No need to panic over swine flu - Dr Sory

THE Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, has urged the public not to panic over media reports of the possibility of the outbreak of Swine influenza.
“People should not panic, this is not an issue to panic over”, he stressed and pointed out that the surveillance system of the health service had been activated at the various ports and airports in the country to screen all visitors and Ghanaians entering or leaving the country.
Speaking to journalists on his way to an emergency committee meeting in Accra yesterday, he said the outbreak of the flu had been over emphasised by the media and therefore urged all Ghanaians not to worry so much about the possible outbreak of the flu.
He said so far no case had been recorded in the country, and expressed the hope that after the emergency committee meeting, concrete steps or measures would be taken to prepare the country for any emergency that may arise.
Dr Sory, said more cases were being reported in Mexico where the flu broke out and in other parts of America and Europe, but gave the assurance that the GHS was on top of the situation and would see to it that the necessary steps were taken to avoid an emergency where people would need to wear masks to cover their mouths and nostrils.
He said the surveillance system was set up during the outbreak of the Avian influenza to deal with any outbreak at the time, and further gave the assurance that the team had the capacity to deal with the situation in the case of any emergency.
He was optimistic that the flu, if detected in the country, would not greatly impact on the provision of health care services in the country because there were enough drugs in the country to deal with the situation, and pointed out that the drugs used against the outbreak of the Avian influenza in the country was also effective against the Swine flu.
The Director-General, on Monday, April 27, 2009 alerted all health personnel over the Swine flu and directed them to step up surveillance over the possible outbreak of the disease in the country.
“We have the structures to deal with any outbreak. All health officials in the regions have been given guidelines to that effect,” he told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A, which infects pigs. There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing.
Until now, it had not infected humans, but the latest form clearly does, and can be spread from person to person, probably through coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Although most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, about 100 lives have been lost in Mexico.
Cases of the Swine flu have also been found in Canada, the US and in Spain.

Groups in Ga Dangme supporters Vanderpuije

Various groups in Ga Dangme and supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have appealed to the government to expedite action leading to the early voting and confirmation of Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije as Municipal Chief Executive of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
The groups which expressed their support for the President’s nominee, however expressed their concern about the deplorable sanitary conditions in the capital as a result of the delay in the election of the Dr Vanderpuije.
The groups included, the Ga Dangme Renaissance Union, the Greater Accra Markets Association, the North American Coordinating Council of NDC and some of Dr Vanderpuije’s colleague teachers at the Accra Teacher Training College.
Addressing a press conference in Accra, the Research and Planning Chairman of Ga Dangme Renaissance Union, Mr Rashad Yasin Ofei Dodoo gave the assurance that with Dr Vanderpuije’s his rich experience as an administrator cum educationalist in the Diaspora and in Ghana,he would certainly live up to the expectations of transforming and modernising the capital.
He said their worry was the delay in the confirmation of Dr Vanderpuije as the Chief Executive because for now, the AMA had come to a standstill and if time was not taken, the city would experience an increase in diseases with the coming of the rains.
According to him, Dr Vanderpuije’s patriotism as a Ghanaian was evident and unquestionable, having worked with city mayors in the Diaspora and his long life experience within the Ghanaian community, contrary to what some people were speculating about him.
“We wish to declare our unequivocal support for Dr Vanderpuije who is a true versatile son of Ga Dangme and a man of the people,” he stated.
The Representative of the Greater Accra Market Association, Madam Mercy Needjan said the association had known Dr Vanderpiuje as an upright man who had contributed to the development of Ghana in diverse ways.“He is known for his communal labour. He is a man of peace and has good relations with market women and men, and was always seeking to promote good standards for our markets,” she stated.
Madam Needjan said the association believed in his knowledge about the management and operations of markets and expressed optimism that when given the nod, he would help improve market facilities in Accra and put in place comprehensive measures to reduce human traffic on the streets.
The members of the North American Coordinating Council of NDC, Mr Tony Amuzu, the Vice- Chairman of the Atlanta Chapter, Mr Kwame Agyeman, Chairman of the Toronto Chapter and Mr Zac Adama, the Council’s Secretary firmly stated their support for the President’s nomination.
“We have known Dr Vanderpuije to be honest, reliable, hardworking, tenacious, truthful, people-oriented, a problem solver and God-fearing,” they said.
They said his capability to work with people could not be underestimated considering his several years of experience, and emphasised that they had confidence in his ability to solve the numerous problems including sanitation, traffic congestion and unemployment that confronted the capital.
“It is our sincere hope that all Assembly members will vote en bloc for Mr Vanderpuije as Mayor for the betterment of Accra,” they added.
The NDC Vice Constituency Chairman of the Odododiodio Constituency, Mr Festus Clifford Bekoe said most members of the constituency have had the privilege to experience the organisational ability of Dr Vanderpuije, who was resident in their community and they were very appreciative of the government’s decision to elect him as the chief executive of AMA.
He refuted allegations purporting that Dr Vanderpuije was not wholly a Ghanaian citizen because he had virtually spent most of his time abroad,saying that to the best of his knowledge Dr Vanderpuije frequently visited the country.
Mr George Commodore, a Former Sub-Metro Chairman who contested the position with Dr Vanderpuije, said he intended to support Dr Vanderpuije because he realised after the vetting that Dr Vanderpuije had good ideas and was far experienced.
“I believe this is not a race or a competition, but an opportunity for us to collectively and in togetherness address the herculean task ahead of us to make a Accra a better place for us,” he stated and urged all and sundry to support Dr Vanderpuije in his quest to make the capital, a city that befits Ghana.

