THE Kommenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has constituted eight committees to boost the campaign of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo, and the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, who is contesting the seat as an MP in the December general election.
The committees are Advisory, Campaign and Monitoring, Research, Fund-raising, Communication, Security, Electoral and Operations.
At the inauguration Nana Arthur commended members of the team for accepting to join the campaign train to ensure victory for the NPP.
Nana Ato Arthur reminded the team of how to package campaign messages as a “whole to capture the seat and mobilise the people, especially, those who have attained voting age to vote for the NPP’’.
He said when given the nod, he would continue to work hard to improve education, health and the socio- economic conditions of the people under the Elmina 2015 strategy, which he championed when he was the District Chief Executive of the KEEA.
Nana Arthur said the district had benefited immensely from the various economic intervention policies pursued under President Kufuor’s administration, and admonished the people to rally behind the party.
The Mpotuhen of the Anomabo Traditional Area, Nana Aggrey, who chaired the function, promised to provide the necessary support for the NPP to win massively in the forthcoming elections.
Nana Aggrey advised members of the committee to live up to the task ahead of them and drum up support for the parliamentary and the presidential candidates of the NPP.
Monday, July 21, 2008
GOMOA EAST ASSEMBLY FAILS TO APPROVE NOMINEE (PAGE 16)
The Gomoa East District Assembly failed to approve the President’s nominee, Mr Mark Jewel Joseph Annan, for the post of District Chief Executive at its maiden sitting at Gomoa Afransi.
Mr Annan, Assembly member for Gomoa Fetteh and a staff of the Parliamentery Service, who polled 15 votes, however secured 51.7 per cent of the total number of members present who voted with 14 dissenting, and therefore stands the chance for another round of voting within 10 days.
Under the Local Government law on the approval of a nominee for the position of a District Chief Executive, the nominee should secure two thirds of the total number of Assembly members present who cast their ballot.
No date was, however, fixed for the next round of ballot within the 10-day period under the law.
At its inauguration on June 18, the 30-member assembly could not elect a presiding member after two keenly contested ballots because the two contestants failed to secure the needed two thirds of votes of members.
During last Friday’s sitting, it took the persuasive instinct of the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, to convince members to unite and settle on one of the candidates to enable the assembly to settle down for business for the development of the area.
This was after members had again voted twice without any of the candidates getting the required two-thirds majority.
During the first ballot, Mr Bright Lambert Enyan Hackeem, 34, a Social Science graduate of the University of Cape Coast, polled 13 whilst Prince Charles Abbam, a 46-year-old printer, gained 15.
In the second round, Mr Hackeem’s votes dropped to 12 with Prince Abbam receiving 17.
After consultations, Mr Hakeem stepped down for peace and unity to prevail and when the final ballot, supervised by Mr Cerebrum Quaicoe, Deputy Central Regional Electoral Director of the Electoral Commission, conducted the balloting, Prince Abbam was endorsed by 28 votes with only one against.
Nana Ato Arthur commended the members for electing a presiding member, and urged them to close their differences and endorse the DCE whenever they were called upon to do so within the 10-day period.
He reminded members and the presiding member of the challenges ahead of them and advised them to work as a team for the benefit of their people.
The Co-ordinating Director of the assembly, Mr Atta-Ullah Dason, was also introduced to members of the assembly.
Mr Annan, Assembly member for Gomoa Fetteh and a staff of the Parliamentery Service, who polled 15 votes, however secured 51.7 per cent of the total number of members present who voted with 14 dissenting, and therefore stands the chance for another round of voting within 10 days.
Under the Local Government law on the approval of a nominee for the position of a District Chief Executive, the nominee should secure two thirds of the total number of Assembly members present who cast their ballot.
No date was, however, fixed for the next round of ballot within the 10-day period under the law.
At its inauguration on June 18, the 30-member assembly could not elect a presiding member after two keenly contested ballots because the two contestants failed to secure the needed two thirds of votes of members.
