THE Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) has urged the government to review all laws governing built environments which have outlived their usefulness to society in order to meet the changing demands of the deteriorating environment.
It said despite the existence and implementation of these laws and regulations, the built environment was fast deteriorating, particularly within the urban centres and a number of rural communities which have experienced population growth.
Among the laws the institute identified included the Town and Country Planning Ordinance (CAP 84) promulgated in 1945 and updated between 1954 and 1960, National Building Regulations (LI 1630), 1996 and the Local Government Act, 1993 (ACT 462), and many other laws, bye-laws and codes which have not seen any major review over the period of time.
The President of the institute, Mr Osei Kwame Agyeman, at a press conference in Accra, said the current situation regarding the built environment in Ghana did not seem to satisfy the tenets of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy- 2 which sought to ensure the provision of basic needs of Ghanaians.
“What is the level of enforcement and how has the enforcement of these regulations been carried out over the years to ensure the benefits of the built environment for sustainable development” he asked, and pointed out that the disregard for planning schemes had further led to the sprawling of uncontrolled development of both the urban and sub-urban areas in the country.
That, he noted, had been characterised by the development of unplanned settlements and slums which had resulted in haphazard infrastructure development, leading to floods and collapse of buildings.
In view of these, Mr Agyeman said, Accra in particular had become a city of lawlessness,resulting in haphazardly sited kiosks, uncontrolled hawking activities and unplanned streets with dirt and filth all over.
“We need to know what is right because sympathising when these issues are raised is a recipe for disaster,” he added.
These developments, according Mr Tony Saar, a member of the institute and a co-ordinator for the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC), which had provided funds for research by the institute, said these developments contributed to the enormous pressure on the distribution of infrastructure services like water, electricity, road networks and poor accessibility.
The situation, he said, had created an upward surge in mixed development which in certain instances had negative impact on health and as well created difficulty for the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service to readily access some areas in time of emergency.
He said given the number of bodies mandated to ensure that the country’s development was monitored, “one is taken aback with the seemingly uncontrolled pattern of development in the country.
He mentioned such regulatory stakeholders to include the district assemblies, the Lands Commission, the Survey Department, the Lands Title Registry Department, the Department of Urban Roads, the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, the Public Works Department and the professional bodies of the built environment.
To address some of these issues, he said, the institute had sought the support of the BUSAC to undertake a study on the “The Adverse Impact of Non-Enforcement of Building and Development Controls” in areas including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and Development Corporation, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, the Awutu Senya District Assembly and the Ga Dangme West District Assembly.
He said the study, in the area of enforcement encouraged the government to institute, a ‘Building Police Force” to ensure that buildings did not commence without permits, and recommended that the force should be trained both formally and informally, with the minimum academic qualification for it to be in tandem with that of the building inspectors stipulated in the National Building Regulation.
“It also encouraged the government to set up an oversight body under the National Development Planning Committee to oversee physical development”, he indicated.
He added that the study further urged the government to improve the capacity of the assemblies to enrich their understanding of building regulation.
Mr Asare tasked the GIA and other sister bodies to bring on board Licensed Building Surveyors/Druaghtsmen into their fold for regulation and supervision.
Mrs Josephine Akoto-Bamfo, a member of the institute, also called for the external training of chiefs, land owners, staff of assemblies and the land sector agencies to enable them to obtain first hand experience on development issues.“There should be harmonisation of the procedures for the building and development control to develop on standard set of regulations for the assemblies to operate with, ” she emphasised.
“It takes boldness to pull down buildings on waterways. We need to leave our emotions behind and focus on the enforcement of regulations, ” she said.
She bemoaned the procedure where officials of the Town and Country Planning Department had to buy base maps from the Survey Department before they could undertake any study, and called for an integration of the socio-economic and physical agenda of the country.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Add sanitation studies in school curricula
The Accra zonal supervisor of Zoomlion,Mr Robert Coleman,has called on the government to consider including sanitation studies in the educational curriculum, especially at the basic level.
