said it was perceived in some circles that the District Assembly Common Fund had made assemblies lazy in generating local revenue and that several weaknesses had been identified as bottlenecks to effective revenue generation.
Some of them were fraud and abuses, untimely report on revenue collected, lack of updated data on revenue collection, adding that there was need for reward to revenue collectors as an incentive, improvement on service delivery and vigorous education of the people on the need to pay tax and rates.
Mr Amenowode underscored the essence of revenue improvement action plans with assemblymen expected to play crucial roles in the capacity as focal persons in different forms.
The SIF Focal Person for the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra regions, Mr Justice Akuffo Henaku, said the SIF was ready to assist district assemblies to enhance efficiency in revenue collection.
He said without requisite resources, it would not be possible to raise the living standard of the people, adding that 50 volunteers have been recruited to undertake house –to-house and business-to-business campaigns to educate the public for the next three months.
Mr Henaku advocated for a stronger partnership with the municipal assembly to chart the way forward.
In a welcoming address, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Kotobisah, announced that the assembly would automate its revenue collection with technical assistance from its partners in Canada, the Capital Regional District of Columbia.
He attributed the sorry state of the assembly’s finances to inadequate and untimely releases of supporting funds from central government and donors, the unwillingness of rate payers to honour their tax obligations to the assembly, dishonest and uncommitted revenue collectors, outdated values on immovable properties, inadequate and unreliable data on revenue and sources from low tax cover rate, among others.
Mr Kotobisah said the SIF would assist the municipal assembly to furnish all zonal council offices in the municipality.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr G.H Mensah, said many people did not understand why they should pay tax and that made them to be apprehensive and always on the run.
Friday, May 28, 2010
MORE ACCESS HEALTHCARE UNDER NHIS (MIRROR, PAGE 35, MAY 29, 2010)
From Tim Dzamboe, Ho
The Ho Municipal scheme manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Mawuko Tsigbe, has said until the national health insurance scheme, only 20 per cent of the population had access to good and consistent medical care.
He said the findings, contained in the Policy Framework of the Ministry of Health on the insurance scheme, indicated that without the scheme many people were sentenced to death by poverty and people died unexpectedly as a result of the unaffordable cash and carry system that was in operation at the time.
Mr Tsigbe was delivering a paper on the topic, “Access to medicines: the role of the consumer in protecting NHIS” at a sensitisation forum on the theme, “Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Access to Medicines-The Role of Civil Society”.
It was organised by the GhanaMedicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) Civil Society Organisations Group at Ho last weekend.
Mr Tsigbe advised the public to register early to benefit from the scheme and should refrain from rushing to register at the last minute when they fall sick to demand instant health and said it would not be possible to issue instant cards to access health care under pressure.
A pharmacist in charge of the Food and Drugs Board for the Volta/Eastern zone, Mr Geoffrey Arthur, asked consumers to get involved to get rid of substandard and counterfeit medicines.
He said the world was faced with the challenge because sophisticated means had been used to deceive the public to make them consume counterfeit and substandard drugs.
He, therefore, advised that they should patronise drugs from only licensed facilities and should avoid buying from drug peddlers, warning that online drugs should not be purchased.
In a brief introduction, the national co-ordinating organiser of Ghana MeTA Civil Society Group, Mr Charles Allotey, said every medicine is considered to be poison and should, therefore, be taken according to the prescription from a medical doctor to avoid side effects.
The Co-ordinator of programmes and activities of MeTA, Mr Ralf Ahiabu, said the association aims at developing a holistic network with the view to reaching out to communities at the grassroots.
In a welcoming address, the Volta Region MeTA Co-ordinator, Mrs Joycelyn Akorfa Ochlich, said Medicines Transparency Alliance operated on pilot basis in seven countries with international support from the UK Department for International Development, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.
The Ho Municipal scheme manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Mawuko Tsigbe, has said until the national health insurance scheme, only 20 per cent of the population had access to good and consistent medical care.
He said the findings, contained in the Policy Framework of the Ministry of Health on the insurance scheme, indicated that without the scheme many people were sentenced to death by poverty and people died unexpectedly as a result of the unaffordable cash and carry system that was in operation at the time.
Mr Tsigbe was delivering a paper on the topic, “Access to medicines: the role of the consumer in protecting NHIS” at a sensitisation forum on the theme, “Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Access to Medicines-The Role of Civil Society”.
It was organised by the GhanaMedicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) Civil Society Organisations Group at Ho last weekend.
Mr Tsigbe advised the public to register early to benefit from the scheme and should refrain from rushing to register at the last minute when they fall sick to demand instant health and said it would not be possible to issue instant cards to access health care under pressure.
A pharmacist in charge of the Food and Drugs Board for the Volta/Eastern zone, Mr Geoffrey Arthur, asked consumers to get involved to get rid of substandard and counterfeit medicines.
He said the world was faced with the challenge because sophisticated means had been used to deceive the public to make them consume counterfeit and substandard drugs.
He, therefore, advised that they should patronise drugs from only licensed facilities and should avoid buying from drug peddlers, warning that online drugs should not be purchased.
In a brief introduction, the national co-ordinating organiser of Ghana MeTA Civil Society Group, Mr Charles Allotey, said every medicine is considered to be poison and should, therefore, be taken according to the prescription from a medical doctor to avoid side effects.
The Co-ordinator of programmes and activities of MeTA, Mr Ralf Ahiabu, said the association aims at developing a holistic network with the view to reaching out to communities at the grassroots.
In a welcoming address, the Volta Region MeTA Co-ordinator, Mrs Joycelyn Akorfa Ochlich, said Medicines Transparency Alliance operated on pilot basis in seven countries with international support from the UK Department for International Development, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
MAN, 67, FOUND DEAD IN CREEK (MIRROR, PAGE 34, MAY 22, 2010)
From Tim Dzamboe, Akatsi
The body of Eric Vormawora, a 67- year-old retired educationist at Ave-Xavi in the Akatsi district was found floating on a creek near the town last weekend.
The deceased had gone on a fishing expedition when he met his untimely death.
According to the Akatsi Police Commander, Superintendent Frank Awu, the late teacher went fishing but could not return and the case was reported to the chiefs who organised a search party and finally discovered him in a boat on the creek.
He said after examining the body of the deceased, it was found out that he had a deep cut on his forehead, adding that three persons had been arrested in connection with the death.
Supt. Awu explained that the suspects had been arrested on the basis that they had been litigating with the deceased over a portion of the creek.
The suspects are Afadina Eklo, alias Koklo; Klutse Azuale and Christian Azuale.
Meanwhile the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Police Hospital for autopsy to assist in further investigations.
The body of Eric Vormawora, a 67- year-old retired educationist at Ave-Xavi in the Akatsi district was found floating on a creek near the town last weekend.
The deceased had gone on a fishing expedition when he met his untimely death.
According to the Akatsi Police Commander, Superintendent Frank Awu, the late teacher went fishing but could not return and the case was reported to the chiefs who organised a search party and finally discovered him in a boat on the creek.
