WELDER STABS FRIEND (MIRROR, PAGE 35, DEC 19)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.

AN electric wielder at Suame Magazine, Kofi Nyame, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour for stabbing his Nigerian friend as a result of a misunderstanding between them.
The victim, Chinyaka Nkem, is a trader resident at Abrem-Kenyasi, while the convict, Nyame, lived at Apampatia-Santasi, a suburb of Kumasi. 
Chief Inspector (Mrs) Comfort Baafuor-Kyei giving the facts of the case, told the crowded court presided over by Mr E. Amo-Yartey, that both men were friends engaged in a game called “kasaa” on October 20, this year.
While playing the game, a misunderstanding ensured between them which developed into a quarrel but onlookers managed to settle the problem between them.
The victim then brushed aside the incident, left the scene and took shelter at a drinking joint. 
The convict who was burning with anger, however, chased Nkem and renewed the quarrel.
Nyame, who was armed with a knife, stabbed Nkem twice in the mid-section and Nkem fell unconscious.
He was rushed to the Emergency Ward of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he was admitted for two weeks, after undergoing a successful surgical operation.
He has since been discharged.

BODY OF WOMAN FOUND IN BARRACKS (BACK PAGE, DEC 15)

AN unidentified woman, believed to be in her late 20s, was found dead in a pool of blood under a palm tree at the Uddara Military Barracks at Bantama, in Kumasi, early yesterday morning.
The police suspect foul play and have, therefore, launched investigations into what appears to be a case of murder.
Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told the Daily Graphic that the Military Police reported that they found the remains of a young lady in an undeveloped area of the barracks close to the military clinic at about 4a.m. yesterday.
He said a team of investigators dispatched to the scene found the body with multiple knife injuries; two on the neck, one on the hand and another on the shoulder.
According to the police, the deceased was a little stout, chocolate-coloured, had a broad face, a permed-hair and wore a pink gown and a T-shirt to match and looked about 5ft 4inches tall.
Chief Inspector Tanko said there was blood all over the area and indicated that the police suspected that there was a struggle between the deceased and her assailant(s).
He also revealed that the deceased might have been dragged from the street to where the palm tree stood, about five metres from the road.
According to him, while her panties and slippers were found in a nearby farm, her dress was found on the road.
Other sources in the area said they heard someone shouting for help but no one went to rescue her.
Meanwhile the body has been deposited at the KATH morgue while police investigation continues.

GID BOAKO CONTESTS NPP REGIONAL YOUTH ORGANISER (PAGE 14, DEC 5)

A New Patriotic Party activist, Mr Gideon Boako, has called on the youth to vote for him as the Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser.
He said the party needed a visionary, loyal, hardworking and committed youth activist like him, who has proven his worth and would be able to steer the affairs of the youth for the party to chalk up a resounding victory in the 2012 general election.
Mr Boako, affectionately called “Ogidigidi”, the epitome of Hope for the Youth, described the youth as the heart of a party, saying for the party to be able to stand on its feet, it required the initiative of somebody like him, who has served the party since the year 2000.
Mr Boako, who was briefing the Daily Graphic about his intention to contest the Regional Youth Organiser position, said he had passed through the mill in the party and had thus acquired the new ideas needed to mobilise the youth to win back power in 2012.
“My vision is to build a much stronger NPP youth force by way of energising, re-invigorating and rekindling their spirits to show massive support towards the party to ensure victory in 2012.
“Again, l want to serve as a good conduit that has the capacity to bring the youth and all party fanatics closer to the NPP government (when in power) and the party leadership,” he said, adding that “as a party in opposition, it needed vociferous people to talk to catch them young in their homes and in their schools”.
Asked whether he could carry such cumbersome responsibility, he replied that the position was indeed time-consuming, but since he had been doing two programmes on radio alongside other activities, that might confirm that he was really hardworking.
Mr Boako was awarded Certificate of Honour when he was TESCON President at the Sunyani Polytechnic in 2008, and in that same year, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as Media Relations Director.
Also, he had an award from the Methodist Children’s Growth — University Students’ Quota (MECHIGUST-Q) in 2008.
The eloquent Boako is a holder of Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management, KNUST, and former Vice-President at NSPA Office of Parliament of Ghana in 2000. He was the National Co-ordinator of Youth for Democratic Action (YDA), and a Member of the Board of Trustees- Ghana United Students’ Association (GUNSA) that same year.
Mr Boako, 28, who was born into the Busia-Dankwa fraternity, where his father and mother belonged as truly and committed parents to the tradition, observed that when deserving individuals of integrity were elected into office, people in the area united and called on all party faithful to unite, because in unity lies strength.
“This is because in our bid to wrest power in the year 2012, there’s a need to strengthen and increase active youth participation in the region, foster unity and cohesion among the entire youth of the party,” he said this as one of his objectives.
He promised to set up a Regional Youth Committee and think tank to strategically plan youth programmes and activities in order to train and psych up 500 youth in every constituency in the region for operations against electoral malpractice.
Again, he promised to set up an agile youth force to stand the threat and the propaganda machinery of all other parties.

NCCE WORKSHOP AT NEW EDUBIASE (PAGE 14, DEC 3)

THE Ashanti Regional office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), under the sponsorship of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has organised a public education programme on local governance at New Edubiase in the Ashanti Region to precede the District Assembly Elections slated for 2010.
The programme was aimed at creating the needed platform for advocacy and fruitful engagement of the people on the election process.
It also sought to increase public awareness and active participation in the decentralised governance system in the country.
In all 40 districts in the country, five of them from the Ashanti Region, will benefit from the exercise.
Addressing the participants, Mr Samuel Akuamoah, Director of Programmes, NCCE, observed that Ghana’s democracy had been acclaimed as one of the best in the world.
He mentioned the five successive times that general elections had been conducted without any serious violence, as one area that the world acknowledged.
“As they shower praises on us, we should not allow complacency to overtake us but rather continue to search for new measures to remain focused and move the country forward,” Mr Akuamoah stressed.
He asked women to stand for elections in the 2010 district level election. 
Participants suggested that there should be a specific programme in the country where the voters register would be opened every year to enable those who have attained 18 years of age to register.
Mr Yakubu Alhassan, Ashanti Regional Director of the NCCE, urged parents to be mindful of their children’s education for a better future for them and the country.
Mr Alhassan commended the people for the massive turnout for the programme.