This, he said, would be a great step towards a comprehensive and pragmatic way of addressing the ever increasing spate of sanitation challenges in the country.
Mr Coleman made the call after the company deployed over 400 workers to clean the Independence Square after the May Day celebration last Friday.
He said Zoomlion had achieved a lot in the area of sanitation in the country “but efforts must be made to ensure that the up and coming generation is properly oriented on the issues of sanitation”.
Mr Coleman expressed gratitude to President Mills for his resolve to address sanitation challenges, and added that within his first 100 days, Zoomlion cleared huge backlogs of refuse all over the country.
“Today, we do not have the heaps of refuse we used to see before and Zoomlion is on course to help the president and the entire citizenry to attain a better life by helping to keep the country clean,” he stated.
He said with the company’s heavy trucks and machinery, they would continue to ensure that Ghana was clean.
Mr Coleman called for speed in the development of procedures that would lead to the reintroduction of sanitation officers and the creation of sanitation courts to prosecute people who abused the society and broke sanitation rules.
This, he said, would be a great step towards a comprehensive and pragmatic way of addressing the ever increasing spate of sanitation challenges in the country.
Mr Coleman made the call after the company deployed over 400 workers to clean the Independence Square after the May Day celebration last Friday.
He said Zoomlion had achieved a lot in the area of sanitation in the country “but efforts must be made to ensure that the up and coming generation is properly oriented on the issues of sanitation”.
Mr Coleman expressed gratitude to President Mills for his resolve to address sanitation challenges, and added that within his first 100 days, Zoomlion cleared huge backlogs of refuse all over the country.
“Today, we do not have the heaps of refuse we used to see before and Zoomlion is on course to help the president and the entire citizenry to attain a better life by helping to keep the country clean,” he stated.
He said with the company’s heavy trucks and machinery, they would continue to ensure that Ghana was clean.
Mr Coleman called for speed in the development of procedures that would lead to the reintroduction of sanitation officers and the creation of sanitation courts to prosecute people who abused the society and broke sanitation rules.
Museums Board asked to reclaim lands
THE Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan, has asked the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) to take steps to reclaim large tracts of land belonging to the board but are being encroached upon at Tamale, Bolgatanga and Wa.
He described the situation as threatening, adding that “if proper measures are not taken soon, we will lose everything”.
Mr Asum-Ahensan also asked the board to work assiduously to preserve and protect the country’s cultural heritage for posterity.
“Your department is one of the most important ones within the Ministry and Ghana has a lot to preserve and show to the outside world,” he stated, and stressed the need to preserve all artefacts belonging to the country for future generations.
Mr Asum-Ahensan was speaking during a visit to the GMMB and the Museum for Science and Technology in Accra to acquaint himself with the activities of the board and work done so far on the Science Museum which was started 38 years ago.
The minister said the ministry was in the process of forming the Board of Directors for the Museum, but was waiting for stakeholders to nominate their representatives.
He listened to complaints of personnel and some of the challenges they faced in their activities, and assured them of his ministry’s commitment to ensure that their conditions of service were improved.
The acting Director of the GMMB, Mr Joseph Prempeh Maisie, said the board would soon start a process of digitisation of all objects in the country’s museums for easy access to information on them.
“The board is also taking steps to convert all the forts and castles in the country for re-use or link them in a way to the activities of the people within the communities where they are located,” he announced and pointed out that the board was in contact with international partners for books to stuff its library.
He disclosed that the Wa Na’s palace in the Northern Region was also under reconstruction with funds from the partners.
Renovation work at the Cape Coast Castle, he noted, was also ongoing, while work on the Science Museum, which was initiated 38 years ago was nearing completion.
On the activities of GMMB, Mr Maisie said the Museum undertook various exhibitions to depict the history and culture of Ghana and assisted young Ghanaian artists to exhibit their works.
Asked how they obtained their treasures, he said some were bought by the museum, others were intercepted by security agencies at the country’s borders, while others were voluntarily donated to the museum.
According to him the Education Department often organised outreach programmes and lectures in schools and assisted students from tertiary institutions in research on museums in the country.
