Tuesday, August 19, 2008

24 SHS IN CENTRAL REGION GET BUSES (PAGE 21)

TWENTY-FOUR senior high schools (SHS) in the Central Region have benefited from buses donated by the government to ease the transportation problems of schools throughout the country.
The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, who handed over the keys to the buses to Mr Ebo G. Edzie, the Deputy Central Regional Director in charge of Finance and Administration of the Ghana Education Service in Cape Coast, expressed regret that some of the drivers who went for the vehicles stole radio cassette systems in the cars before they were sent to their destinations.
Nana Ato Arthur said investigations would be conducted into the case and the drivers who would be found culpable would be dealt with.
He entreated the beneficiary schools to use the vehicles judiciously and maintain them to ease the transportation problems of students and staff of their schools.
Mrs Anastasia Okyere of the Regional Education office, commended the government for providing the buses to ease the transportation problem of the schools.
Among the beneficiary institutions are the Efutu, Mankessim, Obrakyere, Nyakrom, Assin North, Mando, Senya, Eguafo, Enyan Denkyira, Abakrampa senior high schools, the Komenda Senior High (Technical) and the Gomoa Senior High (Technical).

Sunday, August 17, 2008

CHILD SURVIVAL PROJECT MAKES IMPACT IN 12 COMMUNITIES (PAGE 22)

THE Child Survival Project implemented by Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), a non-governmental organisation NGO), has made significant gains in 12 communities in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District in the Central Region.
The project is being sponsored by SIMAVI of Netherlands.
In a summary at a workshop at Ajumako, Ms Nancy Ansah, a resource person of HFFG, said the project raised the awareness of the link between ill-health and sanitation in the participating communities.
She said the project achieved community participation in health care through training of volunteers, and the establishment of community support systems.
Ms Ansah said the project had made major gains in the knowledge on preventive health, signs, symptoms, spread, prevention and management of malaria, adding that its incidence reduced by 47.13 per cent during the period.
She said the use of insecticide treated mosquito nets also increased by 46.7 per cent.
Ms Ansah stated that primary health care was made easily accessible to the people and that community-based health agents were also trained to refer diseases to hospitals.
According to her, the project also encouraged mothers to immunise their children on time while traditional birth attendants also received training and incentives to send women in labour to health facilities.
It was, however, observed that more needed to be done and the project expanded to cover more communities for the benefit of the majority of people who lived in deprived areas.

ENYANMAIM CITIZENS IN UK REMEMBER HOME (PAGE 22)

A MEMBER of the Enyanmaim Citizens Association in the United Kingdom, Ms Philomena Poku, has on behalf of the association presented two computers, a printer and books to the Enyanmaim community library to enhance Information Communication Technology (ICT) education for schoolchildren in the area.
At a durbar of chiefs and people of the area at Enyanmaim, Ms Poku said the donation was the association's contribution towards the development of education in the area.
She said information technology formed the basis of education in the world and therefore, it would require the support of all to provide technology for the youth to assist them become competitive on the international job market.
He advised parents not to shirk their parental responsibility towards their children's education.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, Mr John Arthur-Baiden, urged parents to offer the necessary support for their children’s education, since that was the best investment they could leave for their children.
The District Director of Education, Mr Isaac Amonoo, commended the citizens in the UK for remembering their kit and kin they had left behind.
He advised the youth to take advantage of the library to study hard and become useful citizens.
The Omanhen of the Enyanmaim Traditional Area, Okofo Amoako Bondam III, also praised the association for donating the computers to facilitate the acquisition of ICT skills, as well as books to boost education in the area.