MILITARY AND POLICE URGED TO REMAIN FOCUSSED (SPREAD, DEC 1)

THE Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Mr Patrick Timbilla, has urged the police in the region to remain united, focused and resolute in their fight against crime.
He stressed that it was prudent for the military and police to share experiences during joint operations and approach their duties with diligence to be able to clamp down on the activities of the nation wreckers.
Mr Timbilla was addressing 86 officers and men drawn from the military and the police Buffalo Unit who undertook night patrols at the Regional Police Headquarters, Kumasi.
He said such operations built the ‘esprit de corps’ and enabled them to perform their work professionally as expected of them, adding: “We’re prepared to work; the media and the public are behind us”.
He advised the security personnel to continue to give their best and share the success together through effective teamwork.
The regional police commander called for effective coordination among them to enable them to achieve their goals in ensuring peace and security in the region.
Mr Timbilla assured them that the police administration was solidly behind them so they should work with vim.
Speaking on the programme ‘Operation Drag Net’, launched in the region to flush out social miscreants, he said the security personnel had to do proactive policing so that during the day they could have lighter work to do for the safety of the general public.
Mr Timbilla also called on the citizenry to continue to offer useful information to the service to enable them flush out all the social miscreants.
“The public must remember that there is a mouth-watering offer ready for those who give concrete information to us”, that would lead to the arrest of criminals, he said.

JAILBIRD BACK TO PRISON (MIRROR, NOV 28, PAGE 27)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

A 36-YEAR-OLD -MAN who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a circuit court in Kumasi, presided over by Mr E. Amo-Yartey, has stated that he preferred a life sentence.
Jailbird, Osei Kwadwo, created laughter in the court on Friday, November 20, 2009, when just after he was sentenced he told the court clerks to prepare a life warrant for him instead of the original sentence.
Osei Kwadwo, a three-time ex-convict was sentenced on two counts of threat of life and stealing.
Osei, unemployed, pleaded not guilty to the charges but the court found him guilty after the trial.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court, Chief Inspector (Mrs) Comfort Baafuor- Kyei said the complainants were tenants in Osei’s mother’s house at Tafo Nhyiaeso. 
As the woman was resident in the United States of America, one Sgt. Osei Bonsu of the Police MTTU acted as the caretaker of the house
She said in view of the questionable character of the convict, his mother had restrained him from entering the house.
The prosecutor said, in October, 2009, at about 6a.m, Osei entered the house unnoticed and broke into five bedrooms, including that of his mother, and stole some items belonging to his mother and other tenants all valued at GH¢185.00
On that same day, Mrs Baffuor-Kyei said, Osei armed himself with a machete and chased out a medical doctor, demanding some amount of money from him or else he would kill him
“He became furious in the house and attacked all tenants with the machete and demanded some money before he would allow them to enter their rooms,” the prosecutor said.
She said at a point, Osei attempted smashing the windscreen of the doctor’s car but the timely arrival of the police saved the situation leading to his arrest.
During interrogation, she said, Osei showed no remorse about his action but rather admitted and confessed committing the offences.

TWO RAPISTS JAILED 60 YRS (MIRROR, PAGE 27, NOV 28)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

A KUMASI Circuit Court, presided over by Mr E. Amo-Yartey has sentenced two friends who raped a lady to a total of 60 years imprisonment with hard labour. Each of them would serve 30 years.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape but were found guilty after some months of trial.
The third accused person, Kofi Nyarko is on the run.
The convicts, according to Chief Inspector Comfort Baffuor-Kyei, the prosecutor said Yaw Gyamfi, alias Alhaji, 20, a drinking bar attendant and Akwasi Kodua, 19, a food vendor, and Nyarko, on December 26, last year went to the Briconer Drinking Spot at Asafo, Kumasi to drink. 
It was not long when the victim and her friend, Doreen, also arrived there for some soft drinks.
Chief Inspector Comfort Baffuor-Kyei said, when the victim and her friend entered the drinking parlour, the convicts were fascinated by her (victim’s) dress and immediately expressed interest in having sex with her
“To achieve their ambition, Gyamfi deliberately broke a bottle in the bar to create fear among the customers so that they would desert the premises,” the prosecutor told the court.
In the midst of the confusion, a witness in the case went to the aid of the victim and while he escorted her to the roadside to catch a taxi home the convicts attacked and snatched the victim away to the back of a house where they took turns to rape her.
According to the prosecution, while Gyamfi was raping the victim, Koduah also gagged her. The latter took his turn while Nyarko also enjoyed himself and later left the victim to her fate. 
Mrs Baffuor-Kyei said while the convicts were enjoying themselves, the witness was curiously watching the scene from a distance. 
He later escorted her to the Asokwa Police station where she lodged a complaint. 
A medical form was issued and after treatment it was duly endorsed by a medical officer and returned to the police.  
On January 1, 2009 Gyamfi was arrested and granted bail but he failed to report to the police and went into hiding but he was re-arrested. .
One week later, Kodua was also arrested and during a search on him, the victim’s mobile phone was found on him.