The Monuments Department, he indicated, saw to the conservation and maintenance of all monuments including the forts.
Among the challenges facing the board, Mr Maisie said, was their inability to re-train and retain professionals.
“Our existing legislature since 1969 is outmoded and needs to be reviewed”, he stated and expressed belief that the review of the law governing the board would enhance their activities.
The officials later visited the Science and Technology Museum where the consultant for the project, Wing Captain Patrick N. Sogbodjor (rtd), took them round the facility.
The team inspected all the three floors of the structure which Capt Sogbodjor said, were about 75 per cent complete but had temporarily come to a halt.
Capt Sogbodjor disclosed that the problem which had resulted in the delay of the project was that funds were released to the contractors once a year.
It also came to light that the roof of the Science Museum had already developed cracks, and was leaking badly, while structures erected by encroachers on the land were also affecting the drainage system there.
He described the situation as threatening, adding that “if proper measures are not taken soon, we will lose everything”.
Mr Asum-Ahensan also asked the board to work assiduously to preserve and protect the country’s cultural heritage for posterity.
“Your department is one of the most important ones within the Ministry and Ghana has a lot to preserve and show to the outside world,” he stated, and stressed the need to preserve all artefacts belonging to the country for future generations.
Mr Asum-Ahensan was speaking during a visit to the GMMB and the Museum for Science and Technology in Accra to acquaint himself with the activities of the board and work done so far on the Science Museum which was started 38 years ago.
The minister said the ministry was in the process of forming the Board of Directors for the Museum, but was waiting for stakeholders to nominate their representatives.
He listened to complaints of personnel and some of the challenges they faced in their activities, and assured them of his ministry’s commitment to ensure that their conditions of service were improved.
The acting Director of the GMMB, Mr Joseph Prempeh Maisie, said the board would soon start a process of digitisation of all objects in the country’s museums for easy access to information on them.
“The board is also taking steps to convert all the forts and castles in the country for re-use or link them in a way to the activities of the people within the communities where they are located,” he announced and pointed out that the board was in contact with international partners for books to stuff its library.
He disclosed that the Wa Na’s palace in the Northern Region was also under reconstruction with funds from the partners.
Renovation work at the Cape Coast Castle, he noted, was also ongoing, while work on the Science Museum, which was initiated 38 years ago was nearing completion.
On the activities of GMMB, Mr Maisie said the Museum undertook various exhibitions to depict the history and culture of Ghana and assisted young Ghanaian artists to exhibit their works.
Asked how they obtained their treasures, he said some were bought by the museum, others were intercepted by security agencies at the country’s borders, while others were voluntarily donated to the museum.
According to him the Education Department often organised outreach programmes and lectures in schools and assisted students from tertiary institutions in research on museums in the country.
The Monuments Department, he indicated, saw to the conservation and maintenance of all monuments including the forts.
Among the challenges facing the board, Mr Maisie said, was their inability to re-train and retain professionals.
“Our existing legislature since 1969 is outmoded and needs to be reviewed”, he stated and expressed belief that the review of the law governing the board would enhance their activities.
The officials later visited the Science and Technology Museum where the consultant for the project, Wing Captain Patrick N. Sogbodjor (rtd), took them round the facility.
The team inspected all the three floors of the structure which Capt Sogbodjor said, were about 75 per cent complete but had temporarily come to a halt.
Capt Sogbodjor disclosed that the problem which had resulted in the delay of the project was that funds were released to the contractors once a year.
It also came to light that the roof of the Science Museum had already developed cracks, and was leaking badly, while structures erected by encroachers on the land were also affecting the drainage system there.
Chinese cultural troupe thrills audience
A SPECTACULAR display of classical Chinese arts and culture by a cultural troupe from the Gansu Province of the People’s Republic of China at the National Theatre in Accra thrilled patrons who thronged the theatre.
The three-day show which kicked off on May 5, 2009 saw members of the troupe exhibiting excellent skills and enthusiasm with acrobatic display, graceful dances, songs, Chinese Kungfu, and magical display.