Caption: The Research and Planning Chairman of Ga Dangme Renaissance Union, Mr Rashad Yasin Ofei Dodoo (left) addressing some members of the press at the press conference in Accra.

JATI Board members meet Education minister

THE Minister for Education, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, has pledged the ministry’s commitment to support high school students benefiting from the Life Education Assurance Programme (LEAP) initiated by Junior Achievers Trust International (JATI).
He expressed the belief that the programme, which was underwritten by the State Insurance Company (SIC), would serve as an early intervention to prevent students from dropping out from second cycle schools.
The minister said this when members of the board of JATI called on him to brief him on the operations of JATI and what they intended to achieve with the support of the ministry.
A Memorandum of Understanding had been signed by JATI and the then Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MOESS) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure that the programme was implemented in all second cycle schools on a voluntary basis.
The main objective of the programme was to ensure that a student who was covered under the programme was given entrepreneurial training as well as uninterrupted education should his or her guardian pass away or become totally incapacitated as a result of an accident or illness.
The policy, according to the board members, would pay approved government fees submitted by the school authorities till the student complete the senior high school programme.
Mr Tetteh-Enyo commended them for their efforts in assisting the needy students, particularly orphans, and urged them to expand the programmes from the current 61 schools to cover studenst in other deprived schools.
He was optimistic that if the programme was administered well it would create career awareness in the youth, inculcate in them the need to stay in school as well as produce a new generation of business leaders with practical business experience.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Joseph S. Annan, was of the view that the programme would lessen the pressure on Members of Parliament who were assisting deprived students in their constituencies.
The Board Chairman, Mr John Yaw Amankrah, who briefed the minister about JATI, outlined some of the programmes that were underway, which included a Student Company Achievers Forum, a JATI Business Hall of Fame and a Students Enterprise Fair where students brought their products and services under one platform to market them to the general public.
Other members of the board include the Chief Executive Officer of JATI, Mr Paul C. Yeboah, the Principal of Methodist University College and Chairman of the African Peer Review Mechanism Council, Professor S. K. Adjepong, the Country Director of American Airlines, Mr Ebow Paintsil, the Very Reverend Ama Afo Blay, former Director-General of the GES, a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, Mr Opoku Agyemang, and the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy, Professor Yaw Serfo-Armah.


Caption: (Sixth from left), the Minister for Education, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, next to him from left is the Board Chairman of JATI , Mr John Yaw Amankrah and on his right is the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Joseph S. Annan, surrounded by some Board Members of JATI in a group picture during the visit.

Its unethical to sell Museum lands in absence of board

SOME personnel of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) have described the sale of a land belonging to the Board to a private investor as inappropriate and unethical in the absence of a board of directors.
They said the former Minister for Chieftancy and Culture, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, dissolved the board of directors in April 2007 and since then it had not been reconstituted.
To that effect, they argued that any asset of the GMMB could only be leased by the board of directors, which does not exist, or by the minister.
According to the personnel, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had warned the private investor, MNEST Metals Company, to stop work on the land but the warning had gone unheeded, as work on the company’s building was in progress.
“The land is for the government and no one has the right to sell it,” the personnel said and emphasised that those who sold the land had taken undue advantage of the absence of the board of directors to dispose of it.
“No one in the GMMB knows who sold it. We have not been informed about the sale or introduced to the company which bought it. We do not know how much it was sold for because no one has accounted for the sale of the land, which is supposed to be used for the construction of apartments for personnel,” the personnel noted.
The personnel said the private investor had earlier threatened to eject personnel of the GMMB residing in an apartment on the property, if they failed to meet an evacuation deadline.
The personnel said the company was also using water free of charge from the GMMB to construct its office building on the said land, which is behind the GMMB’s offices.
The personnel further disclosed that the Museums and Monuments Board had a seven-member management team of which four knew nothing about the sale of the land to the private investor, whilst the other three members had refused to comment on the sale of the land.
The personnel, however, pointed out that they had reported the sale of the land to the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mrs Emma Lilian Bruce-Lyle, who had so far sent a team to ascertain the truth.

Caption : The front view of the uncompleted building belonging to the private investor.