ALL STARS SHOCK FAISAL (BACK PAGE, NOV 23)

THE sacking of Coach Isaac Opeele Boateng from King Faisal could not save the club from further troubles when they succumbed 1-2 to Wa All Stars in their Glo Premier League match at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
King Faisal were a sorry sight on the afternoon as All Stars outplayed and outscored them before their own fans.
For the few home fans who turned out for the match, Faisal were not helped by the changes made by the technical bench in the second half, and the fans had to call for action from the management to save the club from further troubles.
Faisal kicked off brilliantly but wasted four clear chances that came their way within the first four minutes when the Wa lads were yet to settle.
A penalty was awarded Faisal when Frank Acheampong was fouled in the box for Ofosu Mickey to convert it for the opener on the 13th minute.
The goal rather gingered the visitors into action and it came as little surprise when they equalised on the 32nd minute through Nathaniel Asamoah.
The second half started with a lot of action as both teams fought for the leader.  
All Stars had a chance to take the lead on the 89th minute, but with the yawning net before him, Asamoah shot off target.
The visitors continued to dictate the pace till the 90th minute when Asamoah headed the ball past Osei Boateng for the winner.

ACCUSED SLEEPS IN COURT (MIRROR, PAGE 23)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.

An accused person made manifest the Akan proverb which is literary translated as “the eyes know no sorrow” (aniwa nnim awereho) when he slept deeply at the Kumasi Circuit Court ‘Two”, where he was standing trial for careless driving, inconsiderate driving and negligently causing harm.
Asaana Perebe’s case was called at about 12.30 p.m on August 26, 2009, and when there was no response from him, the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector A K Fandoh, who had earlier exchanged greetings with Perebe, had to search through the crowd in the court, only to find Perebe fallen into a deep slumber.
It took a shove from the Court Orderly to wake him up as the prosecutor’s tap at his back failed to do so. His gait was awkward and seemed oblivious of his surroundings.
The Presiding Judge, Justice R.M Kagyakpa, ordered him to be handcuffed and sent to the cells till he came out of the stupor. And after two hours, Perebe’s case was called again, but adjourned to September 23, 2009.
The prosecution has it that Perebe, a taxi driver, whilst driving, knocked down a woman, Madam Agnes Asamoah, 54, and one Kwaku Aboagye, 13, on October 4, 2006. Kwaku died three days later at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, but the woman has since been on admission.
On hearing the boy’s death, Perebe, who was then on police enquiry bail, failed to report to the police and was later arrested on December 11, 2006.
 However, the Attorney General’s Department is yet to advise on his docket.

KWAPIA ASSEMBLY MEMBER IN TROUBLE (PAGE 15)

THE assembly member for the Kwapia electoral area in the Adansi North District of Ashanti, Peter Dwomoh, is in trouble.
Dwomoh allegedly collected various sums of money from some residents three years ago with a promise to acquire electricity meters for them but failed to deliver on his promise.
According to the youth of Kwapia, Wiowso and Patakro, the communities constituting the electoral area, Dwomoh collected GH¢5 per head from 875 residents, totalling GH¢ 4,375, but had since not supplied the meters.
“For three years now, nobody has set eyes on Dwomoh; he resurfaced only last week when we got invitation that the District Chief Executive (DCE), Alhaji Lateef Majdoub, was visiting our communities”, the irate youth who had wanted to vent their anger on Dwomoh said.
The DCE was touring some communities in the district last Friday. However, with the heavy police presence, Dwomoh was whisked away to avoid being lynched.
Alhaji Majdoub pleaded with the youth to exercise restraint while he sets up an enquiry into the matter.
He, however, requested them to try and list all the names of the affected people and submit it to the assembly for a discussion on the matter during its meeting.
The DCE gave the assurance that he would find out from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) whether the money was paid to the company.
At the durbar, the chief of the town, Nana Anokye Kusi, expressed disgust about the assembly member’s conduct, saying it had cast a slur on the local Unit Committee Secretary, Mr Ambrose Osei, who acted as his secretary in recording the names of those who paid the said amount.
According to the chief, because of insults, Mr Osei, who was very disturbed, had since left the town.
At Kwapia, the Chief, Nana Anokye Ababio, appealed to the DCE to provide the town with wooden electric poles to replace the existing metal electric poles because anytime it rained, the metal poles usually electrocuted animals, and as such they feared it could happen to human beings too.

MAN, 50, JAILED 25 YRS FOR DEFILING GIRL, 14 (PAGE 3)

A man who adopted a 14-year-old schoolgirl but defiled and impregnated her has been sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment with hard labour by a Kumasi Circuit Court.
The man, Usman Issaka Moro, 50, who adopted his victim in order to assist her out of her predicament, defiled her on numerous occasions.
He pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement and was accordingly convicted on his own plea.
Chief Inspector Comfort Baafuor Kyei, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo Yartey, that the victim was sent by her grandmother, Madam Akosua Addai, from their Kentinkrono residence to stay with her elder sister at Brofoyedru near Kumasi to continue her schooling.
Later, Florence was sent by her elder sister to her grandmother but unfortunately for her, she got stranded on her arrival, as the old woman had packed out of their old house at Kentinkrono.
According to the prosecution, Florence decided to seek the help of a female teacher at Kentinkrono to bail her out of her predicament.
The teacher, Miss Vida, readily offered a helping hand but a year later, the poor girl had to pack bag and baggage as her benefactor was transferred to another station.
According to the prosecution, in February 2009, the victim approached Moro who offered to allow her to stay in his house to continue her education.
The prosecution told the court that during her stay, the convict repeatedly had affair with the girl against her wish and in the process impregnated her.
She said on August 12, 2009, the victim and the convict were in the house when her elder sister, Charlotte, arrived and invited them to the Nhyira FM station, where Moro was arrested together with the victim and sent to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Kumasi for investigation.
The prosecution said Moro admitted responsibility for the pregnancy, saying that the victim was neglected by her relatives who believed that she was a “witch”.
Moro further claimed that all attempts by him in the initial stage to ask the victim's grandmother to take charge of the girl fell on deaf ears.

