Take stock of all Nkrumah's belongings- Dr Hannah Bisiw

A DEPUTY Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Bisiw, has directed the Public Works Department (PWD) Prestige to take stock of all the personal belongings of Dr Kwame Nkrumah which were evacuated to the department during the rehabilitation of Peduase Lodge.
She gave the directive when she embarked on a feasibility tour to identify possible ways of ensuring provision of potable water supply to the lodge and the schools within Aburi and its environs.
Dr Bisiw said that after stocktaking, all the items would be sent to Dr Nkrumah’s Museum, at the Nkrumah Memorial Park, for safe keeping and for posterity.
Apparently, during the rehabilitation of Peduase Lodge three years ago by the previous administration, the items were evacuated to the PWD Prestige.
Asked if the Government intended to put to use the imposing edifice built by the country’s first President, Dr Bisiw replied in the affirmative.
“It is an asset and we have to use it, We spent money to rehabilitate it and so we have to put it to use,” she stated, and gave the assurance that the Government would ensure that the lodge was brought back to its original state.
She, therefore, asked the Head of Works and Housing, Mr Yaw Adu Adjei Siaw, who also had oversight responsibility over the lodge, to also furnish the ministry with the total cost of the rehabilitation.
Dr Bisiw further directed the PWD to desilt choked drainages at the lodge in order to prevent any havoc in case of a heavy downpour.
The odge, which was constructed in 1959 during the reign of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, had since served as a presidential holiday resort.
It served as the residency for President Edward Akufo Addo and President Dr Hilla Limann. It has also served as a place for relaxation for all the country's leaders as well as an venue for important national events and meetings.
In 2006, rehabilitation work by the previous administration on the lodge began after some leakages were detected in the imposing four-storey building which housed a library, a swimming pool and a theatre complex, as well as guard and staff quarters.
A tour round the facility by the press during the visit by Dr Bisiw revealed that almost every part of the building that needed to be restored had been completed, but what the facility lacked was adequate water to fully bring it back to its original status.
The concrete structures and the interior decorations that were damaged had been restored. The terrazzo floors and the granite stones in the bath and the dressing rooms, which, according to reports, were cracked, have also been restored.

Caption: Front view of Peduase Lodge after the rehabilitation work.

Police grab fugitive- faces GH¢238,890 case of embezzlement

27/8/09
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THE Divisional Accountant of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited who fled to South Africa after allegedly embezzling GH¢238,890 belonging to the company, has been arrested.
The suspect, Stephen Pagfu, was arrested by the police with the help of Interpol and has been brought back to Ghana for further investigations and prosecution.
He is currently at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters after he was refused bail by the court.
The Managing Director of the company, Mr Darko Damptey, who made this known at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in Accra yesterday, said the amount was part of the company’s GH¢1,447,110 accounts receivable for the year 2008.
According to Mr Damptey, Mr Pagfu was an accountant with the Jewellery Department of the company and absconded with the money in 2008.
“We notified the police that also contacted the Interpol in South Africa and they effected his arrest, after which he was repatriated to the country," he stated.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, Mr Kwabena Kyereh, however, described the company’s performance for the year 2008 as satisfactory despite the adverse impact of the global financial crisis.
The company, according to him, had a total turnover of GH¢35.95 million, far more than GH¢13.31 million registered in 2007, representing an increase of 170 per cent.
Mr Kyereh said the huge turnover was basically due to increased gold export for 2008 and indicated that impressive performance compensated for the reduction in the company’s diamond operations.
He said the company posted a net profit of GH¢501,121.00 in 2008, representing 5.86 per cent over the result of GH¢473,368.00 in 2007.
In all, the export of gold and diamond, as well as jewellery sales for 2008, generated a total foreign exchange of US$197 million, which was repatriated to the country through the Bank of Ghana to support the national economy.
Additionally, he said, the company paid GH¢364,360 to the Government through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as Value Added Tax (VAT).
“It also paid GH¢148,150 representing PAYE deduction from staff remuneration and withholding taxes from the supply of goods and services to the company,” he stated, and declared a dividend of GH¢150,000 to be paid to the government, the sole shareholders.
Mr Kyereh gave the assurance that the new board was determined to implement the company’s three-year strategic corporate plan to put the company on the highest pedestal.