Though the Ghanaian audience could not comprehend the lyrics of the songs the melodious voices and tones from instruments carried most of them along as they applauded one performance after the other.
Those who spoke to the Daily Graphic after the show expressed their appreciation for the remarkable skills of the Chinese cultural troupe.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenzhe, said before the cultural display that China’s civilisation dated 5000 years ago, and that the Gansu Province was located in the north west of the republic.
The performers, he pointed out, got their inspiration from ancient paintings and sculptures found in grottoes in the Gansu Province which depicted Buddhist stories over 1000 years ago.
He said the visit to Ghana by the troupe was the first of a series of activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in Ghana, and hoped that that would be an excellent opportunity for Ghanaians to enjoy Chinese culture.
He said the co-operation that had existed between China and Ghana for the past 50 years had yielded good results in various fields.
“Many Chinese cultural troupes and their Ghanaian counterparts have exchanged visits since 1960, and these visits have enabled the people of our two countries to better understand and learn from each other”, he said, explaining that such cultural exchanges had served to promote co-operation between the two countries.
The Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan, recalled the relationship between Ghana and China, which he said dated back to the First Republic.
“Our relationship borders on political, economic and social programmes. Today we are proud to say that the relationship has reached its apogee”, he stated and identified the construction of the National Theatre and the Esi Sutherland Centre at the University of Ghana, Legon, as examples of the co-operation between the two countries.
The visit by the troupe was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture in Ghana, the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, China Enterprise Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, the Ghana-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the China State Hualong Construction (Ghana) Limited.
Caption: Pix-1 A group picture of the Gansu Cultural Troupe, with the Minister for Chieftancy and Culture, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensan (in Batakari), and the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Yu Wenzhe (in Suite), in the second row.
Pix-2 A performance of acrobatics and Chinese Kungfu, by the troupe at the National Theatre.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
CIMG launches 20th Awards
THE Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) has launched its 20th annual marketing performance awards for 2008 with a call on marketing professionals to use their creative ability to sustain the growth of their corporate entities.
The Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call in Accra, said the challenges arising from the global economic downturn required the ingenuity of professional marketers to help their companies to overcome them.
Ms Aryee, who is also the Marketing Woman for 2007, advised organisations against the tendency to cut down their corporate budgets in the face of the adverse impact of the global economic downturn.
She said the current economic situation was the time for marketing professionals to show the world what they were capable of changing the fortunes of their organisations. “Though its not going to be magic, we have to think through seriously to turn our organisations around,” she said.
As professional marketers, Ms Aryee said, they would be saddled with the problem of cutting down their budgets and yet they would be expected to support the growth of their businesses.
The Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, Mr Charles Cofie, also urged companies not to cut down expenditure, particularly on advertisements and promotional programmes.
He further urged organisations never to compromise on quality though they were being squeezed by the economic crisis.
He said 2009 would demand the best from them, “ a time for visible leadership, and the moment for us to build and communicate our vision and the bold plans we will be putting in place”.
Sharing lessons from Unilever and how to exploit the marketing mix on the theme for the awards, “The Global Economic Downturn- A Case for Marketing Metrics”, Mr Cofie said marketing professionals were needed now more than ever before in view of the global economic downturn.
He argued that marketing professionals would contribute by preparing plans and putting in place mechanisms and targets closer to the market to turn their organisations around without compromising on quality.
The National President of the CIMG, Mrs Josephine Okutu, said the awards scheme had over the years developed into a very significant benchmark with which individuals and corporate organisations rated their performances.
This year’s awards are scheduled to take place on June 27, 2009 at the Banquet Hall of the State House. The number of awards has been increased from 26 to 28.
The two additions are the Marketing Practitioner and the Medical Facility of the Year.
Among the categories of awards are Personalities, Manufacturing/Non Profit Organisations, Services, Media/Activation Programmes, Indigenous Industry, Distribution.