GUAN WIN 2-1 (PAGE 71)

Techiman Universal Stars fought gallantly in their Middle League match with Guan United, but their efforts were not enough to stop Guan from beating them 2-1 at the Wesley College Park in Kumasi last Saturday.
  The match saw both teams sell would out classic football but Gilbert Ayikade made a nice work of a Shilla Alhassan pass to open the scores for Guan United on the 33rd minute. 
  Five minutes later, Mohammed Adam nearly made it two for Guan but after dribbling past three defenders, he shot into the side netting giving relief to Massan Yahaya in post for Universal Stars.
Kingsley Mensah was brought on to replace injured Hafiz Awudu on the 46th minute for Universal Stars, and along with other changes, the team improved their game and succeeded in equalising on the 61st minute.
  On the 79th minute, substitute Amidu Yakubu who replaced Akyikade few minutes earlier scored for Guan to carry the day. 

FRAUDSTER JAILED 120 MONTHS (PAGE 3)

0A 39-YEAR-OLD unemployed, Seidu Yahaya, who deceitfully collected GH¢ 1,800 from a trader to buy certain items to enable him to turn some gold dust into cash has been sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment in hard labour by the Kumasi Circuit Court.
Yahaya pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing and fraud and was consequently convicted on his own plea.
Chief Inspector Comfort Baafuor Kyei, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Mr Justice Emmanuel Amoh Yartey, that the trader, Millicent Owusua, lived at Kronum, while the convict lived at Ahenkro, both suburbs of Kumasi.
The prosecutor said some time in December 2006, Owusua’s grandmother quietly told her that she had buried some treasure (gold dust) in her room at Akim Apedwa, near Kibi in the Eastern Region, and directed the grandaughter to find someone to dig it for her.
According to the prosecutor, Owusua started looking for someone who could help do the job. Not too long, Yahaya was introduced to her to do the job for her.
On December 31, 2006, Yahaya and Owusua travelled to Apedwa, where Yahaya ably dug the hidden treasure from the room of the late grandmother, as it was directed.
However, with the intention to swindle the complainant, Yahaya requested for GH¢1,800 to enable him to buy some items to be used for certain rites before he could change the gold dust to cash.
The prosecutor said without wasting time, Owusua managed to raise the money for Yahaya and he left with both the gold dust and the cash.
After three days, Yahaya returned with some substance, which he claimed was the gold dust and handed it over to the woman, saying, “the gods have now blessed it”.
However, with the help of a goldsmith, it was found out that Yahaya had rather brought her brass instead of the gold dust that he took away.
The prosecutor said after almost three years, Owusua saw Yahaya at Afrancho and made a report to the police, who arrested him.

GUAN UNITED WIN 2-1 (BACK PAGE)

AN 89th minute strike by Abdulai Gafaru enabled Guan United to beat Bechem United by 2-1 in their Zone One middle league match at the Wesley College Park in Kumasi yesterday.
Guan United hit the back of the net on the 29th minute through skipper Abdulai Gazale amid wild jubilation by their supporters. They managed to hold on to the lead till the first half ended.
Their opponents succeeded in equalising on the 58th minute through Nurudeen Ayew.
Guan United pressed for the lead and Abdulai Gafaru found it on the 89th minute.

ASSIN FOSU LACKS EDUCATION OFFICE (PAGE 11)

THE Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Assin North District in the Central Region, Mr Alex Antwi Boasiako, has expressed concern over the lack of a permanent office accommodation for the municipal directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) at Assin Fosu, the municipal capital.
He has also expressed worry about the non-availability of residential accommodation for heads of department in the district.
Mr Antwi Boasiako said the education directorate currently operates from a rented house and the landlord had given a three-month ejection notice.
He attributed the poor performance of schoolchildren in the area partly to the situation because there could not be effective coordination between the directorate and the schools.
Mr Antwi Boasiako, who has been in office for three months, expressed regret that such an important sector should be neglected for so long and blamed the past New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration for “closing its eyes on such an important project, which helps to produce our future leaders.”
He said during his short period in office and considering the seriousness of the situation, he managed to source funds to construct a permanent office block for the Education Ministry.
Mr Antwi Boasiako was speaking at the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Western Presbyterian Singing Bands’ Union at Assin Fosu. At the function were members of the clergy heads of the various departments and Mr Obeng Forson, Member of Parliament for Agona West.
In view of the acute housing problem facing the municipality, he said most heads of departments and workers had to travel daily or weekly to and from Accra, Cape Coast, and Takoradi and other nearby towns to work while some junior staff had turned their offices to living rooms.
He appealed to citizens and residents around to help curb the situation by putting up more houses for the landlord to boost the development of the municipality.
The MCE commended the Christian and Moslem communities for the various roles they played during the general election and said he was hopeful they would continue to offer prayers and forge unity for the development of the country.
He appealed to the general public to exercise restraint for the government to sort things out to achieve its “better Ghana” objective.
In a sermon, the Rt Rev Albert Frank Anakwa reminded Christians to always behave as followers of Christ.
He urged them to follow the footsteps of the Apostles of Christ and take the cross upon themselves to win more souls for Jesus.
“True Christians do not hate their neighbours, abuse or quarrel among themselves or indulge in prostitution,” he said, and reminded the people that the deadly HIV AIDS disease was still in existence.
Rev. Anakwa advised politicians to desist from making promises, which could not be attainable.
On behalf of the Union, the President, Mr Seth Atuahene, presented bags of rice, maize, sugar, milk and soap worth GH¢3,000 to the St Francis Xavier Catholic Hospital for its services to the public.