He said after examining the body of the deceased, it was found out that he had a deep cut on his forehead, adding that three persons had been arrested in connection with the death.
Supt. Awu explained that the suspects had been arrested on the basis that they had been litigating with the deceased over a portion of the creek.
The suspects are Afadina Eklo, alias Koklo; Klutse Azuale and Christian Azuale.
Meanwhile the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Police Hospital for autopsy to assist in further investigations.
NGO ORGANISES INDUSTRIAL TOUR FOR STUDENTS (PAGE 28, MAY 22, 2010)
A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION (NGO), Human Resource Network Programme (HRNP), in collaboration with the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Ho Polytechnic has organised an industrial tour for students with a view to empowering them to become effective tools for economic development.
Dubbed: “Industrial 2010”, the students visited Nestle Ghana Limited and the Volta River Authority (VRA) to be familiar with the structures in various industries.
The initiative was part of efforts to make the students acclimatised to some realities on the field as a measure of preparing them for the job market after school.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the tour, the Chief Executive of the HRNP, Mr Albert Vodzi, said the primary objective was to raise competent and innovative leaders for economic growth and development. He said the objectives of the NGO, among others, were to sponsor primary education, especially in deprived communities and empower tertiary students to become effective tools for economic development.
Mr Vodzi called on individuals and the beneficiary communities to extend support to the NGO to enable it assist a large number of pupils so as to raise the standard of education and in effect reduce poverty in the country.
He said for now, five children were on the sponsorship of the NGO and added that the number would increase in the years ahead.
Mr Vodzi stated that at the VRA, the students visited the publicity department, plant and dam sites and at Nestle, they visited all the production sections of the company.
Dubbed: “Industrial 2010”, the students visited Nestle Ghana Limited and the Volta River Authority (VRA) to be familiar with the structures in various industries.
The initiative was part of efforts to make the students acclimatised to some realities on the field as a measure of preparing them for the job market after school.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the tour, the Chief Executive of the HRNP, Mr Albert Vodzi, said the primary objective was to raise competent and innovative leaders for economic growth and development. He said the objectives of the NGO, among others, were to sponsor primary education, especially in deprived communities and empower tertiary students to become effective tools for economic development.
Mr Vodzi called on individuals and the beneficiary communities to extend support to the NGO to enable it assist a large number of pupils so as to raise the standard of education and in effect reduce poverty in the country.
He said for now, five children were on the sponsorship of the NGO and added that the number would increase in the years ahead.
Mr Vodzi stated that at the VRA, the students visited the publicity department, plant and dam sites and at Nestle, they visited all the production sections of the company.
COCA-COLA FOUNDATION ASSISTS ABUTIA-TETI SCHOOL (PAGE 28, MAY 22, 2010)
COCA Cola Africa Foundation has within a period of two years transformed the infrastructure of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Primary School at Abutia–Teti in the Ho Municipality at an estimated cost of GH¢101,000 and made it a modern school.
The project, which was executed in two phases by Proko (Ghana) Limited, a construction firm at Ho, comprises the renovation a 60-year-old three-classroom block, the construction of a new three-classroom block, a library, a common room, a store and rain harvesting system.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new school block last Wednesday, the Franchise Chairman of Coca Cola in Equatorial Africa, Mr Philip Ayivor, said it was through the strong lobbying skills of a former Minister of Education, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, that the project was made possible.
He announced that under the health component of the social responsibility, one million mosquito nets would be distributed in the country this year.
Mr Ayivor added that with the collaboration of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), $1.5 million would also be spent on the creation of access to potable water in the country.
He further stated that the company had trained 150 National Service Personnel in entrepreneurial skills and retained some of them.
In an address read on his behalf, the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode said the project was a manifestation of the public-private partnership in development that the government had advocated for over the years.
He, therefore, commended Coca Cola and the Youth and Women Foundation for collaborating to bring the project to fruition.
Mr Amenowode gave the assurance that the government would not shirk its responsibility of providing infrastructure and relevant teaching and learning materials in schools.
He said the free exercise books programmes would be strengthened with the delivery of 1.5 million additional exercise books for the region, adding that each district would be sewing its first consignment of 2,000 school uniforms very soon for distribution to deprived communities.
The regional minister appealed to communities and institutions that might benefit from infrastructure provided by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to endeavour to maintain them in order to prolong their lifespan.
For her part, Ms Ohene told the people that the government and the private sector had discharged their responsibilities to the people and what they needed to do was to cultivate the culture of community maintenance.
He charged teachers and parents to ensure that there was improvement of the academic performance of the students now that a better infrastructure had been provided.
On behalf of the Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Regional Director of Finance and Administration of the service, Mr Andrews Seke, called for more assistance for the improvement of infrastructure for schools in the area.
He said with the new structure, the teachers should maximise their output.
The headteacher of the school, Mr Isaac Dzivor, was glad about the project and appealed for furniture and computers for the school.
In a welcoming address read on his behalf, the paramount chief of Abutia, Togbe Abutia Kodzo Gidi V, said the new school building would also serve as a monumental reminder to parents to recognise the value of education.
The project, which was executed in two phases by Proko (Ghana) Limited, a construction firm at Ho, comprises the renovation a 60-year-old three-classroom block, the construction of a new three-classroom block, a library, a common room, a store and rain harvesting system.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new school block last Wednesday, the Franchise Chairman of Coca Cola in Equatorial Africa, Mr Philip Ayivor, said it was through the strong lobbying skills of a former Minister of Education, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, that the project was made possible.
He announced that under the health component of the social responsibility, one million mosquito nets would be distributed in the country this year.
Mr Ayivor added that with the collaboration of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), $1.5 million would also be spent on the creation of access to potable water in the country.
He further stated that the company had trained 150 National Service Personnel in entrepreneurial skills and retained some of them.
In an address read on his behalf, the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode said the project was a manifestation of the public-private partnership in development that the government had advocated for over the years.
He, therefore, commended Coca Cola and the Youth and Women Foundation for collaborating to bring the project to fruition.
Mr Amenowode gave the assurance that the government would not shirk its responsibility of providing infrastructure and relevant teaching and learning materials in schools.
He said the free exercise books programmes would be strengthened with the delivery of 1.5 million additional exercise books for the region, adding that each district would be sewing its first consignment of 2,000 school uniforms very soon for distribution to deprived communities.
The regional minister appealed to communities and institutions that might benefit from infrastructure provided by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to endeavour to maintain them in order to prolong their lifespan.
For her part, Ms Ohene told the people that the government and the private sector had discharged their responsibilities to the people and what they needed to do was to cultivate the culture of community maintenance.
He charged teachers and parents to ensure that there was improvement of the academic performance of the students now that a better infrastructure had been provided.
On behalf of the Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Regional Director of Finance and Administration of the service, Mr Andrews Seke, called for more assistance for the improvement of infrastructure for schools in the area.