During last Friday’s sitting, it took the persuasive instinct of the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, to convince members to unite and settle on one of the candidates to enable the assembly to settle down for business for the development of the area.
This was after members had again voted twice without any of the candidates getting the required two-thirds majority.
During the first ballot, Mr Bright Lambert Enyan Hackeem, 34, a Social Science graduate of the University of Cape Coast, polled 13 whilst Prince Charles Abbam, a 46-year-old printer, gained 15.
In the second round, Mr Hackeem’s votes dropped to 12 with Prince Abbam receiving 17.
After consultations, Mr Hakeem stepped down for peace and unity to prevail and when the final ballot, supervised by Mr Cerebrum Quaicoe, Deputy Central Regional Electoral Director of the Electoral Commission, conducted the balloting, Prince Abbam was endorsed by 28 votes with only one against.
Nana Ato Arthur commended the members for electing a presiding member, and urged them to close their differences and endorse the DCE whenever they were called upon to do so within the 10-day period.
He reminded members and the presiding member of the challenges ahead of them and advised them to work as a team for the benefit of their people.
The Co-ordinating Director of the assembly, Mr Atta-Ullah Dason, was also introduced to members of the assembly.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
MAKE TEACHER TRAINING TECHNOLOGY-BASED (PAGE 16)
THE Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Reverend Prof Emmanuel Adow Obeng, has stressed the need for a change in the current system of training teachers to a more responsive, technology-based system.
That, he said, would go a long way to transform the present state of education in sub-Saharan Africa.
Addressing the opening of an international conference on teacher education in sub-Saharan Africa, Rev Prof Obeng said teachers constituted an important element in the achievement of the Education For All and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) commitments that had been globally set for all countries.
He said the large number of teachers needed to transform the present state of education in sub-Saharan Africa could not be trained through what he described as the “brick-and-mortar” campus-based training system.
Rev Professor Obeng said the emergence of affordable communication technologies provided a more efficient way of training teachers through the “brick-and-click” system (that is, using the affordable communication technologies).
He said it was in that light that Teacher Education in sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA), a consortium, had developed the largest teacher education programme using available and affordable new technology and communication tools which enhance the rapid development and dissemination of materials and tools.
He said TES had also developed the Open Education Resources Movement with the philosophy of adapt and share and social networking to make educational resources available and free to all.
The TES is a consortium of 18 organisations, including 13 higher educational institutions from nine sub-Saharan African centres and three international organisations in the BBC World Service Toast, the Commonwealth of Learning and the Open University of the United Kingdom.
It represents Africa’s largest teacher education research community, stretching across institutions in the Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa.
Rev Prof Obeng said across sub-Saharan Africa, many institutions were incorporating the study units into their teacher education programmes, adding that nearly half a million teachers would receive training on those programmes in the coming years.
He said more countries had expressed their desire and interest to join the consortium and urged others to be part of the partnership.
The Director of the Institute of Education of the UCC, Professor Joseph Kingsley Kweku Aboagye, who chaired the function, said TESSA provided very imaginative ways of training teachers outside the classroom.
Professor Aboagye said the high budgetary resources needed to expand teacher training institutions to admit more trainees, improve quality of teachers and continuous training to upgrade their skills called for the introduction of TESSA training institutions.
That, he said, would go a long way to transform the present state of education in sub-Saharan Africa.
Addressing the opening of an international conference on teacher education in sub-Saharan Africa, Rev Prof Obeng said teachers constituted an important element in the achievement of the Education For All and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) commitments that had been globally set for all countries.
He said the large number of teachers needed to transform the present state of education in sub-Saharan Africa could not be trained through what he described as the “brick-and-mortar” campus-based training system.
Rev Professor Obeng said the emergence of affordable communication technologies provided a more efficient way of training teachers through the “brick-and-click” system (that is, using the affordable communication technologies).
He said it was in that light that Teacher Education in sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA), a consortium, had developed the largest teacher education programme using available and affordable new technology and communication tools which enhance the rapid development and dissemination of materials and tools.