2 GOMOA FACTIONS SMOKE PEACE PIPE (PAGE 22)

THE parties embroiled in the dispute over the siting of the newly created Gomoa East District Assembly at Gomoa Afransi have agreed to smoke the peace pipe for the unity and development of the area.
This follows the intervention of a media team led by the Omanhene of the Abeadze Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII.
At a meeting at Mankessim, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi advised the two feuding factions from the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area and the Gomoa Ajumako Traditional Area to consider the convening of regular meetings in future to foster unity among Gomoas.
The Omanhen of Gomoa Akyempim, Obirifo Ahunako Ahor Ankobea II, gave his full backing to the peaceful settlement of the impasse for peace and unity to prevail in the two traditional areas as it used to be some years back.
The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, denied that he never sacked some people from the Akyempim who called on him at his office in Cape Coast.
He also explained that he was neither involved in the naming of the district assembly nor the siting of its capital at Gomoa Afransi, adding that all what he did was to act upon a letter from the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment’s Legislative Instrument (1883), which gave the legal backing to the new assembly.
The District Chief Executive for Gomoa West, Ms Joyce Aidoo, called for decorum and tolerance to guide the new district assembly for a smooth and prosperous administration.
The Odikro of Afransi, Nana Ogyedom Obrenu Atta II, denied any knowledge about the siting of the district capital until it was announced.
He stated that he only counted himself as a lucky chief, stressing that any controversy should be settled.
Other members of the committee were Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, the Oguaamanhen; Nana Yamful Obrenu VIII, the Twafohene; Nana Nketsia Afful, the Abontendomhen; and Nana Antwi Bosiako, the Ankobeahen, all of the Abeadze Traditional Area.
It would be recalled that following a suit filed by Obirifo Ahor Ankobea at a court in Accra against the Minister of Local Government, the Central Regional Minister and three others, against the inauguration of the assembly, the chief called on the court to commit the defendants for contempt for going ahead to inaugurate the assembly.

POLICE STRENGTHENS UNIT TO CHECK DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (PAGE 22)

THE Police Administration has set in motion a programme to strengthen the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) throughout the country to address the problem of domestic violence.
Violence against women and children has been a worldwide problem over the years. Even though the problem has existed in many communities for a long time, it was only in the early 1990's that it featured prominently in human rights discourse, particularly at the world conference on Human Rights held in 1992.
Since then measures have been put in place at the international, national, regional and local levels in an attempt to address the problem.
At a three-day conference for police personnel of DOVVSU, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) at the National Secretariat of the DOVVSU, Haleema Afa Boakye, said the unit had set aside this month for an advocacy programme in the Central Region to create awareness in both gender and domestic violence.
ASP Boakye said the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana had been contributing towards the training and provided logistic support for DOVVSU.
The Central Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mrs Rose Bio Atenga, said it had been realised that issues of domestic violence needed to be treated with professionalism, expertise and understanding.
She said there was also the need to be mindful of physical abuse and its social, mental and psychological dimensions.
Mrs Atenga said service providers had to sympathise with victims to understand such issues.
In Ghana, the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAG) was established in 1998 through the collaboration of some non-governmental organisations, pressure groups and the then Ghana National Commission on Children, to oversee the challenges facing women and children.
The unit was re-christened the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit in 2006 to address the concerns of men, who earlier held uninformed perception of the unit’s operations.
Today, the unit has established offices in all the Regional Police Headquarters, as well as in the districts.
In the Central Region, the unit was established in 2002 and currently has opened offices in all the working districts.
Mrs Atenga said as a specialised unit, there was the need for regular courses for its personnel to enhance their performance.
She said the unit faced a lot of challenges because more cases were reported as a result of domestic conflicts between men and their wives.
The regional commander said most of such cases were as a result of men seeking to take additional women for wives because of bumper fish catch and bumper crop harvest.
The course was designed to equip the participants with investigative skills and broaden their counselling abilities to enhance their performance.
The participants were taken through topics such as the legal framework for survivors of abuse, domestic violence and gender-based violence, counselling for survivors of abuse and professional investigations.
Mrs Atenga said the unit had achieved many successes and overcome challenges, which won it a national award.
She stated that the course had also been designed to help them to confront the challenges they faced.
The regional commander expressed the hope that the knowledge they would acquire during the workshop would enhance their work.
The Central Regional Co-ordinator of DOVVSU, ASP Felicia Ayesu, urged the participants to take advantage of the workshop to upgrade their knowledge and skills to ensure the effective and efficient discharge of their duties.

Monday, August 11, 2008

WIREKO-BROBBY TO CONTEST SEAT AS INDEPENDENT (PAGE 17)