Job 600 elevators rusting away

THE Elevators in the abandoned tower block of the State House, popularly called Job 600 are gradually rusting away as a result of its exposure to the environment around its location along the coast in Accra.
The elevators, as well as steel reinforcements, the drainage and roofing systems have virtually turned brown, revealing its deteriorated state.
When the Daily Graphic visited the premises of the building yesterday to assess the building’s current state of firmness, it discovered that contrary to talks of rehabilitation of the building, work had actually long halted and surroundings of the building were overgrown with weeds, and some portions being used as a refuse dumps where pockets of refuse were often burnt.
The complex which was built by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and hosted the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit in 1965, under his chairmanship subsequently been earmarked to serve as offices for Members of Parliament pending its refurbishment, which had still not begun.
Recommendations from a report on an assessment of the building’s firmness made by the Mr Addo Abedi , the Managing Director of Twum Boafo and Partners, a civil engineering company, to the leadership of parliament since January 29, 2008 had since not received any attention.
The report indicated that the building when rehabilitated would be solid and could still serve as offices for Parliamentarians but Members of Parliament till date do not have offices they operate from and other office assistants to help them to discharge their duties effectively.
Public Relations Director of Ghana’s Parliament, Mr Jones Kugblenu also told newsmen during the swearing in of the new Parliament in January 2009 that a $25 million Dollar loan had been secured for the rehabilitation of the project, and work would soon begin for completion.
He further noted that preparatory work on the project had been completed with respect to the structural integrity of the building and said actual work was going to commence soon.
The Daily Graphic also found out during the visit that work had since not begun as clothes belonging to squatters in the building were seen hanging in some parts of the building.
Series of interviews conducted with some members of the public after the visit indicated that they were interested about the rehabilitation of the project which they said had so far, since its abandonment, stood the test of time.
Mr Samuel Asante, a self employed business man appealed to the government to ensure that all recommendations and measures adopted to rehabilitate the building were adhered.
“It is such a big building we can not let it rot away”, he stated and pointed out that he had always known about the on-going rehabilitation but had never bothered to find out it was true because of the location”.
He expressed optimism that the rehabilitation and completion of the building would reduce the workload of Members of Parliaments and also enable them to co-ordinate their activities for the total development of the country as a whole.
Mr Ekow Moses, a journalist with the Ghanaian Voice said though the previous administration had attempted to rehabilitate the project it could not do much to complete it as envisaged, pointing out that he believed the building in the next four years can not be completed considering the attention being given to it by government.
“It had become a huge resource left to waste, and parliament instead of concentrating on how to complete and occupy the building are talking about other issues”.
He also attested to the fact the completion of the building would greatly enhance the work of Parliament and Members of Parliament.

Caption: Pix-1 Parts of the ceiling of the elevators in the abandoned tower block of the State House, popularly called Job 600.

Pix-2 Surrounding of the of the buildings overgrown with weeds, with some portions being used as a refuse dumps where pockets of refuse were often burnt.

New vehicle models to ensure driver passenger safety

As the death toll of road accidents increase in the country, car dealers are introducing onto the markets new models that ensue pedestrian and driver safety in case of accidents.
These vehicles with safety features like Control Technology body and crush proof survival zones, protect the driver and the passenger in case of an impact.
The “Honda City”, one of such vehicles, is soon to be launched in the country.
At a press launch in Accra, the Country Head of the Automobile Division of Stallion Motors, Mr Rockson Johnson, said the front body structure of the new Honda City ensured advanced pedestrian safety features that reduced the impact of a crush on a victim in case of an accident.
He said the car’s unique selling point was its engine, which was the finest in the world and moulded in accordance with changes in recent technology.
“Even in the event of a battery failure, the airbag will still operate” he stated and pointed out that the new vehicle came with an Anti-Lock Braking System with Brake Assist, dual airbags, and pre-tension seatbelts.
Additionally, he said the manufacturers of the new Honda City had taken into consideration all the global concerns on safety, fuel efficiency and conservation of the environment.
The prices of the manual and automatic Honda City, Mr Johnson said, ranged between $21,000 to $23,000, but assured prospective customers that Stallion Motors had liaised with the various banks in the country to assist them in the acquisition of any of the vehicles.
“The Honda City is one of the most successful car brands in the country today and certainly the most desirable sedan in its category” he said, and expressed optimism that with its launch in Ghana, the country would become the largest market for Honda City in the sub-region.

Caption: The Workshop Manager for the Honda Place Ghana Limited, Mr Vinayak Venugopal (second from right) explaining some of the safety features of the new ‘Honda City’ to press men at the launch whilst, the Country Head of the Automobile Division of Stallion Motors, Mr Rockson Johnson (left) looks on.

Its unethical to sell Museum lands in absence of board

SOME personnel of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) have described the sale of a land belonging to the Board to a private investor as inappropriate and unethical in the absence of a board of directors.
They said the former Minister for Chieftancy and Culture, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, dissolved the board of directors in April 2007 and since then it had not been reconstituted.
To that effect, they argued that any asset of the GMMB could only be leased by the board of directors, which does not exist, or by the minister.
According to the personnel, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had warned the private investor, MNEST Metals Company, to stop work on the land but the warning had gone unheeded, as work on the company’s building was in progress.
“The land is for the government and no one has the right to sell it,” the personnel said and emphasised that those who sold the land had taken undue advantage of the absence of the board of directors to dispose of it.
“No one in the GMMB knows who sold it. We have not been informed about the sale or introduced to the company which bought it. We do not know how much it was sold for because no one has accounted for the sale of the land, which is supposed to be used for the construction of apartments for personnel,” the personnel noted.
The personnel said the private investor had earlier threatened to eject personnel of the GMMB residing in an apartment on the property, if they failed to meet an evacuation deadline.
The personnel said the company was also using water free of charge from the GMMB to construct its office building on the said land, which is behind the GMMB’s offices.
The personnel further disclosed that the Museums and Monuments Board had a seven-member management team of which four knew nothing about the sale of the land to the private investor, whilst the other three members had refused to comment on the sale of the land.
The personnel, however, pointed out that they had reported the sale of the land to the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mrs Emma Lilian Bruce-Lyle, who had so far sent a team to ascertain the truth.