He said TES had also developed the Open Education Resources Movement with the philosophy of adapt and share and social networking to make educational resources available and free to all.
The TES is a consortium of 18 organisations, including 13 higher educational institutions from nine sub-Saharan African centres and three international organisations in the BBC World Service Toast, the Commonwealth of Learning and the Open University of the United Kingdom.
It represents Africa’s largest teacher education research community, stretching across institutions in the Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa.
Rev Prof Obeng said across sub-Saharan Africa, many institutions were incorporating the study units into their teacher education programmes, adding that nearly half a million teachers would receive training on those programmes in the coming years.
He said more countries had expressed their desire and interest to join the consortium and urged others to be part of the partnership.
The Director of the Institute of Education of the UCC, Professor Joseph Kingsley Kweku Aboagye, who chaired the function, said TESSA provided very imaginative ways of training teachers outside the classroom.
Professor Aboagye said the high budgetary resources needed to expand teacher training institutions to admit more trainees, improve quality of teachers and continuous training to upgrade their skills called for the introduction of TESSA training institutions.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
ASIKUMA-ODOBEN-BRAKA INSURANCE SCHEME COMMENDED (PAGE 35)
THE District Chief Executive (DCE) for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Mr Emmanuel Adjei-Domson, has commended the management of the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme for its dedication and commitment which has resulted in the increasing membership of the scheme from 31,818 in 2006 to 51,677 in 2007.
He has, therefore, urged them to continue to broaden the scheme for the benefit of the people in the district.
Mr Domson made the commendation at the third annual general meeting of the scheme at Breman Asikuma.
He implored the Board of Directors of the scheme to ensure commitment and respect for good governance, which include transparency, accountability and the rights of all clients.
Mr Domson advised them to avoid interference in the management of the scheme, and urged them to be prudent in its operations.
He also called on the management to avoid acts of intimidation, back-biting, corruption and disrespect for the rights of clients of the scheme.
On behalf of the assembly, the DCE promised to donate 100 bags of cement to support the completion of the scheme's office complex.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the scheme, Reverend Patrick Nyampong, said last year, the scheme paid GH¢491,409 for 44,000 members who accessed health care from the various service providers.
He said the scheme collected a total premium of GH¢118,244.69 as against GH¢48,912,26 in 2006.
Mr Nyampong attributed the success of the scheme to the massive education and the sensitisation of the programmes mounted by the scheme in communities in the district.
The Central Regional Manager of the National Health Insurance Council, Mr Emmanuel Badu, said the council would print a single identification card to enable clients to attend any health facility in any part of the country.
He advised the management of the scheme to step up its sensitisation programme for the national target of 60 per cent of the populace to be achieved by the end of the year.
He has, therefore, urged them to continue to broaden the scheme for the benefit of the people in the district.
Mr Domson made the commendation at the third annual general meeting of the scheme at Breman Asikuma.
He implored the Board of Directors of the scheme to ensure commitment and respect for good governance, which include transparency, accountability and the rights of all clients.
Mr Domson advised them to avoid interference in the management of the scheme, and urged them to be prudent in its operations.
He also called on the management to avoid acts of intimidation, back-biting, corruption and disrespect for the rights of clients of the scheme.
On behalf of the assembly, the DCE promised to donate 100 bags of cement to support the completion of the scheme's office complex.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the scheme, Reverend Patrick Nyampong, said last year, the scheme paid GH¢491,409 for 44,000 members who accessed health care from the various service providers.
He said the scheme collected a total premium of GH¢118,244.69 as against GH¢48,912,26 in 2006.
Mr Nyampong attributed the success of the scheme to the massive education and the sensitisation of the programmes mounted by the scheme in communities in the district.
The Central Regional Manager of the National Health Insurance Council, Mr Emmanuel Badu, said the council would print a single identification card to enable clients to attend any health facility in any part of the country.
He advised the management of the scheme to step up its sensitisation programme for the national target of 60 per cent of the populace to be achieved by the end of the year.