The selection of award winners is based on marketing innovation, technological innovation, level of sophistication, geological???? coverage, societal impact, and outstanding contribution towards national development.
Others include, public image, marketing place success and structure, market share and growth as well as customer service schemes and ecological issues.
Members of the public are expected to make their own nominations for each award category using the stated criteria and provision of brief write ups on the justification of their nominees.
“All companies which may be nominating themselves should send us comprehensive information about the performance of their organisations”, Mrs Okutu added, and tasked the Awards Selection Committee which she inaugurated at the launch to investigate the inputs of all nominations and provide a short list for the Governing Council of CIMG to confirm the final winners.
The Chairperson for the Awards Planning Committee, Mrs Shola Safo-Duodo, outlined the various sponsorship packages which included two expected sponsors for the platinum category with investment of GH¢25,000 or more.
For the gold category, three sponsors are needed, with investment between GH¢20,000 and GH¢25,000 whilst the Silver category for five sponsors, should have investment between GH¢15,000 and GH¢20,000.
The bronze and supporting sponsors, with ten sponsors in each category should have investment equal to or greater than GH¢10,000 and GH¢5,000 respectively.
The Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call in Accra, said the challenges arising from the global economic downturn required the ingenuity of professional marketers to help their companies to overcome them.
Ms Aryee, who is also the Marketing Woman for 2007, advised organisations against the tendency to cut down their corporate budgets in the face of the adverse impact of the global economic downturn.
She said the current economic situation was the time for marketing professionals to show the world what they were capable of changing the fortunes of their organisations. “Though its not going to be magic, we have to think through seriously to turn our organisations around,” she said.
As professional marketers, Ms Aryee said, they would be saddled with the problem of cutting down their budgets and yet they would be expected to support the growth of their businesses.
The Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, Mr Charles Cofie, also urged companies not to cut down expenditure, particularly on advertisements and promotional programmes.
He further urged organisations never to compromise on quality though they were being squeezed by the economic crisis.
He said 2009 would demand the best from them, “ a time for visible leadership, and the moment for us to build and communicate our vision and the bold plans we will be putting in place”.
Sharing lessons from Unilever and how to exploit the marketing mix on the theme for the awards, “The Global Economic Downturn- A Case for Marketing Metrics”, Mr Cofie said marketing professionals were needed now more than ever before in view of the global economic downturn.
He argued that marketing professionals would contribute by preparing plans and putting in place mechanisms and targets closer to the market to turn their organisations around without compromising on quality.
The National President of the CIMG, Mrs Josephine Okutu, said the awards scheme had over the years developed into a very significant benchmark with which individuals and corporate organisations rated their performances.
This year’s awards are scheduled to take place on June 27, 2009 at the Banquet Hall of the State House. The number of awards has been increased from 26 to 28.
The two additions are the Marketing Practitioner and the Medical Facility of the Year.
Among the categories of awards are Personalities, Manufacturing/Non Profit Organisations, Services, Media/Activation Programmes, Indigenous Industry, Distribution.
The selection of award winners is based on marketing innovation, technological innovation, level of sophistication, geological???? coverage, societal impact, and outstanding contribution towards national development.
Others include, public image, marketing place success and structure, market share and growth as well as customer service schemes and ecological issues.
Members of the public are expected to make their own nominations for each award category using the stated criteria and provision of brief write ups on the justification of their nominees.
“All companies which may be nominating themselves should send us comprehensive information about the performance of their organisations”, Mrs Okutu added, and tasked the Awards Selection Committee which she inaugurated at the launch to investigate the inputs of all nominations and provide a short list for the Governing Council of CIMG to confirm the final winners.
The Chairperson for the Awards Planning Committee, Mrs Shola Safo-Duodo, outlined the various sponsorship packages which included two expected sponsors for the platinum category with investment of GH¢25,000 or more.
For the gold category, three sponsors are needed, with investment between GH¢20,000 and GH¢25,000 whilst the Silver category for five sponsors, should have investment between GH¢15,000 and GH¢20,000.