Ministry to overhaul Aburi’s boreholes

THE Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, is to overhaul boreholes which have been abandoned in Aburi for more than a decade to make them functional to solve the perennial water shortage in the district capital.
Beneficiaries of the project would include Aburi Girls and Adonten Senior High Schools, the Peduase Lodge and most parts of Aburi in the Eastern Region.
The Deputy Minister of the sector, Dr Hannah Louisa Bisiw, who undertook a feasibility tour of the boreholes, beneficiary schools, Peduase Lodge and its surrounding communities said one of the numerous boreholes could produce at least 540 gallons of water per minute if properly mechanised.
Dr Bisiw appealed to the Chief of Aburi, Nana Kwesi Djan II, to allow the government to develop the boreholes to ensure the provision of adequate water supply for the beneficiaries.
Dr Bisiw tasked the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to furnish the ministry with a quality control report of the periodic water sampling of the main Aburi Water Reservoir into which all the boreholes would be connected.
She, therefore, urged GWCL to collaborate with McDonnell Contract Mining Limited, a construction firm that was contracted by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Aburi Senior High School to build mechanised boreholes specifically for the provision of potable water for the school, when the school was faced with water shortages in the 1990s.
Mr Michael Botse-Baidoo, the Planning Engineer of GWCL, who was part of the team, gave the assurance that plans were underway to mechanise the boreholes, while pipes already procured by the company were to be laid very soon.
Nana Djan II, who lauded the initiative, expressed appreciation to the government for embarking on the study to address the perennial water shortage that had affected the Aburi township for decades, particularly during the dry season.

Akordor tops 'em all

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17/8/09

Mr Kofi Akordor of the Daily Graphic was last Saturday adjudged the Best Journalist of the Year 2008 at the 14th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards ceremony held in Accra.
The ceremony, which was on the theme, "Media — Promoting Dialogue, Mutual Understanding and National Unity," also saw 36 journalists and media organisations winning awards for their excellent contributions to national development and the media industry.
For his prize, Mr Akordor, who also won the Best Columnist award, would attend a four-week journalism programme at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom (UK) and a four-week familiarisation tour of some media facilities in the UK. He also received a certificate, a plaque and a laptop.
This year’s awards were dominated by the Graphic Communications Group Limited as eight of its reporters swept nine out of the 36 coveted prizes.
They were Kofi Yeboah (Daily Graphic), Best Features - Print; Maurice Quansah (Graphic Sports), the Best Sports Journalist; Rosalind Amoh (Daily Graphic), Best Environment & Sanitation Reporter; Victor Kwawukume (Daily Graphic), Best Rural Reporting; Charles Benoni Okine (Daily Graphic), Best Telecommunications & ICT Reporter.
Others were Samuel Kyei-Boateng (Daily Graphic), Best Crime & Court Reporting, and Kobby Asmah (Daily Graphic), Best Political & Parliamentary Reporting,
Other award winners included Best News Reporting - Radio, Dominic Hlordzi (GBC); Best News Reporting - TV, Loretta Vanderpuije (GTV); Best News Reporting - Print: Kingsley Hope (Ghanaian Times); Best Features - Radio, Kingsley Obeng Kyere (GBC); Best Features - TV, Peggy Ama Donkor (GTV).
The Best Investigative Reporting went to ace journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the New Crusading Guide while Godwin Ofosu Akyeampong of the Ghanaian Times was adjudged the Best Photojournalist with Peggy Ama Donkor of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) winning Best Arts/Entertainment & Domestic Tourism Reporter.
Others included the Best Business/Finance & Economic Reporting, Theophilus Yartey (B&FT); and Best Health & Road Safety Reporter, Solomon Jojo Kobina (TV3).
The rest were Best Reporter on Water Issues, Edmund Smith Asante (Ghanaian Observer), Best Reporter on Disability, Loretta Vanderpuije (GTV).
In the media awards, Joy FM Super Morning Show was adjudged the Best Morning Radio Show, while Daily Guide won the Best Layout and Design (newspaper). The Best Rural Radio Station award went to Radio Progress (Wa) with the Best Rural Radio Station (Runner Up) going to Radio Peace (Winneba).
Others were Best Radio – Akan, Radio Peace (Winneba); Best Radio - Dagbani, Diamond FM (Tamale); and Best Radio - Ga, Obonu FM (GBC).
The Public Agenda Newspaper was adjudged the media activist on Human Rights, while GBC was also given an award for Peace-building.
Honorary awards were presented to Dr K. Bonnah Koomson, Cameron Duodu, Gilbert Ayitey, Harriet Tachie-Menson, Kwartei Shang Simpson and Frazer Ofori-Atta.
The awards ceremony, which was held at the Banquet Hall, State House, saw a host of veteran journalists including past GJA executive members and former presidents of the association.
Among them were Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari and Mr Edward Ameyibor.