Caption : The front view of the uncompleted building belonging to the private investor.

GNFS ordered to audit major markets — To facilitate rescue operations

THE Interior Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka, has asked the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to undertake an audit of all the major markets in the country to facilitate rescue and safety operations during fire outbreaks.
In addition, he requested the leadership of the service to draw strategic maps of roads and routes leading to accident-prone areas to enable the personnel to avoid delays during rescue operations.
Mr Avoka issued the instructions when he paid a working visit to the headquarters of the GNFS in Accra on Wednesday.
“The days of salvaging situations when the harm had already been done are over”, the Interior Minister told the leaders of the service. He said as officers their professionalism would be measured by their ability to be innovative, proactive and creative in handling the complex issues.
Equally importantly, he said, was the implementation of the Fire Precaution (Premises) Regulations, 2003 (LI 1724), which, he noted, was to ensure that public places in the country were safe.
Mr Avoka said the government was aware of the numerous challenges facing the service and commended the Chief Fire Officer, directors, officers and personnel of the service for their sustained efforts in fire prevention and control, in spite of the inadequate equipment and logistics.
He, however, gave the assurance that the new administration would strive to improve the conditions of the service and the general wellbeing of personnel.
Currently, he said, the government was making efforts to procure fire engines from India and additional equipment, especially turn-table ladders from the United States for their operations.
The Chief Fire Officer, Mr Felix Kwame Ferkah, gave an overview of the status of the service and highlighted some of the challenges of the service.
He said the service was now carving a new name for itself with regards to rescue operations and as a result had expanded its rescue operations to include Road Traffic Collision Extrication.
He said that the service had at its disposal 112 fire engines and indicated that the ideal situation should have been that each of the 136 stations would, at least, have two of the fire engines and an ambulance.
Ferkah said the equipment at their disposal was woefully inadequate for fire fighting and other emergencies.
On their projections for the service, Mr Ferkah said that the service was redrafting their conditions of service, procuring adequate protective clothing for operational fire-fighters, fencing service lands in the regions to protect them from encroachment, and developing those lands to improve residential and office accommodation for personnel.

New GBC board asked to expedite restructuring exercise

THE National Media Commission (NMC) has asked the new Board of Directors of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to fashion out a comprehensive programme on how it intends to proceed with the restructuring process of the corporation within the next one month.
Inaugurating the board in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the commission, Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, further tasked the board to inject some transparency in the restructuring process of the corporation.
He said the restructuring process should proceed on non-negotiable principles.
Such principles, he explained, were that GBC would remain a public service broadcaster and would not be divested or commercialised.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said the NMC shall not permit the victimisation of any staff of GBC in the name of restructuring.
This year, he said, should be the year of action for GBC, a time for action and not words, and added that “the restructuring process must be completed and brought to a full closure”.
“As we welcome the new board to office, it is important to remind them of the Herculean task ahead, since they will be required to turn GBC around.
“Indeed they will be confronted with the job of halting the dwindling image of the corporation,” he stated, and pointed out that at the moment GBC was faced with a poor salary structure, which does not allow it to attract quality staff.
“As I stand before you now, we still do not have documentation on the many things the Ministry of Public Sector Reforms claimed they had done on behalf of GBC in the name of restructuring,” he added, but commended the outgoing board for doing their best to improve the fortunes of the corporation.
The new board is chaired by Professor John Bright K. Aheto, with Mr Edward B. Asare, Mr Yaw Wiredu Pepprah, Ms Vicky Wereko Andoh, Mr Gayheart Mensah, Mr Abdulai Dramani, Mrs Ophelia Ablorh, and the Director-General of GBC, Mr William Ampem-Darko, as members.
The outgoing Board Chairman, Reverend Dr Asante Antwi, in an address on his behalf, said although there were challenges in every organisation, the issue of participation and consultation would be key to the success of GBC.
He expressed gratitude to the Director-General, the management and staff of GBC for their dedication and the zeal with which they co-operated with the board since they assumed office two years ago.
Mr Ampem-Darko acknowledged the efforts and good work of the outgoing board, stating that they had done their best and been able to move the corporation to a better position.
He pledged the management’s commitment to co-operate with the in-coming board and seek their counsel to ensure that GBC rises to the status of some of the best in the world like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The new Board Chairman, Prof. Aheto, on behalf of the nine-member board pledged to revitalise the workforce, operate financially prudent, accountable and sound internal control systems.