He said with the new structure, the teachers should maximise their output.
The headteacher of the school, Mr Isaac Dzivor, was glad about the project and appealed for furniture and computers for the school.
In a welcoming address read on his behalf, the paramount chief of Abutia, Togbe Abutia Kodzo Gidi V, said the new school building would also serve as a monumental reminder to parents to recognise the value of education.
VOLTA REGION IS THREATENED BY DESERTIFICATION (PAGE 28, MAY 22, 2010)
THE unprecedented rate of forest degradation in the Volta Region in recent years is alarming.
The situation is due to the high risks it poses for the people in an era that a new jargon has been created in the environmental dictionary called climate change, which continues to hit the headlines in the media and on the Internet daily.
The region is now associated with high rates of annual bush fires, overgrazing, chemical farming, tree felling and the overzealous clearance of vegetation for farming purposes, as well as varied forms of environmentally unfriendly practices.
These practices cumulatively are increasingly causing a big threat to environmental stability in the region with forests being reduced to savannah and savannah to shrubs and deserts.
The undertone crisis is a syndrome of entrenched poverty that continues to eat into the socio-economic fabric in majority of people in the region from the Atlantic coast of coastal savannah to forests and savannah zones that span the coast to the northern areas of the region.
About two years ago, the Volta Region earned the unenviable title as the leader in bush fires throughout the country.
The title was unconsciously earned as a result of the insatiable search for game during the dry season, palm wine tapping, cigarette smoking, using fire to clear weeds by the roadside, charcoal burning and “Akpeteshie” distillation, among others.
Of late, a large herd of cattle has consistently moved from the Tongu and Mafi lands across Adaklu, Ave, Ziope and Agotime–Kpetoe into the Ho Municipality and are heading towards the north with impunity.
The cattle aggravate the already excruciating situation where the only pastime for the communities along the Ho-Kpetoe highway is the felling of trees for firewood and charcoal burning.
One can, therefore, observe that the vegetation in these areas continues to depreciate every year as a result of unregulated mode of cattle grazing and bush fires that tend to change the vegetation in these areas to stunted plants.
Every dry season, the Fulani herdsmen and their allies burn vegetation ahead of time, in anticipation of green grass sprouting on time to serve as fodder for cattle.
As if that is not enough, the use of chemicals from the preparation stage of land for farming to the harvesting stage of crops has become the order of the day.
Despite the fact that chemicals have the highest potential of generating soil infertility, there is a nuisance of several advertisements on radio and the print media encouraging the use of chemicals as weed killers and fertilisers without acknowledging the dangers associated with their use.
It is known that fire, as well as chemicals, destroy micro-organisms responsible for enhancing soil fertility, and the combined effect of these practices could eventually make the soil incapable of sustaining the growth of grass; a situation that could lead to desertification.
What has made the situation worse is the concession granted to sawmills in the Volta Region leading to the invasion of forests by the operators of the mills to cut down trees as raw materials for their industries.
It is painful that although the Forestry Services Division has not granted licence for concession in several areas in the region, some of the sawmill operators encroach on lands where they destroy crops such as cocoa, and clear lands to the detriment of the welfare of the people who cannot complain due to ignorance.
As a result, the forest is losing its cover and the land being exposed to the hazards of the weather, which could accelerate desertification.
The environmental hazards confronting the people is another problem inflicted on them in addition to the impoverishment caused as a result of the drastic decline in the cocoa industry in many forest areas leading to excruciating poverty.
To prevent the creation of an artificial desert the government and corporate bodies should support grand reforestation programmes to replenish what has been cut or destroyed.
The licensing of sawmills in the forest zones of the Volta Region must be reviewed and limited.
There must be vigorous tree-planting exercises to replace lost ones to avert desertification.
The situation is due to the high risks it poses for the people in an era that a new jargon has been created in the environmental dictionary called climate change, which continues to hit the headlines in the media and on the Internet daily.
The region is now associated with high rates of annual bush fires, overgrazing, chemical farming, tree felling and the overzealous clearance of vegetation for farming purposes, as well as varied forms of environmentally unfriendly practices.
These practices cumulatively are increasingly causing a big threat to environmental stability in the region with forests being reduced to savannah and savannah to shrubs and deserts.
The undertone crisis is a syndrome of entrenched poverty that continues to eat into the socio-economic fabric in majority of people in the region from the Atlantic coast of coastal savannah to forests and savannah zones that span the coast to the northern areas of the region.
About two years ago, the Volta Region earned the unenviable title as the leader in bush fires throughout the country.
The title was unconsciously earned as a result of the insatiable search for game during the dry season, palm wine tapping, cigarette smoking, using fire to clear weeds by the roadside, charcoal burning and “Akpeteshie” distillation, among others.
Of late, a large herd of cattle has consistently moved from the Tongu and Mafi lands across Adaklu, Ave, Ziope and Agotime–Kpetoe into the Ho Municipality and are heading towards the north with impunity.
The cattle aggravate the already excruciating situation where the only pastime for the communities along the Ho-Kpetoe highway is the felling of trees for firewood and charcoal burning.
One can, therefore, observe that the vegetation in these areas continues to depreciate every year as a result of unregulated mode of cattle grazing and bush fires that tend to change the vegetation in these areas to stunted plants.
Every dry season, the Fulani herdsmen and their allies burn vegetation ahead of time, in anticipation of green grass sprouting on time to serve as fodder for cattle.
As if that is not enough, the use of chemicals from the preparation stage of land for farming to the harvesting stage of crops has become the order of the day.
Despite the fact that chemicals have the highest potential of generating soil infertility, there is a nuisance of several advertisements on radio and the print media encouraging the use of chemicals as weed killers and fertilisers without acknowledging the dangers associated with their use.
It is known that fire, as well as chemicals, destroy micro-organisms responsible for enhancing soil fertility, and the combined effect of these practices could eventually make the soil incapable of sustaining the growth of grass; a situation that could lead to desertification.
What has made the situation worse is the concession granted to sawmills in the Volta Region leading to the invasion of forests by the operators of the mills to cut down trees as raw materials for their industries.
It is painful that although the Forestry Services Division has not granted licence for concession in several areas in the region, some of the sawmill operators encroach on lands where they destroy crops such as cocoa, and clear lands to the detriment of the welfare of the people who cannot complain due to ignorance.
As a result, the forest is losing its cover and the land being exposed to the hazards of the weather, which could accelerate desertification.
The environmental hazards confronting the people is another problem inflicted on them in addition to the impoverishment caused as a result of the drastic decline in the cocoa industry in many forest areas leading to excruciating poverty.
To prevent the creation of an artificial desert the government and corporate bodies should support grand reforestation programmes to replenish what has been cut or destroyed.
The licensing of sawmills in the forest zones of the Volta Region must be reviewed and limited.