ART EDUCATION CONFAB OPENS IN KUMASI (PAGE 11)

A TWO-week international conference on Art Education has opened at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
The event was organised by the Department of Art Education in collaboration with the African Community of Art Educators (AfriCOAE) in the United States of America.
The participants, numbering 28, are from China, Australia, Austria, Hungary, Uganda, Nigeria, Canada, USA, Cameroon, the United Kingdom (UK) and Ghana.
The programme which has the theme “The Kumasi Symposium: Tapping Local Resources for Sustenance Education through Art” is a follow-up to a similar one that took place in Accra in 2008.
Opening the conference, Professor Williams Ellis, Pro Vice Chancellor of KNUST, said the current state of affairs in the world called for the sharing of ideas and knowledge towards a holistic education development to help ensure productivity.
He noted that there was the need for more of such programmes to be organised to broaden knowledge of all stakeholders of the various sectors to help promote the use of local resources.
He commended the College of Art and Social Sciences (CASS) for being among the best colleges at KNUST and at the same time having the largest student population.
Prof. Dr Dr Daniel Buor, Provost of CASS said the theme for the conference was befitting since tapping local resources to support art education would save the nation some foreign exchange.
He challenged the participants to ensure that by the end of the programme, they would have developed ideas, issues and findings that could help enhance the teaching and learning of Art in the various institutions.
Nana Afia Amponsa Opoku Afriyie, Head of the Department of General Art Studies, said the conference was aimed at dialoguing to sustain the teaching of art in the various institutions in the world over.
She indicated that much more needed to be done to have a holistic art education but lamented over the inadequate infrastructure and personnel to support and enhance the teaching and learning of Art at all levels.
Nana Afia said the issues to be discussed include Art education, Studio Practice, Arts Administration, Management/Marketing Practice, Natural and man-made environmental issues in artistic practices and best practices and programmes.
She indicated that the programme would entail plenary sessions and support activities such as demonstrations and workshops, exhibitions, and site-specific tours of local and national resources and end it with panel presentations.
The Dean of the Faculty of Fine Art, Mr Benjamin Offei-Nyarko, said the faculty had over the past two years been collaborating with a number of institutions the world over with the aim of projecting programmes offered and to court others to the country.

TRADER REMANDED FOR CAUSING HARM (PAGE 21)

A 43-year-old Accra-based trader, Afua Agyeiwaa has been remanded in prison custody for a month by the New Edubiase District magistrate’s Court, for allegedly using a nail to injure the eye of her rival.
The victim who suffered serious eye injury, was rushed to St Francis Xavier Hospital at Assin Fosu but was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where she was admitted for medical care.
Agyeiwaa, who was charged with causing harm, will reappear before the court presided over by Mr Stephen Tabiri on August 24, this year.
Giving the facts of the case at the court, Chief Inspector Benjamin Stephen Aboagye said the incident occurred on July 27, this year when the two women met in the room of their boyfriend, Mr Justice Oppong, a cold store operator at Adansi Praso in the Ashanti Region.
He said both Agyeiwaa and the victim in the case, one Ataa, aged 19, were aware that their boyfriend was legally married yet they continued to flirt with him.
Chief Inspector Aboagye said it was the suspect who first went into the room of her boyfriend in his absence and while there, the victim also entered, but as soon as she entered the room, the suspect demanded to know what she had come to do in her ‘husband’s’ room.
The prosecutor said when Ataa responded that their boyfriend was legally married and that they were both flirting with him illegally, the suspect flared up and punched Ataa.
He said the victim also replied by punching the suspect, adding that the latter became so incensed that she brought out a nail she had hidden in her bag and injured Ataa in the eye with it.
The prosecutor stated that when the suspect realised the consequences of her action, she took to her heels with a view to escape justice.
He said the scream by the victim attracted many sympathisers who immediately rushed her to the St Francis Xavier Hospital at Assin Fosu where she was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Chief Inspector Aboagye said as the news of the incident started making rounds, the accused who had then crossed the Pra River in her attempt to escape, was arrested and handed over to the Assin Fosu police who in turn handed her over to the Adansi Praso police for investigation and prosecution.

OBUASI MCE COMMENDS ORTHODOX CHURCHES (NSEMPA, PAGE 14)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Obuasi.

THE Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr John E.K. Ackon, has commended orthodox churches in the country for their high development spirit.
He acknowledged that since about two centuries ago, the orthodox churches had partnered the government in its development drive to raise the living standards of the people.
The MCE recalled the numerous projects and infrastructure the Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic and the Anglican churches had undertaken, and said this had reduced these burden of government.
“Over 40 per cent of educational institutions belong to those churches which had been a stepping stone for most highly placed citizens. And still they are not relenting,” he said.
Mr Ackon made the commendation at the inauguration of the New Estate Emmanuel Presbyterian Church at Obuasi.
The branch becomes the 33rd assembly in the Obuasi Municipality under Catechist Ibrahim Owusu.
The inaugural ceremony was conducted by the Resident Minister, Rev. Patrick Amoaning Boamah, under the chairmanship of Nana Antwi, an Obuasi-based contractor.
Mr Ackon urged new churches to chart a new course by ensuring that the poor among their congregation experienced some improvement in their lives.
In his inaugural sermon, Rev Boamah advised Christians not to be in haste for material possessions to the neglect of their soul and spirit.
Preaching the theme; “Go and bring the lost.” Rev Boamah said there was happiness in winning souls for God.
He noted that even though Jesus’ mission was limited to Israel, it was time Christians went to every corner of the world to proclaim the Word, saying “Christians must discuss Jesus,”
The Reverend Minister led the congregation in prayers for the President, ministers of state, members of parliament, the Presbyterian Church and the Moderator, Rev. Yaw Frimpong Manson.