Caption: Mr Adu-Gyamfi (right) administering the oath of office to the new board members

Ugandans study Ghana’s procurement system

A delegation from the Public Procurement and Disposal Authority of Uganda is in the country on a three-day study tour to learn from the experiences of Ghana’s Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
The tour will provide an opportunity for members of the delegation to familiarise themselves with some challenges that have confronted Ghana’s PPA and its successes in the implementation of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663).
The delegation will be introduced to some initiatives such as the Public Procurement Model of Excellence Toolkit and the inroads being made in the area of Framework Contracting and Sustainable Public Procurement in Ghana.
The Head of the delegation, Mrs Sarah Lubega, attested to the fact that there was a lot to learn from Ghana when it called on a Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Fiifi Kwetey, to brief him on the essence of the tour.
Asked why the team chose to learn from Ghana’s PPA, she said Ghana, which had a similar system as prevailed in Uganda, had one of the best procurement planning software which was very efficient.
Mrs Lubega said her team saw it expedient to learn from Ghana’s experience and challenges, instead of travelling outside Africa to learn from the experiences of Western countries.
Responding, Mr Kwetey urged the PPA to deepen the process of transparency in the procurement process to ensure the efficient use of public funds.
He gave the assurance that the government would support the PPA to ensure that best practices used around the world were factored into the process to ensure the judicious use of public funds.
The Chief Executive Officer of the PPA, Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei, said the objective of Ghana’s PPA was to harmonise the process of procurement in the public service to secure judicious, economic and efficient use of public funds to ensure that public procurement was carried out in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner while promoting a competitive local industry.
“The vision of Ghana’s PPA is to ensure a world-class, efficient, transparent, accountable and professionally managed public sector procurement system which enjoys high level of business confidence and ensures consistent attainment of best value for money in the procurement of goods, works and services in support of the national development agenda,” he said.
According to him, the PPA had been able, to a very large extent, achieve most of its targets and goals through a three-year roll out strategic plan which was periodically reviewed in accordance with the target the authority had set to see whether it was on course.

Asantehene sets up charity foundation

THE Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Charity Foundation, a “Global mouthpiece” for the Asantehene’s charity work in Ghana and Africa, will be officially launched on April 25, 2009 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to mark a decade-long reign of his leadership and development.
The idea for the foundation was conceived out of his promise to serve his people in two main ways, education and health development.
Under the foundation, the “Otumfuo Educational Fund” was set up in 1999 to ensure the advancement of education for the benefit of all Ghanaians, as well as the establishment of the Serwah Ampem AIDS Foundation for Children affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.
Recounting the achievements of the foundation so far to members of the media at a press conference in Accra, some executive members of the foundation said it was the vision of Otumfuo that through the foundation Africans would realise their dreams of educational advancement, and that the standard of education across Africa would be kept appreciably high.
The mission of the foundation, they said, was to help stop the decline in the standard of education by supplementing the efforts of the central government in the provision of quality education for all, and to provide the needed care and support for children affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.
An executive member of the foundation, Dr Thomas Agyarko-Poku, attested to the fact that for almost a decade the Otumfuo Education Fund had been working to achieve this goal through the provision of financial aid and material assistance to needy pupils and students, provision of incentive packages for exemplary teachers and educational workers, rehabilitation of educational facilities, supply of school equipment, materials and teaching materials, among others.
Currently, he said, thousands of individuals studying at different educational levels were being supported by the fund, adding that the fund was keen to build a number of libraries equipped with print and online resources, as well as Information and Communication Technology for beneficiary institutions.
Additionally, he said, it was the vision under the Serwah Ampem AIDS Foundation for Children to extend its mandate across Africa, to reach out to even greater number of distressed children across Africa, but sadly, that was not possible in the short term because of lack of requisite financial and other resources.
However, Dr Agyarko-Poku said the foundation had been able to chalk up a lot of successes, with beneficiary institutions including the Ada Secondary School, Wiawso Secondary School, KNUST, Jachie Pramso Secondary School, Afua Kobi Secondary School, Nchiraa Cluster of Schools, Brong Ahafo Presby and Kumasi Wesley Girls High School.
According to him the establishment of the Otumfuo Education Fund, set the pace for other traditional leaders within Ashanti and throughout Ghana to set up similar funds to help their people, adding that through the fund, the image of the Asantehene had been raised both within and outside the country.
Mr Derek Hammond, an executive member of the foundation and also the Managing Director of Evolve Limited, outlined some of the activities earmarked to celebrate the decade-long reign of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, which include sporting activities where a football match would be organised between a leading premier league club in the United Kingdom and a local premier league team.
Other activities he enumerated included a golf tournament to raise funds for the foundation and a charity concert in November, where a top US or UK artist would be invited to perform.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in a message read on his behalf urged all traditional rulers in Ghana and Africa to utilise the abundant influence they possessed in partnering government to deliver social and economic benefits to Africans.
He said the worst injustice they could ever visit on their people was to sit aloof and watch the central government alone to facilitate social development projects.
“At this present-day point in history, when communities are demanding to fully participate in shaping their developmental dreams, it is obligatory on the part of community leaders, traditional and spiritual guides to take their rightful places to provide the expected visionary and transformational leadership for their people,” he stated, and expressed belief that hand in hand they could fulfil the dream of raising an army of leaders and achievers for the African continent.