The bronze and supporting sponsors, with ten sponsors in each category should have investment equal to or greater than GH¢10,000 and GH¢5,000 respectively.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Recognise the importance of ICT--- Veep tells civil servants
THE Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama has urged Civil Servants to recognise the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the service and create an efficient working environment at the workplace.
“We must improve how fast we adopt to technology to create an efficient working environment” he emphasised and charged the leadership of the Civil Servants Association of Ghana (CSAG) to ensure that the use of ICT was improved and effectively incorporated into the activities of the Service.
The Vice President was speaking at the first ever Activist Awards organised by CSAG in Accra, where recipients of the awards were each presented with Laptops in addition to their plaques and other awards.
To those who were no longer in the Service, he said “its is never too late to learn ICT and those of you in the service should utilise the computer, not just for games, but you can also use them to communicate with other users to make your work easier”.
He said the association had fully matured after 40 years of existence and that he had no doubt about the need for government to fast track reforms to put a sense of urgency in the Civil Service as indicated on placards during the May Day celebration.
The Vice President reiterated government’s commitment to do everything possible to bring the Single Spine Salary Structure into operation and announced that the president had directed a committee to look into the structure for implementation.
He gave the assurance that the government would support all the groups that had brought proposals for housing projects before it and disclosed that the government was in touch with a company called Fast-Build which was capable of building a house in four weeks, for public servants.
“We will inspect demonstration of these houses to ensure that they are habitable and put in place special mortgages to allow workers to acquire their own houses”, he said.
The Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao urged the leadership of the association to keep their members abreast of government policies and programmes towards the country’s development agenda.
He also gave the assurance that the government would keep its promises to them as a partner in governance and would not shed its responsibility to ensure that the Civil Service was on track.
“The use of dialogue and negotiation is highly laudable. We will offer you support in the sensitisation of your members for the facilitation of human resource for national development”, he added.
The President of CSAG, Mr Robertson Allotey said the association had gone through hiccups of growth and development since its inception in 1968.
He said the government could do more for Civil Servants not just in terms of increase in salaries but also in the areas of recognising the value of the services they continue to render to the socio-economic development of the country.
The awards, he said, were for members of the association who have demonstrated positive activism, unfetted spirit of volunteerism, projected the values of the association, efficiency and hard work in the course of their membership with the association.
In all 52 persons were selected for the awards, 31 from the regions at the regional May Day durbar and 21 at the National level.
The award for the Activist of the Year, which was presented by the Vice President went to Mr William E. Kemevor who was presented with a Toshiba Laptop, GH¢2,000, a plaque, a certificate and a cloth of the association.
The first and second runner ups went to Mr Daniel Amamo and Mr James Tiga who received GH¢1,000 and GH¢500 respectively in addition to Toshiba Laptops, plaques, certificates and cloths.
A Special award was given to the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Issaka who is also the Chairman of the Welfare Committee of CSAG, for his long service to the association.
“We must improve how fast we adopt to technology to create an efficient working environment” he emphasised and charged the leadership of the Civil Servants Association of Ghana (CSAG) to ensure that the use of ICT was improved and effectively incorporated into the activities of the Service.
The Vice President was speaking at the first ever Activist Awards organised by CSAG in Accra, where recipients of the awards were each presented with Laptops in addition to their plaques and other awards.
To those who were no longer in the Service, he said “its is never too late to learn ICT and those of you in the service should utilise the computer, not just for games, but you can also use them to communicate with other users to make your work easier”.
He said the association had fully matured after 40 years of existence and that he had no doubt about the need for government to fast track reforms to put a sense of urgency in the Civil Service as indicated on placards during the May Day celebration.
The Vice President reiterated government’s commitment to do everything possible to bring the Single Spine Salary Structure into operation and announced that the president had directed a committee to look into the structure for implementation.
He gave the assurance that the government would support all the groups that had brought proposals for housing projects before it and disclosed that the government was in touch with a company called Fast-Build which was capable of building a house in four weeks, for public servants.
“We will inspect demonstration of these houses to ensure that they are habitable and put in place special mortgages to allow workers to acquire their own houses”, he said.
The Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao urged the leadership of the association to keep their members abreast of government policies and programmes towards the country’s development agenda.
He also gave the assurance that the government would keep its promises to them as a partner in governance and would not shed its responsibility to ensure that the Civil Service was on track.
“The use of dialogue and negotiation is highly laudable. We will offer you support in the sensitisation of your members for the facilitation of human resource for national development”, he added.
The President of CSAG, Mr Robertson Allotey said the association had gone through hiccups of growth and development since its inception in 1968.
He said the government could do more for Civil Servants not just in terms of increase in salaries but also in the areas of recognising the value of the services they continue to render to the socio-economic development of the country.
The awards, he said, were for members of the association who have demonstrated positive activism, unfetted spirit of volunteerism, projected the values of the association, efficiency and hard work in the course of their membership with the association.
In all 52 persons were selected for the awards, 31 from the regions at the regional May Day durbar and 21 at the National level.
The award for the Activist of the Year, which was presented by the Vice President went to Mr William E. Kemevor who was presented with a Toshiba Laptop, GH¢2,000, a plaque, a certificate and a cloth of the association.
The first and second runner ups went to Mr Daniel Amamo and Mr James Tiga who received GH¢1,000 and GH¢500 respectively in addition to Toshiba Laptops, plaques, certificates and cloths.
A Special award was given to the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Issaka who is also the Chairman of the Welfare Committee of CSAG, for his long service to the association.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Multiple birth registration affecting population count
THE Principal Assistant Registrar of the Births & Deaths Registry, Mr Kingsley Asare Addo, has observed that the multiple registration of births is affecting the accurate estimation of the country’s population.
“We do not even know the actual population of the country. What we normally say is that we are about 22 million people and over. But that should not be the case, since we need to know the actual population of the country for development,” he said.
Mr Addo, who made the observation in response to a question at a seminar on child health care in Accra last Tuesday, said the country held a census once in a decade and for one person to be registered twice meant an inflation in the population figure.
“You must register your child once, and that should be done before he or she is one year old. The cost of registration is borne by the government because it is interested in statistics for planning and development,” he noted, and indicated that “the cost of registration of a child after one year will, however, have to be paid by the parents of the child”.
Mr Addo said some parents failed to register the births of their children immediately they were born and did so only when the need for a passport arose.
The practice, he said, should be frowned upon because it made it difficult for the government to plan adequately.
He added that the proper registration of infants had helped particularly the developed countries to develop at the rate they were developing because they knew the actual figures of their population and, therefore, planned accordingly for the provision of social amenities and other basic needs of their people.
He pointed out that the registration of children helped in the estimation of population growth, fertility and mortality rates, as well as other demographic parameters.
The registration of children, Mr Addo added, established their identity, parentage, nationality and protection and also facilitated their enrolment in schools.
“We do not even know the actual population of the country. What we normally say is that we are about 22 million people and over. But that should not be the case, since we need to know the actual population of the country for development,” he said.
Mr Addo, who made the observation in response to a question at a seminar on child health care in Accra last Tuesday, said the country held a census once in a decade and for one person to be registered twice meant an inflation in the population figure.
“You must register your child once, and that should be done before he or she is one year old. The cost of registration is borne by the government because it is interested in statistics for planning and development,” he noted, and indicated that “the cost of registration of a child after one year will, however, have to be paid by the parents of the child”.
Mr Addo said some parents failed to register the births of their children immediately they were born and did so only when the need for a passport arose.
The practice, he said, should be frowned upon because it made it difficult for the government to plan adequately.
He added that the proper registration of infants had helped particularly the developed countries to develop at the rate they were developing because they knew the actual figures of their population and, therefore, planned accordingly for the provision of social amenities and other basic needs of their people.
He pointed out that the registration of children helped in the estimation of population growth, fertility and mortality rates, as well as other demographic parameters.
The registration of children, Mr Addo added, established their identity, parentage, nationality and protection and also facilitated their enrolment in schools.
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