There must be vigorous tree-planting exercises to replace lost ones to avert desertification.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
3 NABBED OVER MURDER CASE (MIRROR, PAGE 31, MAY 15, 2010)
From Tim Dzamboe, Akatsi
A district magistrate court at Akatsi presided over by Mr Francis Asakeya has remanded three persons into police custody for allegedly murdering a mentally handicapped man at Akatsi in the Volta Region.
They are Koku Hedagbi, 19, from Adeheta; Doe Tsatsu, 20, from Adeheta ; and Nukunya Agozi; 40, from Sremanu all in the Akatsi district, while a fourth suspect only known as Moses is on the run.
The station officer of the Akatsi police station, Mr E.Y Ashigbi, told the court that on April 26, 2010 70-year-old Kofi Husunukpe alias Gbevitor, who was a well known mentally handicapped person left his home at Adeheta near Akatsi to wander but never returned.
He said on April 28 at about 7.30 a.m, the decapitated body of the man was found in a decomposed state near a bridge at the outskirts of Akatsi and a report was made to the police. A preliminary investigations led to the arrest of Hedagbi and Tsatsu.
Chief Investigator Ashigbi said upon interrogation, the accused persons admitted having knocked down the deceased with a motorbike but denied beheading him.
He said further investigations revealed that Agozi and Moses were those who allegedly beheaded the deceased and that Agozi was subsequently arrested but denied the allegation, while Moses is on the run.
The three accused persons have been remanded to reappear on May 21.
A district magistrate court at Akatsi presided over by Mr Francis Asakeya has remanded three persons into police custody for allegedly murdering a mentally handicapped man at Akatsi in the Volta Region.
They are Koku Hedagbi, 19, from Adeheta; Doe Tsatsu, 20, from Adeheta ; and Nukunya Agozi; 40, from Sremanu all in the Akatsi district, while a fourth suspect only known as Moses is on the run.
The station officer of the Akatsi police station, Mr E.Y Ashigbi, told the court that on April 26, 2010 70-year-old Kofi Husunukpe alias Gbevitor, who was a well known mentally handicapped person left his home at Adeheta near Akatsi to wander but never returned.
He said on April 28 at about 7.30 a.m, the decapitated body of the man was found in a decomposed state near a bridge at the outskirts of Akatsi and a report was made to the police. A preliminary investigations led to the arrest of Hedagbi and Tsatsu.
Chief Investigator Ashigbi said upon interrogation, the accused persons admitted having knocked down the deceased with a motorbike but denied beheading him.
He said further investigations revealed that Agozi and Moses were those who allegedly beheaded the deceased and that Agozi was subsequently arrested but denied the allegation, while Moses is on the run.
The three accused persons have been remanded to reappear on May 21.
BARCLAYS BANK STAFF MADE CHIEF (PAGE 35, MAY 17, 2010)
A FIFTY-six-year-old Operational Risks Manager of Barclays Bank, Mr Silas Wiah has been installed as the chief of Wegbe-Kpalime in the South Dayi District in the Volta Region under the stool name, Togbe Wiah Kwasi II.
Togbe Wiah swore the oath of allegiance to an elder of the town during his out-dooring ceremony after being confined for seven days.
In a short address to the community, he expressed the desire to resolve all petty conflicts among the people and advance the course of unity to speed up the development of the town.
Togbe Wiah said he would pursue an agenda of development through education, and that schemes would be launched to motivate parents, pupils and teachers to take education more seriously to reduce the drop-out rate in the area.
He said the current level of agricultural production was not encouraging, adding that during his reign, he would encourage the people to venture into commercial farming to enable them raise their income levels and thereby reduce poverty.
Togbe Wiah swore the oath of allegiance to an elder of the town during his out-dooring ceremony after being confined for seven days.
In a short address to the community, he expressed the desire to resolve all petty conflicts among the people and advance the course of unity to speed up the development of the town.
Togbe Wiah said he would pursue an agenda of development through education, and that schemes would be launched to motivate parents, pupils and teachers to take education more seriously to reduce the drop-out rate in the area.
He said the current level of agricultural production was not encouraging, adding that during his reign, he would encourage the people to venture into commercial farming to enable them raise their income levels and thereby reduce poverty.
ADINA FORMS SALT PRODUCTION COMMITTEE (PAGE 35, MAY 17, 2010)
THE people of Adina, a coastal community in the Ketu-South District in the Volta Region, have formed a committee to oversee the protection of its interest in the emerging salt industry in the area.
The 15-member Adina Salt Industries Development Committee (ASID) is under the chairmanship of a retired educationist, Mr Sylvester Borkortse, and comprise a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Mr Alex Ashiagbor, and Dr Kluvitse Kporha, as a member consultant.
The formation of ASID was prompted by the acquisition of 2,410.56 acre of land in the area by a British company known as Kessington Industries Limited, towards the development of a multi-million salt industry there.
West Africa Goldfields Limited, the original holders of the land, ceded it to the British company through the Ghana Minerals Commission.
The registrar of the Denu High Court, Mr Samuel Kpekpo Addo, who inaugurated the committee, commended the community for their foresight as the committee would help bring sanity for the benefit of both investors and the community.
The chairman, Mr Borkortse, said the formation of the committee was to forestall any vacuum that could be exploited by people and groups with the ulterior motive of seeking to speak for the community thereby undermining the operations of the salt industry.
An opinion leader, Mr Seth Abotsi, was optimistic that the investment would turn Adina into a major salt producing area in the country.
He asked the committee would ensure a healthy environment for the mutual benefit of the investor and the community.
Other members of the committee are Mr James Asra as vice-chairman, Mr Francis Abotsi as secretary and Mr Sebastian Dogbe as treasurer.
The rest are Mr Godwin-Gorsh Adapoe, Mr George Dushi, Mr Attakpa Lumorvi, Madam Adzotor Tertteh, Mr Kofi Akpabli, Madam Amenyo Dzadey, Mr Thomas Daworlo, Mr Kodzovia Fiamevor and Madam Charity Kodjo Oppong.
The 15-member Adina Salt Industries Development Committee (ASID) is under the chairmanship of a retired educationist, Mr Sylvester Borkortse, and comprise a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Mr Alex Ashiagbor, and Dr Kluvitse Kporha, as a member consultant.
The formation of ASID was prompted by the acquisition of 2,410.56 acre of land in the area by a British company known as Kessington Industries Limited, towards the development of a multi-million salt industry there.
West Africa Goldfields Limited, the original holders of the land, ceded it to the British company through the Ghana Minerals Commission.
The registrar of the Denu High Court, Mr Samuel Kpekpo Addo, who inaugurated the committee, commended the community for their foresight as the committee would help bring sanity for the benefit of both investors and the community.
The chairman, Mr Borkortse, said the formation of the committee was to forestall any vacuum that could be exploited by people and groups with the ulterior motive of seeking to speak for the community thereby undermining the operations of the salt industry.
An opinion leader, Mr Seth Abotsi, was optimistic that the investment would turn Adina into a major salt producing area in the country.
He asked the committee would ensure a healthy environment for the mutual benefit of the investor and the community.