CONSTITUTIONS FACES REVIEW

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17/8/09

The country’s 1992 Constitution is to undergo a major review, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has hinted.
Consequently, he said, a constitutional review conference would be held in early 2010 to begin the process of identifying the areas which required amendments.
The Vice-President dropped the hint at the 14th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards held in Accra last Saturday to honour journalists and media organisations for their contributions to the country’s democratic process.
It was on the theme, "Media — Promoting Dialogue, Mutual Understanding and National Unity".
The Vice-President said the 1992 Constitution had served the country well and had been the basis for the significant progress Ghana had made as a nation in democratic governance "but as a living document we would need at certain periods in its life to make amendments to some aspects of it".
He said the review process would be open and transparent and would involve all political stakeholders.
On efforts by the government to put the economy on an even keel, the Vice-President pointed out that the government had been faced with serious challenges with regard to the economy and had, therefore, focused on instituting and monitoring measures to restore stability to pave the way to lay the foundation for economic growth and acceleration.
Those measures, he said, had begun to pay off and the country was witnessing a downturn in the inflation index while relative stability of the cedi had been achieved.
"With the restoration of relative stability of the economy," Mr Mahama said, the government could now focus on other critical issues that required attention.
"This government is determined and capable of delivering on its contract with the people and we are positive that at the end of our term we would have created a better Ghana than we came to meet it," he stated.
The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, urged the media to discipline itself by ensuring that it operated within the confines of its code of conduct, ethics and the law.
"We must have the humility to admit that not all has been praiseworthy in the past 60 years," he said, and saluted courageous journalists who through responsible journalism supported the country's struggle for self-determination.
"With democracy on course, the field is broad and wide for the future of journalism and the media in Ghana," he stated, and, therefore, urged journalists to take their destiny into their own hands and demonstrate to the world once again that Africa could do what was right.
The Minister of Information, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, expressed the need for the media to be fair and objective in their reportage, stating that the beauty of the media was to ensure that Ghanaians remained united as a people.
"We should not use the media to destroy what we have built over the years. We should avoid one-sided reportage and endeavour to engage investigative and development journalism," she charged.
In that regard, she gave the assurance that the government would ensure that the media remained independent by passing into law the Freedom of Information Bill.
The Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ms Anna Bossman, stressed the need to avoid media tyranny, stressing that "we must be accountable to one another and our maker”.
The President of the GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, said the success that had been chalked up by the GJA was a collective effort of all journalists and urged the practitioners to promote democracy, neutrality and unity.
He said in spite of the challenges confronting the media, they were still vibrant, and appealed to members of the public to refrain from physically assaulting journalists because they did not agree with a media broadcast or publication.
Mr Tetteh said the abolition of the Criminal Libel and Seditious Law in 2001 had provided greater impetus to free expression and press freedom and commended the public for accepting all those actions that had helped to free and embolden the media to do their work.
He said "we believe that without them we would not have made the progress that we have so far made in democratisation."