Accept Presidents nomination — Ashitey

THE Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, has urged chiefs and citizens of Accra to accept the District and Municipal Chief Executives who have been nominated by the President.
He said he believed President John Evans Atta Mills had nominated them in good faith.
He said he was confident the DCEs would rise to the task and work diligently to improve on sanitation in the capital.
The Regional Minister was speaking during a courtesy call on him by the Tema Manste, Nii Adjei Kraku II and the Kpone Manste, Nii Tetteh Otu, and their kinsmen.
He said the purpose of the decentralisation process where District and Municipal Chief Executives were appointed was to involve all Ghanaians in the decision-making process.
Mr Ashitey therefore encouraged all aggrieved persons who were not happy about the President’s choice of DCEs for their districts to exercise patience.
He, however, bemoaned the numerous litigation among some chiefs and factions in Accra, pointing out that it made it difficult for the government to address their concerns in order to bring development to the people.
To that effect he admonished all feuding chiefs and factions in the Ga Traditional area to settle all scores and forge ahead in unity as one people.
He also gave the assurance that the government would assist them with subsidies on premix fuel and soft loans for fishermen to improve their trade and fishing activities.
On the issue of sanitation, a major concern to the two chiefs, Mr Ashitey observed that waste management was serious problem that needed to be addressed with a more scientific approach.
“We are not being scientific about the disposal methods”, he stated and charged the Metropolitan Assemblies, both in Tema and Accra to adopt a more scientific and modern approach to address the sanitation challenges in the city.
The Kpone Manste, Nii Tetteh Otu, complained about old cemeteries in the capital being turned into refuse dump by residents, and suggested to the regional minister to assist them to recycle their waste to save their communities from malaria, diarrhoea and other avoidable diseases.
The delegation, after discussions with the minister, poured libation to congratulate the minister for his selection as the Member of Parliament for the Korle Klottey Constituency and as the Greater Accra Regional Minister.

Caption : The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey(second from left) looks on whilst the Chief Priest of Sakumo pours libation in honour of his appointment as the Regional Minister.

Motorists educated on safe driving

A Report by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) indicates that 18 people died in 209 accidents that occurred on the Accra-Tema Motorway alone from January to March, 2009.
It further showed that 55 people sustained various degrees of injuries and trauma.
A former Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) Commander, ACP Victor Tandoh (Retd), made this known in an address on behalf of the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, at the launch of a Pre-Easter Road Safety Campaign on the Accra-Tema Motorway yesterday.
The campaign was organised by a non-governmental organisation called ‘No More A Soul Foundation’ in collaboration with the NRSC and the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
It was on theme: “You Don’t Deserve to Die on the Road: Enough is Enough”.
ACP Tandoh cautioned drivers to adhere strictly to all road safety regulations as the Easter approached.
“The Easter should be accident-free,” he stated and urged passengers not to compromise with drivers who refused to observe road signs and regulations.
He added that it was the right of passengers to be transported safely to their destination, adding that it was unacceptable for a record number of 209 accidents to occur on a first class road like the Accra-Tema Motorway.
The president of the foundation, Nana Prempeh Adu-Hene, said their objective, which extends beyond the Easter celebrations, was to record a zero-accident during the celebration, a time when most accidents had occurred in the past.
To achieve this, he said, the campaign would be extended to the lorry stations to create awareness of the use of seat belts and other road safety regulations,” he stated.
He said on the eve of Easter, they would organise a give-away campaign for drivers whose passengers would testify on their behalf as having behaved well and observed all the road signs and regulations.

Contractors charged to expedite action on the projects

THE Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, has charged contractors working on major road projects in Accra to expedite action on the projects.
He said: “We want the best value for our money” and urged the contractors to deliver on their promises to complete the projects within the extended period they had requested for after their initial contract period had expired.
He made the statement when he led a delegation from the ministry to inspect some project sites under the Road Sector Development Programme (RSDP) in Accra.
The sites visited by the minister included the Tetteh-Quarshie Mallam Extension project, the Asafoaste Nettey and Korle Lagoon Roads, which entail the construction of some selected roads in the Central Business District of Accra, and the Alajo Bypass, Transport Terminal Extension and Service Roads dubbed the ‘Achimota Terminal project’.
Mr Gidisu gave the assurance that his ministry would liaise with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to ensure that outstanding debts due the contractors were paid to ensure the smooth execution of the projects.
Whilst commending the contractors for work done so far at the different project sites, he acknowledged the fact that most of the projects had halted as a result of the delay in the release of funds to pay the contractors.
Mr Gidisu reminded the contractors that although they were expected to complete the various projects on schedule, they should place more emphasis on quality of the work.
The Project Manager for the Achimota Terminal Project, Mr Kwabena Bempong, gave the assurance that the project, which was supposed to be completed by January this year, was 63 per cent and would be ready by July 2009.
He stated that the terminal had work to be completed on a holding area for vehicles and would serve as a major public transport facility for the Kwame Nkrumah Circle-Achimota road, adding that it would be managed by a private administrator and supervised by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly after completion.
The Project Manager for the Asafoaste Nettey and Korle Lagoon roads, Mr Bu Zhueinq also gave the assurance that the first phase of the projects, which involves the construction of the stretch of bridge on the Korle Lagoon, would be completed by the end of October 2009 whilst the second phase, which has already started, would be completed by September 2009.
He promised that the temporary road linking the High Street through James Town to the Asafoaste Nettey Road would also be opened to traffic by May.
Meanwhile, most members of the Used Car Dealers Association of Ghana whose activities delayed the start of the Tetteh-Quarshie Mallam Extension project have relocated to a parcel of land allocated to them at Amasaman, a suburb of Accra.
The Chairman of the association, Nana Yeboah, gave the assurance that the rest of them would relocate soon.
The Project Manager for the Tetteh-Quarshie Mallam Extension work, Mr Koranteng Yorke, promised that the work would be completed on scheduled considering the fact that the used car dealers were co-operating with them.