STUDENT STABBED TO DEATH BY COLLEAGUE (PAGE 3)
A FIRST-year Agricultural Science student of the St Andrews Senior High School at Assin Fosu, Antwi-Boasiako, was stabbed to death by his course mate, Osei-Gyamfi, when the deceased demanded a GH¢7 debt owed him by Osei-Gyamfi.
According to the Proprietor of the school, Mr Richard Asiedu, both Osei-Gyamfi and Antwi-Boasiako were day students of the school and lived in the same rented premises at a Fosu suburb and that from their relationship as classmates, nothing seemed to suggest any bad blood between them.
Mr Asiedu said it all started when the landlord demanded his rent from the two and Antwi-Boasiako told Osei-Gyamfi, who owed him GH¢7, that he was giving Osei-Gyamfi GH¢1 to add to the GH¢7 to pay his (Antwi-Boasiako’s) rent.
The proprietor said that demand did not go down well with Osei-Gyamfi, resulting in a quarrel which degenerated into a fight.
He said during the brawl, Osei-Gyamfi picked a knife and stabbed Antwi-Boasiako several times, resulting in his death.
He said Osei-Gyamfi had since been arrested.
Antwi-Boasiako’s body has been deposited at the St Francis Xavier Catholic Hospital at Assin Fosu, while police investigations continue.
According to the Proprietor of the school, Mr Richard Asiedu, both Osei-Gyamfi and Antwi-Boasiako were day students of the school and lived in the same rented premises at a Fosu suburb and that from their relationship as classmates, nothing seemed to suggest any bad blood between them.
Mr Asiedu said it all started when the landlord demanded his rent from the two and Antwi-Boasiako told Osei-Gyamfi, who owed him GH¢7, that he was giving Osei-Gyamfi GH¢1 to add to the GH¢7 to pay his (Antwi-Boasiako’s) rent.
The proprietor said that demand did not go down well with Osei-Gyamfi, resulting in a quarrel which degenerated into a fight.
He said during the brawl, Osei-Gyamfi picked a knife and stabbed Antwi-Boasiako several times, resulting in his death.
He said Osei-Gyamfi had since been arrested.
Antwi-Boasiako’s body has been deposited at the St Francis Xavier Catholic Hospital at Assin Fosu, while police investigations continue.
TANKER DRIVE BURNT TO DEATH (BACK PAGE)
A 44-year-old driver of a petrol tanker , Yusif Mumuni, died on the spot when his vehicle burst a front tyre, somersaulted and burst into flames on the outskirts of Nyamoransa in the Central Region on Thursday evening.
The Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Emmanuel Teye Okoso, said the driver was trapped between the head of the vehicle and the tank in his attempt to escape from the fire.
Two others on the vehicle who managed to escape are on admission at the Central Regional Hospital in Cape Coast, while the charred body of the deceased has been deposited at the same hospital’s morgue.
Inspector Okoso said it took the police and Fire Service personnel a hectic time to retrieve the charred body of the driver from the flames.
He said Mumuni, who was employed only three months ago by the Glory Oil Company, was driving the vehicle with registration number GR 6536 K loaded with petrol from Tema to Glory Oil Filling Station near the police barrier at the Moree Junction.
Inspector Okoso said the police were investigating the case.
The Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Emmanuel Teye Okoso, said the driver was trapped between the head of the vehicle and the tank in his attempt to escape from the fire.
Two others on the vehicle who managed to escape are on admission at the Central Regional Hospital in Cape Coast, while the charred body of the deceased has been deposited at the same hospital’s morgue.
Inspector Okoso said it took the police and Fire Service personnel a hectic time to retrieve the charred body of the driver from the flames.
He said Mumuni, who was employed only three months ago by the Glory Oil Company, was driving the vehicle with registration number GR 6536 K loaded with petrol from Tema to Glory Oil Filling Station near the police barrier at the Moree Junction.
Inspector Okoso said the police were investigating the case.
Friday, July 11, 2008
CR MINISTER TOURS REGISTRATION CENTRES (PAGE 27)
The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, has stated that there might be the need for the extension of the deadline for the National Identification registration currently going on in the Central region.