75 Ghanaians to study in Chinese varsities

12/8/09
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THE Government of the People’s Republic of China has awarded scholarships to 75 Ghanaian students to study at universities in China.
Out of the 75 students, 40 have already left for China.
As part of the scholarship programme, most of the students who would offer various courses in Chinese would study the Chinese language for a year, before continuing their programmes of study.
Some of the programmes include Agriculture, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Chemistry, Business Management, Pharmacology, Electric Science & Technology, Finance, Public Administration and Mass Communications.
The Charge D’ Affairs of the Chinese Embassy, Mr Wang Lushan, at a farewell reception for the students in Accra yesterday, emphasised the importance of education to Ghana’s human resource capacity building and development agenda. Hence, he said, the Chinese government’s commitment to providing quality education for the children and the youth in the country.
He also expressed China’s unflinching support for Ghana in the area of education.
“The bilateral co-operation on education under the framework of China-Africa Co-operation Forum has yielded fruitful results,” he remarked, adding that the Government of the People’s Republic of China had also provided short-term training opportunities for about 700 Ghanaian officials, professionals and technicians since 2006.
“We have increased the Chinese government’s scholarship to Ghana from 20 slots in 2006 to 75 this year. We have built three rural model schools in the Greater Accra, Central, and Western regions this year, ” Mr Lushan said.
He pointed out that the Chinese government had also sent two lecturers and some volunteers to teach Chinese languages at the University of Ghana, Legon.
He expressed conviction that the support was in the right direction, as it would increase the human resource capacity of the people of Ghana.
Mr Lushan gave an assurance that China would continue to provide scholarships, training programmes and other forms of educational assistance to Ghana.
He, therefore, encouraged the students to focus on their studies and make friends with the Chinese people in order to be able learn from each other.
“It is my sincere hope that when you graduate from China, you will not only apply what you have learnt in China to build a better Ghana, but would also serve as ambassadors for friends between our two peoples,” he stated.
The Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Mr Fuseini Lansah, in an address read on his behalf, expressed appreciation to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its tremendous support to the human resource development of Ghana.
He urged the students to take advantage of the opportunity offered them, to be good ambassadors of Ghana and make the country proud.
According to him, reports reaching the secretariat indicated that most Ghanaians studying abroad were doing better than their counterparts from other countries and attributed this to the quality and strength of the Ghanaian educational system.
Mr Lushan, however, cautioned the students to be law-abiding and return to Ghana when their programmes were over to support the country’s growing economy.
A representative of the students, Mr Halid Mahama, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed appreciation for the opportunity offered them by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to study in that country.
The students were later treated to various Chinese dishes.

Energy Commission endorses PURC’s position— On payment of accumulated bills

12/8/09
laed back page

THE Energy Commission (EC) has endorsed the directive issued by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to the general public and all consumers of electricity not to pay accumulated utility bills should service providers fail to bill them for a period of 12 months.
It said the PURC was justified in taking that decision by informing the public not to pay overdue bills. This is because subsection 20 (5) of the Electricity Supply and Distribution (Technical Operation) Rules 2005 (LI 1816) indicates that “a supplier must deliver a bill 12 times in a year at the address of the customer by hand, electronic mail or any other appropriate and convenient means”.
The Executive Secretary of the EC, Mr Alfred Ofosu Ahenkorah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that “what the PURC is saying is absolutely right", adding that it was part of measures the PURC and the EC had put in place to ensure that service providers offered the best services to consumers.
He said part of the LI 1816 which the PURC quoted was just a small portion of the legislation on issues and delivery bills under electricity billing and, therefore, urged the utility providers, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Department (NED) to sit up because Ghanaians expected maximum benefit from their services.
According to him, the two companies had taken Ghanaians for granted for far too long, and it was about time they adhered to regulations on standards and performance under the LI 1816.
He said the expectation of the government as regards adequate service delivery was to also ensure that consumers were offered the best services.
Quoting subsection 20(3) of LI 1816, he said a supplier who contravened rules (1), (2) and 10(c) "commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 500 penalty units".
Subsection 20(8) of LI 1816 says “where a supplier fails to bill a customer for a period of 12 months, the supplier cannot recover the cost of that service unless the delay in the billing occurred without negligence on the part of the supplier or due to the customer’s action.”
Commenting on subsection 20(8), Mr Ahenkorah said the probability where the delay could be due to the customer’s action was very low and likely not to happen very often.
He said under the Energy Commission Law, Act 541, 1997, it was the function of the EC to promote and ensure uniformed rules of practice for the transmission of wholesale supply, distribution and sale of electricity and natural gas uniformly throughout the country.
Quoting sections of the Act 541, he said under section 2 (2f), it was the function of the commission to establish and enforce, in consultation with the PURC, standards of performance for public utility companies.
On the rules of practice for electricity and natural gas public utilities, he said the commission should by legislative instrument, prescribe technical and operational rules of practice for electricity and natural gas public utilities licensed under Act 541 and would apply and enforce the provisions uniformly throughout the country.
The executive secretary said based on those regulations, the EC, in 2005, passed the Electricity Supply and Distribution (Technical Operation) Rules 2005 (LI 1816).
He, therefore, urged ECG and the NED to offer periodical checks on regular and pre-paid metres in order to prevent loss of revenues as a result of faulty metres.