Rehabilitation of Nkrumah Memorial Park to cost GH¢563

AN assessment of the cost of rehabilitation and maintenance needed at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park by the Public Works Department (PWD) indicates that about GH¢563,000 will be needed to restore the facility.
The cost, according to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Chieftancy & Culture, Mrs Emma Lilian Bruce-Lyle who directed the PWD to undertake the assessment, may shoot up before work begins on the facility as a result of the appreciating cost of materials needed for the restoration.
She disclosed that since the present government made no allocation of funds under the ‘Investment Vote’ for the Nkrumah Memorial Park in its budget for the ministry, the cost would be referred to the Office of the President for consideration.
The Minister for Chieftancy and Culture, Mr Alex Asum-Ahensah, had directed the PWD to ascertain the cost of maintenance and repair works at the memorial park following reports that major works needed to be done on the facility which houses the body and personal property of the country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Some of the items that stand the risk of being destroyed in the event of a downpour are the desk used by the former President at the Flag Staff House, a dressing mirror he used at Lincoln University, collections of his photographs with other prominent world leaders, copies of his books, a stool and walking sticks.
Mrs Bruce-Lyle said areas identified by the PWD for repair and maintenance include the re-wiring of the museum which had not undergone any maintenance works since its establishment.
Additionally, she indicated that the report by the PWD had recommended the replacement of the fountain at the park with a stainless steel system to avoid rust and the provision of a bore-hole to feed the fountain.
She pointed out that the PWD had also recommended the provision of a glass house where two vehicles, a Rolls Royce and a Pontiac used by Dr Nkrumah during the independence celebration in 1957 would be housed.
Apart from these and those identified by the authorities of the park, she said the assessment team had recommended a general rehabilitation of the grounds and all edifices at the park to ensure their sustainability.
In addition, the team had recommended the erection of the busts of Sekou Toure, the first President of Guinea; Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Madibo Keita, the first President of Mali, in recognition of their commitment to the Pan-African ideology and the cordial relationship among the three countries.

Eleven Courts sits at Nsawam Prisons

ELEVEN Courts sat at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons yesterday to hear over 300 remand cases, expired warrants and other related cases.
The courts were made up of eight magistrate’s court, two circuit courts and one High Court.
The magistrate’s courts were the Osu, La, Madina, Community Centre, City Engineers, James Town, Amasaman and Adjabeng, whilst the two circuit courts were from the Cocoa Affairs Court.
Mr Justice Clemence Honyenuga, a Justice of the Appeal Court who sat as an additonal High Court Judge was appointed by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina T. Wood, to supervise the sitting of the courts on the prison’s premises.
The High Court was mandated to sit in the prisons because some of the cases were murder and rape, which are beyond the jurisdiction of the magistrate’s and circuit courts, while some had to be referred to the Attorney-Generals Department for advice.
The sitting followed a directive by the Chief Justice to the various courts to deal with the cases, which had been the subject of media reports and discussions.
It also came in the wake of the government’s commitment not to subscribe to the selective application of justice in the governance of the country.
Briefing newsmen before the sitting of the courts, a circuit court judge, Justice Mahama Iddrisu, indicated that the purpose of the sitting was to renew the warrant of arrests of prisoners to legalise their stay in custody.
The total number of inmates currently at the Nsawam Prisons is 2,918, which includes 1,711 on remand, 77 condemned, 77 on life sentence and the others on various charges.
A visit round the courts by the Daily Graphic revealed that most of the cases had not been continued because of the inconclusive nature of investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, resulting in some of the prisoners being on remand for up to 15 years.
In one of the hearings at the Amasaman court, further probing by the judge revealed that a murder case involving Osumanu Awuni Kwadwo had been on remand since April 2007 and had been abandoned by the investigator.
Osumanu told the court that he was supposed to appear in court two weeks after the first hearing of his case but his investigator had categorically told him that he was not going to come back and so he should pray to God for a miracle.
The court broke into laught
Godwin Bedi, a 23-year-old inmate, said he was arrested on suspicion of robbery when he was 15 years old and had been on remand for eight years since 2000.
According to him, the investigator who was handling his case was transferred after he appeared only once at the Adjabeng Court and had been on remand since then because no investigator had been assigned to handle his case.