Other members of the committee are Mr James Asra as vice-chairman, Mr Francis Abotsi as secretary and Mr Sebastian Dogbe as treasurer.
The rest are Mr Godwin-Gorsh Adapoe, Mr George Dushi, Mr Attakpa Lumorvi, Madam Adzotor Tertteh, Mr Kofi Akpabli, Madam Amenyo Dzadey, Mr Thomas Daworlo, Mr Kodzovia Fiamevor and Madam Charity Kodjo Oppong.
BAN USE OF LIGHT IN NATION'S WATERS — COUNCIL (PAGE 35, MAY 17, 2010)
THE Ketu-South District branch of the Ghana Canoe Fishermen Council (GCFC) has called on the government to ban the use of light in the country’s waters to save the fishing industry from collapse.
The council said it expected the government to back its stated commitment to deal with the menace with action.
It alleged that the practice still persisted in the Greater-Accra, Central and Western regions long after it was curtailed in the Volta Region.
The Ketu-South District Chairman of the GCFC, Mr Seth Abotsi, said at a news conference at Adina that fishermen in the region were not happy with the situation, adding that apart from depleting the fish stock, fishing with light also negatively affected the marine ecology by inhibiting fungal formation.
Mr Abotsi, who is also the Ketu-South District chief fisherman, said the practice also destroyed small fish species that served as feed for the bigger fishes and thus compelled them to go deeper into the sea.
“The quality and taste of the fish caught through the practice are also affected,” he lamented.
Mr Abotsi said agitation were however brewing among fishermen in the region to return to the use of light in fishing, alleging that fishing companies and fishermen from the Greater Accra and Western regions had encroached on the region and were using light in their activities.
He said the youth in the fishing communities were ready to combat the illegal practice if the Ghana Navy was not prepared to do so.
The chief fisherman appealed to the government to introduce a subsidy regime for fishermen to enable them to procure fishing gadgets, including nets and outboard motors, at affordable prices.
The council said it expected the government to back its stated commitment to deal with the menace with action.
It alleged that the practice still persisted in the Greater-Accra, Central and Western regions long after it was curtailed in the Volta Region.
The Ketu-South District Chairman of the GCFC, Mr Seth Abotsi, said at a news conference at Adina that fishermen in the region were not happy with the situation, adding that apart from depleting the fish stock, fishing with light also negatively affected the marine ecology by inhibiting fungal formation.
Mr Abotsi, who is also the Ketu-South District chief fisherman, said the practice also destroyed small fish species that served as feed for the bigger fishes and thus compelled them to go deeper into the sea.
“The quality and taste of the fish caught through the practice are also affected,” he lamented.
Mr Abotsi said agitation were however brewing among fishermen in the region to return to the use of light in fishing, alleging that fishing companies and fishermen from the Greater Accra and Western regions had encroached on the region and were using light in their activities.
He said the youth in the fishing communities were ready to combat the illegal practice if the Ghana Navy was not prepared to do so.
The chief fisherman appealed to the government to introduce a subsidy regime for fishermen to enable them to procure fishing gadgets, including nets and outboard motors, at affordable prices.
SPEND PRODUCTIVE HOURS WITH HUSBANDS (PAGE 35, MAY 17, 2010)
A MARRIAGE counsellor, Mama Setsie III of Ho-Heve in the Ho Municipality, has advised prospective mothers to spend productive hours with their husbands rather than relying on all night church services in search of pregnancies.
She said many women missed their ovulation periods while at prayer camps at a time when they should have been with their husbands and that gave way to several temptations in many marital homes.
Mama Setsei, who is the Asafo queen of Ho-Heve, was speaking at the opening ceremony of a workshop organised by the National Commission of Culture for cultural and planning officers of district assemblies in the Volta Region in Ho.
The three-day workshop was on the theme: “Culture and development planning.”
Mama Setsei urged stakeholders in the cultural sphere of the nation to work as a united group to strongly advocate a cultural protection programme that would stem the emerging tide of waywardness among the youth.
A member of the board of the National Commission of Culture, Mr Michael Attipoe, said the educational system of the country was still not responsive to the needs of the society because children were not receiving the desired training to become development oriented.
According to him, religion was causing more harm than good because people spent more productive hours, adding that citizens needed to analyse and readjust to realities of life to enable them to use time judiciously.
The Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Kodobisah, said the issue of the neglect of culture had been one stumbling block to development.
“We always fail to identify the potentials of our culture hence we give less priority to it when planning for our various district budget estimates,” he said.
Mr Kodobisah expressed the hope that the unfortunate mistake and misconceptions about culture would change after the workshop and that it would enable district assemblies to realise the development aspects of culture.
In a welcoming address, the Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture, Mr William Addo, expressed regret that although culture had been defined as the totality of the way of life of a group of people it had been sidelined as if it had no impact on everyday life.
She said many women missed their ovulation periods while at prayer camps at a time when they should have been with their husbands and that gave way to several temptations in many marital homes.
Mama Setsei, who is the Asafo queen of Ho-Heve, was speaking at the opening ceremony of a workshop organised by the National Commission of Culture for cultural and planning officers of district assemblies in the Volta Region in Ho.
The three-day workshop was on the theme: “Culture and development planning.”
Mama Setsei urged stakeholders in the cultural sphere of the nation to work as a united group to strongly advocate a cultural protection programme that would stem the emerging tide of waywardness among the youth.
A member of the board of the National Commission of Culture, Mr Michael Attipoe, said the educational system of the country was still not responsive to the needs of the society because children were not receiving the desired training to become development oriented.
According to him, religion was causing more harm than good because people spent more productive hours, adding that citizens needed to analyse and readjust to realities of life to enable them to use time judiciously.
The Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Kodobisah, said the issue of the neglect of culture had been one stumbling block to development.
“We always fail to identify the potentials of our culture hence we give less priority to it when planning for our various district budget estimates,” he said.
Mr Kodobisah expressed the hope that the unfortunate mistake and misconceptions about culture would change after the workshop and that it would enable district assemblies to realise the development aspects of culture.
In a welcoming address, the Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture, Mr William Addo, expressed regret that although culture had been defined as the totality of the way of life of a group of people it had been sidelined as if it had no impact on everyday life.
WE MUST RECONGISE AND HONOUR OUR HEROES — KEDEM (PAGE 14, MAY 15, 2010)
The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Hohoe-South, Mr Kosi Kedem, has challenged the people of the Volta Region to recognise their heroes and honour them as other people have done.
He said some people hold the view that Ewes did not seem to be too enthused over their heroes, and added that “at best they have an avoid–approach attitude towards them”.
Mr Kedem said this when he delivered a lecture in remembrance of Dr R.E.G. Armattoe a distinguished Ewe who at the age of 40 held three doctorate degrees in Philosophy, Anthropology and Medicine.
He was also an advocate for legitimate Togoland independence and credited with the invention of the Abochi drug for curing guinea worm, toothache, bronchitis and boils and also a cure for the swollen shoot disease.