WATER SUPPLY IN ASHANTI IMPROVES (BACK PAGE)

COVERAGE of water supply in the Ashanti Region has now hit 71 per cent, the highest in the country, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, has said.
This notwithstanding, the Regional Minister said much more efforts would be made at improving the coverage.
Addressing an orientation workshop on water and sanitation in Kumasi last Tuesday, Mr Opoku-Manu said 26 pipe systems and 2,500 boreholes were being constructed to further improve on the water supply in the region.
The workshop, which was attended by metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) in the region, was on the theme; “Rural Water Delivery: Overcoming the Challenges.”
Mr Opoku-Manu commended the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for playing an instrumental role in achieving that feat of 71 per cent water coverage in the region.
In spite of the achievements made in water delivery, the Ashanti Regional Minister said there were still some teething challenges which needed to be addressed.
He said some communities were unable to honour payment of five per cent counterpart funding required for water delivery projects while other district assemblies and households lacked commitment and some contractors also had delayed.
Mr Opoku-Manu asked the assemblies that had defaulted in the payment of their counterpart funding for the provision of potable water under the CWSA project to do well to settle it.
He also urged the MMDCEs to take personal interest in the project and ensure that all aspects of the project were given due attention.
He said the CWSA was doing its part of the implementation arrangement, but MMDCEs, who were at the receiving end, should contribute their quota for the success of the programme.
Mr Kusi Appiah, the Regional Co-ordinating Director, who chaired the workshop, urged the participants to take the workshop seriously because, as he said, “water is life”, and the seriousness they attached to the workshop would influence the communities to also play their expected roles.

33CARGO TRUCK DRIVERS FINED FOR OVERLOADING (PAGE 27, MIRROR, JULY 25, 2009)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

A KUMASI Circuit Court (Ministries), has sentenced 33 cargo truck drivers to various fines ranging between GH¢200 and GH¢900 for overloading their trucks above the approved tonnage.
They have all pleaded guilty to the charges of overloading.They will serve prison sentences ranging from between six to 12 months with hard labour in default, depending on the excess weight being carried by each of the trucks.
The court ordered that the excess load be shed-off before the trucks are handed back to them. Items found on the vehicles included mining chemicals, assorted soft drinks, tubers of yam, bags of maize and iron rods.
A police prosecutor told the court, presided over by Mr Justice Eric Baah that the accused persons were arrested at the Akom Axel Weight bridge on the Offinso road between July 1 and July 3.
According to the prosecutor, loading above the stipulated weight of 10 tons the middle axel (hippo) weight is contrary to Regulation 46 (1) of the Legislative Instrument (LI) 953/74 and section 101 of Act 683/04. However, some vehicles carried excess of between one-and-half to two tons above and over the official weight thereby destroying the roads.
The worse offender was Baba Diara, a Malian driver of a DAF truck with registration number, B-3422-N3. At the weight bridge, it was discovered that his vehicle was excessively overloaded with extra 11.8 tons and consequently fined GH¢900
Diara’s truck was loaded with passengers and goods and was travelling from Kumasi to Wa in the Upper Western Region when it was intercepted at the weight bridge on the Offinso road.

FARMER KILLS 2, COMMITS SUICIDE (PAGE 31, JULY 17)

RESIDENTS of Akromaso, a farming community in the Ashanti Region, woke up to see a horrifying spectacle in which a farmer shot dead his wife and a pregnant sister-in-law before taking his own life.
The farmer, Yaw Boakye, 36, accused his wife, Afia Charity, 31, of infidelity, and that he was unable to keep sight of his wife conversing with two men at a funeral. He decided to end it all when he shot her and her sister, Janet Addai, with a double-barrelled gun before taking his life at a nearby village in the Adansi North District.
Boakye was alleged to have shot Janet in the midsection, spilling out the six-month-old foetus.
A source at the deceased women’s family told the Daily Graphic that the couple, who had a child from their marriage, lived at Akromaso.
About two weeks earlier, Boakye had asked his wife to prepare palm soup for him about 4 p.m.
Charity told him that time was far gone, and that since that type of soup took time to prepare, she could not prepare it.
Her refusal resulted in a heated argument between them, which angered Charity so much that she packed her belongings and left her matrimonial home for her parents’ at Biakwaso, near Fumso in the Adansi North District.
According to the source, Boakye was invited by his in-laws, who reached a “settlement” on the issues discussed.
Three days later, Charity returned to her husband at Akromaso and on July 9, 2009, the couple attended a funeral at a nearby village.
The source alleged that at the funeral ground, Charity chatted with some known men and friends, a development which infuriated Boakye.
On their return to their Akromaso home, Boakye, who was still burning with anger, accused his wife of having boyfriends and threatened to “teach her a lesson”.
So saying, he rushed to his room, pulled out a double-barrelled gun and fired at the woman from behind, killing her instantly.
As if that was not enough, Janet, who started yelling for help, also got her unfair share when the man turned the gun on her and shot her in the midsection, killing her instantly.
After that, Boakye escaped to Anwona with the gun and walked up and down the only street in the village.
The town folk, who were watching his moves, became suspicious and decided to confront him.
However, before the men could get closer, Boakye sat down on the ground, pointed the gun at his throat and pressed the trigger with his leg to end it all.
When contacted, the police at Fumso confirmed the incident and said the remains of the deceased persons had been sent to the morgue at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital pending the outcome of further investigations.