A 36-year-old Development Engineer, Mr Bright Wireko-Brobby, has decided to contest the Hemang-Lower Denkyira seat as an independent parliamentary candidate.
Mr Wireko-Brobby, who announced this at a press conference in Cape Coast, said he took the decision to contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December parliamentary elections, to vindicate his position that he was truly the man of the people.
He said that he took the decision after a deep and sober reflection of an unfair and unjustifiable treatment meted out to him and his teeming supporters by the NPP Constituency Executives and the Central Regional Chairman over his eligibility to contest the primary.
Mr Wireko-Brobby said he had chosen the lantern as his symbol, and that as a true faithful of the NPP, he filed his papers to contest the incumbent MP because many supporters in the constituency had lost faith and confidence in the incumbent Member of Parliament.
He said since the incumbent realised that he would be defeated at the primary, he teamed up with the constituency executive and were reluctant to allow any eligible person to contest him, and falsely argued that he, Wireko-Brobby, was not known in the party.
He said he had been a member of the party since 1992 and was even privileged to introduce the late professor Adu Boahen during a campaign in the constituency.
He said when Mr Lord Commey, who happened to chair the vetting committee for prospective candidates, realised that he had been unfairly treated, he referred the matter to a mediation committee, chaired by Nana Awuku.
He expressed surprise as to why some constituencies such as Suhum, Tema East, Offinso and Oforikrom, which had not had their primaries were spared the acclamation.
He said apart from denying him of his democratic right to contest, the action was also a breach of the party” constitution.
He said with his 12 years of experience as a Development Consultant, and having worked earlier on USAID-sponsored projects across the length and breadth of the country and now CARE International, a non-governmental organisation, he was only responding to distress calls from his people to contest as an independent candidate.
He called on all eligible voters to register and vote massively to vindicate his position that he was truly the man of the people.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

APPIAH-OFORI INSPECTS PROJECTS (PAGE 13)

The Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Mr P.C. Appiah-Ofori, has inspected two projects being undertaken by the Breman Asikuma District Assembly.
They are a two-storey multi-purpose community centre and an office for the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme.
Mr Appiah-Ofori who was accompanied by the District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Adjei Domson, said he supported the construction of the DMHIS offices with 200 bags of cement from his share of the MPs Common Fund.
Mr Appiah-Ofori said he would continue to provide support for the completion of the offices for the effective functioning and the smooth implementation of the scheme in the district.
This, he said, would make health care easily accessible to the people in the area.
He advised the people to register with the scheme to reap its benefits.
The MP said the 3000-seater capacity multi-purpose community project would also have an ICT room, a library, a conference room, two offices and a bar, among other facilities.
Earlier in an interaction with chiefs of the Breman Asikuma Traditional Council, Mr Appiah-Ofori called on the people to return the NPP to power to continue its good work.

TACKLE FACTORS WHICH HINDER QUALITY EDUCATION (PAGE 11)

PARTICIPANTS at a two-day international conference on Teacher Education held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) have agreed that factors which hinder the teaching profession should be tackled with zeal to enhance quality education in the country.
They also stressed the need for commitment on the part of all stakeholders in teacher education to implement innovations and avoid resistance to change.
This was contained in an eight-point communiqué issued at the end of the conference, which discussed pertinent issues, prospects and challenges in education in sub-Saharan Africa.
The participants referred to the formation of the National Teachers Council and asked all stakeholders to see it as a paramount concern, which they must vigorously pursue for it to become a reality.
They said teacher education should live up to expectation through effective teaching and learning that placed emphasis on reflective enquiry and constructive approaches to teaching and learning.
According to them, teacher education should make effective use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to promote teaching and learning and that teachers and students should acquire the basic skills and knowledge in ICT.
The participants said effective models should be used to deal with issues of teaching, including field experience.
Teachers should also explore alternative ways of expanding access to education beyond the conventional and distance education models.
The issue of in-service training was also advocated as an integral part of teacher education and must be done on a regular and sustainable basis.
They further called for the promotion of networking among stakeholders in teacher education in sub-Saharan Africa to promote the exchange of ideas.
The participants stressed the need for frequent international conferences on teacher education to share ideas on contemporary issues in education.

Friday, August 1, 2008

RELEASE FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF BURSARIES...

THE University of Cape Coast (UCC) branch of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has called on the government to release funds for the payment of bursaries and thesis grants to students for the 2007/08 academic year.
This, the association said, would enable students to undertake their research projects.
It expressed dismay at the undue delay in the release of the funds, which, it said, was affecting continued studies at the university.
At a press conference in Cape Coast last Tuesday to press home the demand for the release of funds, the association also called for increase in the bursaries and grants from GH¢127 and GH¢230 to GH¢400 and GH¢600 respectively to reflect the realities and the increasing cost of living.
The president of the branch, Mr Napoleon-Bonaparte Afenyo, said the association was shocked at the inability of the government to pay the grants since May, this year, adding that several follow-up discussions with the Scholarship Secretariat had yielded no positive results.
Mr Afenyo said students were surprised as to why government officials continued to insist on education as a priority, but not much was being done to achieve excellence in higher education.
He said each student spent about GH¢1,500 on a project and so if the little grant which was meant to supplement their contribution was delayed, they became handicapped.
He said the delay had negatively affected some of the students to the extent that they stood the risk of deferring their courses.
He, therefore, called on the government to make good its obligation to the students concerning their projects.