The lecture was organised by Homeland Study Foundation Group.
Mr Kedem said, “if he had belonged to the right ethnic group he would have been eulogised, adored, declared, hailed as a national hero and celebrated as such.
Mr Kedem said Dr Armattoe, apart from being a great scientist and scholar, was an unapologetic patriot.
He said the Armattoe Memorial Lectures, although belated, was a welcome one and in the right direction because it would create the opportunity to give Armattoe his due and restore him to his rightful place in history.
He, therefore, suggested the institution of an annual prize for best science student in the Volta Region in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and pledged GH¢100 a year towards this prize.
He also suggested, among others, that all the publications of Dr Armattoe should be traced, collated and compiled.
In an address, the President of Homeland Study Foundation Group, Mr Charles Kudzordzi, said the lectures had been instituted as an annual affair and would be repeated every year.
He said some people hold the view that Ewes did not seem to be too enthused over their heroes, and added that “at best they have an avoid–approach attitude towards them”.
Mr Kedem said this when he delivered a lecture in remembrance of Dr R.E.G. Armattoe a distinguished Ewe who at the age of 40 held three doctorate degrees in Philosophy, Anthropology and Medicine.
He was also an advocate for legitimate Togoland independence and credited with the invention of the Abochi drug for curing guinea worm, toothache, bronchitis and boils and also a cure for the swollen shoot disease.
The lecture was organised by Homeland Study Foundation Group.
Mr Kedem said, “if he had belonged to the right ethnic group he would have been eulogised, adored, declared, hailed as a national hero and celebrated as such.
Mr Kedem said Dr Armattoe, apart from being a great scientist and scholar, was an unapologetic patriot.
He said the Armattoe Memorial Lectures, although belated, was a welcome one and in the right direction because it would create the opportunity to give Armattoe his due and restore him to his rightful place in history.
He, therefore, suggested the institution of an annual prize for best science student in the Volta Region in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and pledged GH¢100 a year towards this prize.
He also suggested, among others, that all the publications of Dr Armattoe should be traced, collated and compiled.
In an address, the President of Homeland Study Foundation Group, Mr Charles Kudzordzi, said the lectures had been instituted as an annual affair and would be repeated every year.
WOMAN BURIES BABY ALIVE (PAGE 23, MAY 15, 2010)
THE police in Ho have arrested a 35-year-old woman of Sokode-Bagble for burying alive a new-born baby few hours after delivery.
The woman (name withheld) was said to have buried the baby about 100 metres away from her home.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Ho Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Owusu Berko, said the woman was married to a taxi driver whom she had visited in Ho a day before the incident.
He said she realised during the visit that she was bleeding and told the husband that she wanted to go back home.
Upon reaching home, the suspect realised that she was in labour.
The divisional commander said it was later reported that when the woman had given birth, she buried the baby without informing her relatives or any authority in the town.
Information gathered revealed that the woman, who already has two children, was delivered of a baby about 11 years ago and she dumped it on a plantain farm, but the child was rescued.
Meanwhile, the police have exhumed the body of the baby with the view to pursuing an in-depth investigation into the matter.
The woman (name withheld) was said to have buried the baby about 100 metres away from her home.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Ho Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Owusu Berko, said the woman was married to a taxi driver whom she had visited in Ho a day before the incident.
He said she realised during the visit that she was bleeding and told the husband that she wanted to go back home.
Upon reaching home, the suspect realised that she was in labour.
The divisional commander said it was later reported that when the woman had given birth, she buried the baby without informing her relatives or any authority in the town.
Information gathered revealed that the woman, who already has two children, was delivered of a baby about 11 years ago and she dumped it on a plantain farm, but the child was rescued.
Meanwhile, the police have exhumed the body of the baby with the view to pursuing an in-depth investigation into the matter.
Friday, May 7, 2010
CEANING AND HYGIENE WORKSHOP HELD IN HO (PAGE 22, MAY 7, 2010)
THE Managing Director of Cleaning Solutions Limited, Mr Kofi Ankama-Asamoah, has underscored the essence of high standards of hygiene in the hospitality industry to motivate tourists to revisit tourist facilities in the country.
He said the target to achieve one million tourists into the country by the end of the first decade of the millennium could not be achieved unless a sacred approach was adopted towards good sanitation culture in tourism related infrastructure and services.
Mr Ankama-Asamoah’s address was read on his behalf by the Head of Business Development of the company, Mr Paul Ambenne, at the opening ceremony of a cleaning and hygiene workshop for selected workers of hotels and restaurants in Ho.
He said hotels, drinking spots, eating joints, arts and crafts shops and tours abound in every corner and along the roads throughout the country, adding that the quality of services rendered at some of these facilities were below international standards.
Mr Ankama-Asamoah said what was still below expectation was the quality of human resource servicing the hospitality industry.
He added that with about 10,000 staff in the industry, only five per cent had formal education in their chosen or employed fields and that only 20 per cent were given further training or maintenance in their careers.
He said the industry was a dynamic one with changing trends and requirements of tourists keep changing with time, adding that one measure was to ensure that the necessary services were made available to the expectation of tourists in order to make them revisit the facility again.
Mr Ankama-Asamoah argued that the most favourable sector for investment for a long term is the hospitality industry because it would register increased employment far more than in the oil industry and that it was cheaper to invest in the hospitality industry and get higher returns than in the oil industry.
In a welcoming address, the Volta Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), Mr Charles Obeng also said hygiene was crucial to the success of the hospitality industry and noted that as of now, the standard of cleaning was very poor.
He said 400 employees in the hospitality industry had been targeted for the workshop in the Hohoe, Keta, Denu, Aflao zones, adding that the issues at stake bothered on the lack of skills in cleaning or that management had failed to provide the tools for cleaning.
Mr Obeng urged the participants to upgrade their skills and go back to train others at their workplaces.
He said the target to achieve one million tourists into the country by the end of the first decade of the millennium could not be achieved unless a sacred approach was adopted towards good sanitation culture in tourism related infrastructure and services.
Mr Ankama-Asamoah’s address was read on his behalf by the Head of Business Development of the company, Mr Paul Ambenne, at the opening ceremony of a cleaning and hygiene workshop for selected workers of hotels and restaurants in Ho.
He said hotels, drinking spots, eating joints, arts and crafts shops and tours abound in every corner and along the roads throughout the country, adding that the quality of services rendered at some of these facilities were below international standards.
Mr Ankama-Asamoah said what was still below expectation was the quality of human resource servicing the hospitality industry.
He added that with about 10,000 staff in the industry, only five per cent had formal education in their chosen or employed fields and that only 20 per cent were given further training or maintenance in their careers.
He said the industry was a dynamic one with changing trends and requirements of tourists keep changing with time, adding that one measure was to ensure that the necessary services were made available to the expectation of tourists in order to make them revisit the facility again.
Mr Ankama-Asamoah argued that the most favourable sector for investment for a long term is the hospitality industry because it would register increased employment far more than in the oil industry and that it was cheaper to invest in the hospitality industry and get higher returns than in the oil industry.