TWO JAILED 63 YEARS FOR ROBBERY (PAGE 34, JULY 13)

THE two suspects linked to the killing of former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, Samuel Enin, have each been sentenced to 63 years in prison with hard labour for their roles in various robberies spanning a period of seven years.
The convicts, Kwame Ayew, 25, and Sheriff Kabore, 24, both drivers, were handed the sentences when they appeared before the Kumasi High Court, presided over by Mr Justice K.A. Pobih, last Wednesday.
Ayew is already serving a 21-year jail term for a previous robbery case, bringing his total sentence to 84 years.
The two were members of a gang who terrorised residents of Kenyase, Buokrom and Pankrono in Kumasi.
The convicts will reappear before the court on July 24, 2000 on other robbery charges.
Already, the Attorney-General’s Department in Kumasi has indicated that it is almost ready to put the two before court for killing the former GJA regional chairman.
Two of their accomplices, Baba, alias Oldman, and Joshua, have been on the run since 2007.
The case of the prosecution was that at about 2 p.m. on December 25, last year, the complainant in the case went home at the Pankrono Estate with goods he had cleared from the Tema Port in two pick-ups.
While unloading the goods, the two robbers stood a distance as if they were conversing but watched what was going on in the house.
The following day, the convicts and one Haruna Issa attacked the house at gunpoint at night and took away the pick-ups, mobile phones, money and many other items. The complainant was assaulted in the process.
Ayew and Kabore were arrested and consequently arraigned on June 13, 2000 and remanded in custody.
On the day that Ayew was arrested, several victims identified him as one of those who robbed them.
The prosecution said on January 31, 2007 the accused persons once again attacked and robbed a couple at Adabraka-Kumasi of a pump-action gun, mobile phones, cash and several other valuable items and used the gun to rob one Shettu who eventually was able to recognise Ayew.
Sensing danger, the two robbers went into hiding but they were eventually arrested from their hideout, a place between Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region and Wa in the Upper West Region.

MANAGE WATER RESOURCES WELL (PAGE 31, JUNE 30)

THE Public Relations Officer of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Mrs Adwoa Munkua Dako, has urged Ghanaians to manage water resources in the best interest of the nation and its socio-economic development for now and the future.
She said there was growing demand and competition for the use of water in the areas of agriculture, hydro-power production, consumption and ecosystem sustainability.
“All these demands apart, God has not created any new rivers but the same quantity, even though populations keep growing, so we need to protect the rivers,” Mrs Dako said at the opening of a water resources management workshop at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
She observed that water was also decreasing due to variability in the rainfall pattern, drought, environmental degradation, the draining of wetlands and pollution, which kills water bodies, and called for its use with maximum efficiency at all times.
Fresh water, she said, was a finite and vulnerable resource essential for sustaining life, development and the environment and called for a participatory approach involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels, including its management at the lowest appropriate level.
Speaking on the role of women in the use of water, Mrs Dako said women played a key role in the collection of water and, therefore, called for measures to make them aware of how to use water with care.
The Water Quality Specialist of the WRC, Mrs Adjoa Paintsil, said every human being should have enough clean water for drinking, appropriate sanitation and enough food at reasonable cost.

22 ATTEND WORKSHOP IN KUMASI (PAGE 40)

EMPRETEC Ghana, consultants in business and entrepreneurship, has organised a two-day workshop for 22 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on the identification of markets on behalf of the Private Enterprise Foundation.
The workshop was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Japanese Government and implemented by the Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF).
The workshop was as a result of gaps identified by the PEF in its annual monitoring and evaluation of the corporate governance aspect of its project.
Briefing the press, the Assistant Projects Manager of the PEF, Mr Agyare Boateng, said there were eight components of the project among which was the market identification.
He said as part of the project, the PEF had planned to train 100 SMEs all over the country.
Mr Boateng said apart from the programme, Empretec Ghana had been offered the responsibility to identify the needs of the SMEs and train them to improve upon their skills to manage and expand their businesses.
He expressed the hope that the participants would take the workshop seriously to enable them to acquire skills in their respective areas and expand their enterprises.
The Ashanti Regional Manager of Empretec, Mr Kofi Kyere Boateng, described marketing as a basic requirement of businessmen and an area of study to improve businesses.
Some of the topics discussed were effective market and strategies, managing market competition and price strategies.
The team leader of the leasing programme, Mr Jonathan Mensah, for his part, said there had been a general increase in leasing activities in Ghana over the past year.
“This growth has been driven primarily by the increase in the number of lessors especially banks”.
He added that significantly, leasing was spreading to many regions in the country and lease operators were financing more equipment.

MAN JAILED 18 YEARS FOR DEFILING GIRL, 6 (MIRROR, PAGE 27)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi
 
A KUMASI circuit court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo Yartey has convicted a 26-year-old man, Kwasi Kankam, to 18 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a six-year-old girl.
The court was told that Kankam lived in the same vicinity with the victim and her parents at Kaase, a suburb of Kumasi.
On June 1, 2009, Kankam lured the girl to a nearby bush and forcibly had sex with her.
Chief Inspector Comfort Kyei Baafuor who prosecuted, said at about 7pm that day while the victim was playing under a mango tree, Kankam lured her into a nearby bush about 200 metres away and forcibly had sex with her.
She said during the act the victim cried out loudly due to the unbearable pain and the mother of the child who recognised her voice, quickly rushed to the scene where she also shouted for help.
The prosecutor said concerned neighbours combed the bush and later arrested the suspect.
According to the prosecutor, Kankam, who claimed in his caution statement that he had a long-standing friendship with the victim’s parents, denied defiling the girl and explained further that he was attending nature’s call in the bush when the victim saw him and followed him, begging for money.
A medical report form duly endorsed by a medical officer confirmed that the girl had been defiled.

INDIAN HEMP DEALER JAILED 10 YEARS (MIRROR, PAGE 37)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.