Agric is key to economic self-reliant- Ahwoi

THE Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, has given the assurance that the government’s quest to build a self-reliant economy using agriculture as key to its economic policy is achievable.
He said his ministry, apart from the Aveyime Rice Project and other such projects under the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA), had initiated a master plan to grow rice all over the country in areas where the crop could be cultivated, taking into consideration quality as its key measure.
Responding to questions on a field excursion to the Aveyime Rice Project which is a joint venture among the government of Ghana, with 30 per cent share, Prairie Texas Limited, with 40 per cent share, and the Development Finance and Holding Company, a subsidiary of the Ghana Commercial Bank, with 30 per cent share, Mr Ahwoi said the Aveyime Rice Project would spearhead the country’s quest to feed itself, thereby ensuring food security for all Ghanaians, and pointed out that the government was very committed to the project.
Together with a delegation from his ministry, the media and some officials of Prairie Volta Limited, the minister visited all the various sites, including the 3,177-acre field under the project which shares borders with the Volta River, a pumping station, the milling facility with 60,000-tonne capacity and eight silos with capacity to store about 15,000 tonnes of paddy rice.
Mr Ahwoi, however, disclosed that the government, in its efforts at making the country self-reliant, was considering the imposition of taxes on imported rice to change the marketing attitude of rice importers and force them to produce local rice.
“The government is looking at using the tariff mechanism to discourage the heavy dependent on rice imports,” he stated, and stressed that the rationale behind that measure was to build on the country’s local rice base using the Aveyime Rice Project and other small-scale irrigation projects under GIDA.
The Chief Operating Officer, Mr John Van-Dyke Mensah, announced that the first harvest from an 80-acre field, which was part of the project’s 3,177 acres, would begin in early June and promised that the company would make sure that its rice was of quality and far cheaper than imported rice to discourage the country’s over-dependence on imported rice.
The prices, he stated, would come down, taking into consideration the minimum wage, to ensure that all Ghanaians were able to afford them.
Presently, he said, the company was awaiting the arrival of an air plane which would spray the crops with chemicals before harvest begins in June and pointed out that if things went well the company would be growing and harvesting all-year round.
Mr Mensah attributed the poor quality of locally produced rice to the cultural practices among farmers, hinting that time and the production process were critical to the final output.
The Managing Director of Prairie Volta Limited, Mr Everett Anderson, explained that the company had planted 16 rice varieties, 10 foreign and six local, on small-scale research plots to identify the suitable varieties and farming procedures.
The results on all the varieties, which matured within 90-100 days after cultivation, he attested, proved successful and that encouraged the company to replicate it on all the acres presently allocated for the project.
Mr Anderson said other equipment, including those designed to work in clayey fields in the rainy season, was expected in the country soon so that production could be undertaken all-year round in order for the company to meet its set targets.
The Deputy Chief Executive of GIDA, Mr Daniel Nyarko Ohene, announced that a feasibility study on the 200,000-hectare Accra Plains would be due by June 2009.
He said out of the 200,000 hectares, 150,000 would be irrigated and the government would apportion it to farmers for the cultivation of various crops, according to its policy.

Call on media to foster unity

A Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Joseph Annan, has urged journalists to use the power of the media to foster unity among Ghanaians and shy away from tendencies that may polarise the country.
“The media must be used to assist our development efforts,” he said, and challenged all stakeholders to adopt a transformational shift to the pressing needs and aspirations of the country.
The Dr Annan was speaking at the launch of the 50th anniversary of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) in Accra yesterday, on the theme: “50 years of Ghana Institute of Journalism: Defining Africa’s Communication Agenda”.
He said the theme for the celebration was in accordance with the vision of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, whose intention to establish the institution was to ensure that Ghana equally rubbed shoulders with the rest of the world.
“This compelled Nkrumah to declare in 1965 that the media should not be used just for entertainment but the vanguard for societal transformation,” he emphasised, and described GIJ as on of the foremost journalism institutions in Africa.
“GIJ since its inception has played a vital role in the country’s international image which is hugely attributed to the media,” he said, and expressed the government’s unflinching commitment to build a harmonious relationship with the media.
Dr Annan observed that a credible media certainly reflected the quality of information processed for public consumption and asked journalists to understand the need for their role in the country’s development agenda in the wider picture.
He, therefore, urged journalists to specialise in specific fields of endeavour to improve the quality and standard of the profession, promising that the government was committed to ensuring that the standard and quality of tertiary education improved tremendously.
The Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ibrahim Awal, a past student of the institute, observed that the unique role that the institute had played in the country’s development was immeasurable.
“We need journalists to lead in the development agenda of the country as we move higher as a nation,” he stated, and cautioned journalists that in writing articles, the interest of the nation must be paramount.
He made a pledge that the Graphic Communications Group would support the institute with GH¢10,000 to address some of its challenges.
The acting Rector of GIJ, Mr Kweku Rockson, said the goal of the institute was to provide students with quality tuition with emphasis on research as the basis of the country’s development.
He said although the institute was still constrained in terms of space, with assistance from the GETFund, it hoped to increase the number of student intake yearly.
The institute, he said, had reformed its curriculum to reflect the changes in the communication industry and was committed to playing its role in the country’s young democracy.
An anniversary cloth was launched and a logo unveiled to celebrate the occasion, which ends in October, 2009.
Some of the activities outlined for the celebration are a homecoming health walk, lectures, open day exhibition, fun games, community outreach, a dinner and a thanksgiving service to climax the celebration.