In a welcoming address, the Volta Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), Mr Charles Obeng also said hygiene was crucial to the success of the hospitality industry and noted that as of now, the standard of cleaning was very poor.
He said 400 employees in the hospitality industry had been targeted for the workshop in the Hohoe, Keta, Denu, Aflao zones, adding that the issues at stake bothered on the lack of skills in cleaning or that management had failed to provide the tools for cleaning.
Mr Obeng urged the participants to upgrade their skills and go back to train others at their workplaces.
STOP BLAMING ECG FOR POWER OUTAGES — SOWU (PAGE 22, MAY 7, 2010)
THE Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Squadron Leader Clend Sowu (retd), has advised electricity consumers to stop blaming the ECG for power outages in the country.
He called for a better understanding of the role of companies associated with electricity generation, supply and distribution in the country, which are the Volta River Authority (VRA) and GRIDCO in addition to the ECG, adding that the two could be equally blamable for power outages.
Squadron Leader Sowu was addressing a durbar of workers of the company in the southern sector of the Volta Region, which was climaxed with the inauguration of the Keta office of the ECG at a ceremony at Keta.
He said energy was the most important sector of any economy anywhere and that the Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, VRA, ECG, Ministry of Energy and citizens to organise themselves together in order to wage a war against darkness and poverty.
He said by 2012 the ECG would be able to sell power in 90 per cent of all towns in its area of operation and that would involve selling quality electricity in 13,500 towns, communities and polling stations by December, 2012.
Squadron Leader Sowu projected that within the medium term, all customers in urban areas would be on prepaid meters.
He promised that outage hours within the operational domain of ECG would be as
low as possible with a minimal loss in networks.
In his address, the Managing Director of ECG, Mr Cephas Gakpo, said some challenges facing thecompany were the high growth in demand for services, lack of redundancy and alternative source of supply and the severe erosion of tariff granted the company from 2007.
He, however, said the government had committed $430 million to an expansion programme of the company and had also shown interest in the efficacy of the prepaid system for revenue mobilisation and revenue protection.
Mr Gakpo said the company would rise up to the challenges of checking theft and commercial malfeasance, adding that workers should eschew plain criminal activities which would negatively affect the company.
He stressed the need for good relationship with customers in order to fulfil the strategic issues facing the company, stressing that workers should show positive attitude to work to prevent dissatisfied customers from becoming ‘terrorists’ against the company.
The Volta Regional Manager of ECG, Mr Williams Hutton-Mensah, said the new office was an
attraction and made it a “congenial destination for customers”.
He said a company’s image improved with good and decent offices, and expressed the hope that huge benefits would be derived from the new offices.
The Keta Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Sylvester Tornyeavah, announced that 120 communities in the municipality were to be connected to the national grid.
He commended the new ECG board for the initiative exhibited so far.
He called for a better understanding of the role of companies associated with electricity generation, supply and distribution in the country, which are the Volta River Authority (VRA) and GRIDCO in addition to the ECG, adding that the two could be equally blamable for power outages.
Squadron Leader Sowu was addressing a durbar of workers of the company in the southern sector of the Volta Region, which was climaxed with the inauguration of the Keta office of the ECG at a ceremony at Keta.
He said energy was the most important sector of any economy anywhere and that the Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, VRA, ECG, Ministry of Energy and citizens to organise themselves together in order to wage a war against darkness and poverty.
He said by 2012 the ECG would be able to sell power in 90 per cent of all towns in its area of operation and that would involve selling quality electricity in 13,500 towns, communities and polling stations by December, 2012.
Squadron Leader Sowu projected that within the medium term, all customers in urban areas would be on prepaid meters.
He promised that outage hours within the operational domain of ECG would be as
low as possible with a minimal loss in networks.
In his address, the Managing Director of ECG, Mr Cephas Gakpo, said some challenges facing thecompany were the high growth in demand for services, lack of redundancy and alternative source of supply and the severe erosion of tariff granted the company from 2007.
He, however, said the government had committed $430 million to an expansion programme of the company and had also shown interest in the efficacy of the prepaid system for revenue mobilisation and revenue protection.
Mr Gakpo said the company would rise up to the challenges of checking theft and commercial malfeasance, adding that workers should eschew plain criminal activities which would negatively affect the company.
He stressed the need for good relationship with customers in order to fulfil the strategic issues facing the company, stressing that workers should show positive attitude to work to prevent dissatisfied customers from becoming ‘terrorists’ against the company.
The Volta Regional Manager of ECG, Mr Williams Hutton-Mensah, said the new office was an
attraction and made it a “congenial destination for customers”.
He said a company’s image improved with good and decent offices, and expressed the hope that huge benefits would be derived from the new offices.
The Keta Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Sylvester Tornyeavah, announced that 120 communities in the municipality were to be connected to the national grid.
He commended the new ECG board for the initiative exhibited so far.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
BE CONERSANT WITH CONSTITUTION (PAGE 13, MAY 5, 2010)
THE Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, has said it is proper and prudent that citizens should become very conversant with the Constitution to enable them participate effectively in the activities of nation building and national development.
He said the involvement of the people in the current democratic dispensation would ensure that the 1992 Constitution is defended and upheld at all times against all forms of abuse and violation.
Mr Amenowode said this in an address read on his behalf at the launch of the 10th annual national constitution week celebrations on the theme: “Enhancing Constitutionalism through Effective Citizens’ Participation for Good Governance”, at Ho.
He said the celebration would re-echo and trumpet the need for the citizenry to eschew apathy and get involved in the collective effort to leapfrog the development of the nation.
This is because good governance is a necessary ingredient for achieving sustainable development but this cannot be achieved without the active participation and involvement of the people.
Mr Amenowode noted that it was significant that Ghana was the first African country, south of the Sahara, to wrestle and attain independence from British colonial rule in 1957, adding that the country had become a source of inspiration for other countries and liberation movements intheir fight for the independence of their respective countries.
“Ghana has become an oasis of peace and a beacon of hope in the sub-region. This has been possible because of its commitment to democratic principles, good governance, rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and good neighbourliness”, he stated.
The regional minister said society was dynamic and that the fundamental law should also be dynamic to respond to the changing needs of society and the exigencies of the time, hence the need for cooperation from the general public towards the work of the presidential constitutional review commission to enable them work towards the possible amendments to the constitution to enable it respond to the needs of the people.
In a welcome address, the Volta Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education(NCCE), Mr Fidelis S.K Attoh, said all constitutions adopted by the nation had witnessed a steady improvement in documentation, each in its own right, as the fundamental and supreme law at the time.
He said all institutions of state must be adequately resourced to play their complementary and multi- sectoral roles efficiently, once the path chosen is all-inclusiveness and consultation for the necessary checks and balances in the body politic.
Mr Attoh said provisions under the decentralisation and local government system were a clear improvement on the old order, expected to propel the nation to achieve the devolution of power needed to realise effective grass roots participation for logical and conclusive community development on a sustainable basis.