The exercise, which started on July 1 on a pilot basis in the region, is expected to end by July 17.
After touring a number of registration centres in the Cape Coast Metropolis last Wednesday, Nana Arthur said even though the exercise was going on smoothly, a lot more needed to be done to ensure its success.
He said the exercise had challenges which needed to be addressed and called on personnel handling it to show more commitment and dedication to surmount the challenges.
He said, for instance, that there was the need to increase the personnel in some of the centres to make the exercise less cumbersome and reduce the time one has to spend at the centre to register.
He appealed to the people to exercise patience with the registration officials and cooperate with them in view of the challenges the exercise had imposed on the staff.
The regional minister stressed the need to sensitise the people to the importance of the exercise to reduce the frustration they went through at the registration centres.
He suggested to the registration officials to sacrifice to work on Sundays and also make special arrangements with school authorities to have their pupils and students registered.
Problems that came out during the visit ranged from lack of forms, confusion over queuing, lack of co-ordination between the registration officials and the camera operators and communication gap between some registration supervisors.
At most of the centres visited, officials complained of lack of forms, and impatience on the part of people who turned up for registration, among others.
At the time the regional minister got to the University Primary School registration centre around 11.30 a.m. there were no registration forms and people had queued since morning waiting to be registered.
It was also learnt that some people filled the forms on their own and made a lot of mistakes, which needed to be corrected, whilst others who also filled the forms previously did not turn up for their photographs to be taken.
At the Castle registration centre, Ms Gifty Tetteh told the regional minister that she had made arrangements to register staff of the Ghana Commercial Bank after church service on Sunday.
Nana Arthur, who was not satisfied with some of the explanations given by the registration personnel, advised them be up and doing and that anyone found to have been drawing back the excise would be replaced immediately.
At the Old High Court building near the Pitmans Secretariat School in Cape Coast, an 85 year-old lady who did not see why she should join a queue to be registered walked away, saying “no one would ask me for an identification card at the cemetery”.
The exercise, which started on July 1 on a pilot basis in the region, is expected to end by July 17.
After touring a number of registration centres in the Cape Coast Metropolis last Wednesday, Nana Arthur said even though the exercise was going on smoothly, a lot more needed to be done to ensure its success.
He said the exercise had challenges which needed to be addressed and called on personnel handling it to show more commitment and dedication to surmount the challenges.
He said, for instance, that there was the need to increase the personnel in some of the centres to make the exercise less cumbersome and reduce the time one has to spend at the centre to register.
He appealed to the people to exercise patience with the registration officials and cooperate with them in view of the challenges the exercise had imposed on the staff.
The regional minister stressed the need to sensitise the people to the importance of the exercise to reduce the frustration they went through at the registration centres.
He suggested to the registration officials to sacrifice to work on Sundays and also make special arrangements with school authorities to have their pupils and students registered.
Problems that came out during the visit ranged from lack of forms, confusion over queuing, lack of co-ordination between the registration officials and the camera operators and communication gap between some registration supervisors.
At most of the centres visited, officials complained of lack of forms, and impatience on the part of people who turned up for registration, among others.
At the time the regional minister got to the University Primary School registration centre around 11.30 a.m. there were no registration forms and people had queued since morning waiting to be registered.
It was also learnt that some people filled the forms on their own and made a lot of mistakes, which needed to be corrected, whilst others who also filled the forms previously did not turn up for their photographs to be taken.
At the Castle registration centre, Ms Gifty Tetteh told the regional minister that she had made arrangements to register staff of the Ghana Commercial Bank after church service on Sunday.
Nana Arthur, who was not satisfied with some of the explanations given by the registration personnel, advised them be up and doing and that anyone found to have been drawing back the excise would be replaced immediately.
At the Old High Court building near the Pitmans Secretariat School in Cape Coast, an 85 year-old lady who did not see why she should join a queue to be registered walked away, saying “no one would ask me for an identification card at the cemetery”.
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