“We should avoid systemic failure and desist from paying lip service to the functions to be performed by the urban, town, zonal and area councils, as well as the unit committees in our communities where poverty, hunger, illiteracy, ignorance, disease, high child and maternal mortality rates, squalor, lack of potable water, joblessness and such other challenges are prevalent”, he said.
Mr Attoh said the decentralisation policy is one of the surest ways of job creation and rapid engagement of our rural youth who constantly are on the move, migrating from the rural areas to the urban centres for menial jobs just to eke a living.
He called on the citizens to eschew political, economic, socio-economic and corporate corruption to help move the nation forward.
The Volta Region coordinator of the National Youth Council, Mr Ransford Ocloo, cautioned against the use of the youth as instruments of conflict.
He said the involvement of the people in the current democratic dispensation would ensure that the 1992 Constitution is defended and upheld at all times against all forms of abuse and violation.
Mr Amenowode said this in an address read on his behalf at the launch of the 10th annual national constitution week celebrations on the theme: “Enhancing Constitutionalism through Effective Citizens’ Participation for Good Governance”, at Ho.
He said the celebration would re-echo and trumpet the need for the citizenry to eschew apathy and get involved in the collective effort to leapfrog the development of the nation.
This is because good governance is a necessary ingredient for achieving sustainable development but this cannot be achieved without the active participation and involvement of the people.
Mr Amenowode noted that it was significant that Ghana was the first African country, south of the Sahara, to wrestle and attain independence from British colonial rule in 1957, adding that the country had become a source of inspiration for other countries and liberation movements intheir fight for the independence of their respective countries.
“Ghana has become an oasis of peace and a beacon of hope in the sub-region. This has been possible because of its commitment to democratic principles, good governance, rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and good neighbourliness”, he stated.
The regional minister said society was dynamic and that the fundamental law should also be dynamic to respond to the changing needs of society and the exigencies of the time, hence the need for cooperation from the general public towards the work of the presidential constitutional review commission to enable them work towards the possible amendments to the constitution to enable it respond to the needs of the people.
In a welcome address, the Volta Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education(NCCE), Mr Fidelis S.K Attoh, said all constitutions adopted by the nation had witnessed a steady improvement in documentation, each in its own right, as the fundamental and supreme law at the time.
He said all institutions of state must be adequately resourced to play their complementary and multi- sectoral roles efficiently, once the path chosen is all-inclusiveness and consultation for the necessary checks and balances in the body politic.
Mr Attoh said provisions under the decentralisation and local government system were a clear improvement on the old order, expected to propel the nation to achieve the devolution of power needed to realise effective grass roots participation for logical and conclusive community development on a sustainable basis.
“We should avoid systemic failure and desist from paying lip service to the functions to be performed by the urban, town, zonal and area councils, as well as the unit committees in our communities where poverty, hunger, illiteracy, ignorance, disease, high child and maternal mortality rates, squalor, lack of potable water, joblessness and such other challenges are prevalent”, he said.
Mr Attoh said the decentralisation policy is one of the surest ways of job creation and rapid engagement of our rural youth who constantly are on the move, migrating from the rural areas to the urban centres for menial jobs just to eke a living.
He called on the citizens to eschew political, economic, socio-economic and corporate corruption to help move the nation forward.
The Volta Region coordinator of the National Youth Council, Mr Ransford Ocloo, cautioned against the use of the youth as instruments of conflict.
TEACHERS URGED TO DEVELOP CREATIVE MINDS (PAGE 11, MAY 5, 2010)
The Kpando District Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ms Dora Agorsor, has stressed the need to encourage students to develop their creative minds.
She said students also needed to understand the essence to empathise with people in need, more importantly, be able to overcome emerging social problems by nurturing ethical values.
Speaking at the inauguration of a 10-member reconstituted board of governors of the Likpe Senior High School (LISEC) at Likpe Mate, Ms Agorsor implored boards of educational institutions to come out with innovative strategies to support educational authorities to turn out products who have the requisite academic and attitudinal standards.
She said they must focus on high standards that would prepare students to enter the competitive job market, making use of competence and excellence.
She said students must be guided to move away from mere knowledge acquisition to real appreciation and application of knowledge, conceptual analysis, synthesis and evaluation, adding that “In this 21st century, we need disciplined minds to engage right thinking”.
Ms Agorsor, who is also the acting Hohoe Municipal Director of the GES, stressed the need for governors to take the interest of both teaching and non-teaching staff into consideration in all their dealings because they were key players in the education sector.
She said the huge challenge for those in the education enterprise was to address the slow pace of growth of human capital in developing countries, including Ghana.
Ms Agorsor expressed concern about the problem of infrastructure development of LISEC and pointed out that there was the need to put up more classrooms, bungalows and expand the dinning hall, as well as dormitories and classroom furniture.
She said there was the need to expand infrastructure for computer studies with the view of coping with changing times.
The Chairman of the board of directors, Mr Winfried Yao Bonsi, promised to lead a team that would commit itself to hardwork to enhance the image of the school.
Mr Bonsi, who is a veteran educationist, also promised to help maintain high academic standards and discipline in the school.
In a welcoming address, the Headmaster, Mr Daniel Diboa, said the school had a high potential for excellence in view of its serene environment.
She said students also needed to understand the essence to empathise with people in need, more importantly, be able to overcome emerging social problems by nurturing ethical values.
Speaking at the inauguration of a 10-member reconstituted board of governors of the Likpe Senior High School (LISEC) at Likpe Mate, Ms Agorsor implored boards of educational institutions to come out with innovative strategies to support educational authorities to turn out products who have the requisite academic and attitudinal standards.
She said they must focus on high standards that would prepare students to enter the competitive job market, making use of competence and excellence.
She said students must be guided to move away from mere knowledge acquisition to real appreciation and application of knowledge, conceptual analysis, synthesis and evaluation, adding that “In this 21st century, we need disciplined minds to engage right thinking”.
Ms Agorsor, who is also the acting Hohoe Municipal Director of the GES, stressed the need for governors to take the interest of both teaching and non-teaching staff into consideration in all their dealings because they were key players in the education sector.
She said the huge challenge for those in the education enterprise was to address the slow pace of growth of human capital in developing countries, including Ghana.
Ms Agorsor expressed concern about the problem of infrastructure development of LISEC and pointed out that there was the need to put up more classrooms, bungalows and expand the dinning hall, as well as dormitories and classroom furniture.
She said there was the need to expand infrastructure for computer studies with the view of coping with changing times.
The Chairman of the board of directors, Mr Winfried Yao Bonsi, promised to lead a team that would commit itself to hardwork to enhance the image of the school.
Mr Bonsi, who is a veteran educationist, also promised to help maintain high academic standards and discipline in the school.
In a welcoming address, the Headmaster, Mr Daniel Diboa, said the school had a high potential for excellence in view of its serene environment.
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