AN ACCUSED PERSON from whom a polythene bag containing cannabis weighing 2.20 grammes was retrieved during a search conducted by a team from the Narcotic Drugs, last Monday told a Kumasi Circuit Court Two that he ‘is a user but not a dealer’.
The court presided over by Mr Justice Emmanuel Amo Yartey did not hesitate but to sentence George Gyapong to 10 years imprisonment with retrospective effect date from the day he was arrested and charged with possessing cannabis.
Prosecutor, Chief Inspector A K Fandoh, presenting the facts of the case told the court that on July 26, 2008, personnel from the Drugs Law Enforcement Unit in Kumasi went to Wadie-Adwmankase near Mamponteng, Ashanti Region, on an operation at about 1.30 pm and arrested the accused upon a tip off that he was dealing in narcotic drugs.
Mr Fandoh said, the personnel conducted a search in the room of Gyapong only to discover a black polythene containing five wrappers and a quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Chief Inspector Fandoh said when Gyapong was interrogated he allegedly told the investigator ‘he is a user but not a dealer’. The exhibit was then sent to the Forensic Laboratory, Accra, for analytical examination, and the result proved positive cannabis weighing 2.20grammes.
He said the docket on the case was sent to the Attorney General’s office from where they were advised to charge Gyapong with the offence.

MAINTAIN HIGH SENSE OF PROFESSIONALISM (PAGE 3)

THE President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana, Mrs Vicky Wireko-Andoh, has challenged public relations practitioners to maintain the highest sense of professionalism at their places of work.
That, she noted, would prevent them from being used by their management as ‘errand boys’.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regional Chapter of the IPR in Kumasi, Mrs Wireko-Andoh expressed concern over the negative way some management treated their PR officers and said that must be stopped.
She stressed the need for practitioners to help build a profession that had integrity, trust and respect at all times.
She said the executive committee of the IPR would do its best to grow a healthy and enviable profession, nurture it and watch it mature to reach out to all members.
“Our gathering here fulfils our passion as the executive committee to enlarge the fold and in the process ensure that we bring every professional communications practitioner into the family of IPR,” she said, adding that the inauguration of the chapter was a dream come true.
The IPR President observed that public relations had not been given its proper strategic place in the organisational structure to advise and direct management because a lot of management did not understand the proper role of PR and its contribution to the success equation of their establishments.
Mrs Wireko-Andoh called on practitioners in corporate organisations and departments to always apply professionalism in whatever they did and gave the assurance that the IPR would continue to give direction to them and students of PR and communications.
The Vice-President of the IPR, Major Albert Don-Chebe (retd), said members would have the opportunity to be professionals because their jobs needed all minds and brains.

FOMENA NURSES SCHOOL HOUSING PROJECT NEEDS REACTIVATION (PAGE 11)

THE Principal of the Community Health Nurses’ Training School at Fomena in the Ashanti Region, Mrs Lynda Rockson-Mante, has called on the government to complete the school’s abandoned accommodation project to help ease the acute accommodation problem it is facing.
She said the structure that housed 50 students in 2005, now housed 603 students, adding that a greater part of the school’s infrastructure which had been abandoned could be reactivated to cater for the rapid growth of the school population.
Mrs Rockson-Mante, who made the call at the school’s maiden matriculation, noted that 64 per cent of the first-year students were non-resident.
She said the vision of the school was to make it a premier, as well as one of academic excellence in a healthy environment in the training of community health nurses to give quality-driven health care.
However, she said, there were many problems such as encroachment on school land, lack of water and overcrowding, among other things.
Mrs Rockson-Mante stressed the need for all stakeholders to support and re-affirm their support and commitment to the development of the school as the government alone could not be burdened with all those problems.
Rev. Veronica Darko, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Nurses and Midwives Council, advised the students to always let whatever they learnt to reflect in their dealing with the patient or client.
She said their role in the healthcare delivery chain was preventive by nature and as such they should be proactive in their approach to issues by going out to the community and finding out how to prevent communicable diseases.
Rev Darko urged the matriculants to act professionally by bringing on board good interpersonal relationship and relate to patients as humans and not objects.
“A Community Health Nurse who is well respected by the public is the one who is decent, knowledgeable, skilful and in whose hands clients feel comfortable, secure and relaxed. The clients of such a person recover with little or no effort,” she said.
Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, the Ashanti Regional Minister, re-echoed the government’s preparedness to honour its promise to the people and entreated all and sundry to rally behind it to ensure quality manpower development in the health sector.
“The government will certainly create the enabling environment that will usher the vision of the school into reality. And you can be assured that the development of this very institution is at the heart of the government and the Ashanti Regional Administration. Positive steps would be taken to ensure that resources are provided to steer the school to match with its motto ‘Excellence, our Hallmark,” he assured.
Nana Sarfo Agyeman III, chief of Ahensan-Adansi and chairperson for the occasion, recounted the history of the project over 30 years ago.
She said the traditional council would always assist the school.
Nana Agyeman suggested that the accommodation problem facing the school be tackled first before thinking of constructing a fence.

TAKE GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION SERIOUSLY (JUNIOR GRAPHIC, PAGE 6)

The school prefect of Kumasi Girls’ High (KGEE), Miss Dorcas Addai, has appealed to parents and guardians to take the education of the girl-child seriously.
  She said investing in the education of girls would help equip them to meet the demands of the modern world.
Ms Addai made the appeal in an address at KGEE’s 47th Speech and Prize-giving Day celebration at Abrepokese in Kumasi. the theme for the celebration was ‘Girl Child Education, Opportunities and Challenges in Science and ICT’.
She observed that in view of the current technological transformation in the world there was the need to ensure that girls were properly trained because “women are the pillars of development”, adding that “there’s the likelihood that in the not too distant future one would require ICT knowledge to work in the kitchen”.
The Headmistress, Miss Kraah said the school had always aimed at academic and moral excellence and had for the past three years in succession obtained 100 per cent in the final examinations .
She said the admission of students from KGEE into the nation’s universities and other tertiary institutions such as Nursing, Teaching and Polytechnics had quadrupled over the years.
Ms Kraah appealed to the government to complete the abandoned dining hall and classroom block project and help solve the perennial water problem in the school.
She commended the school’s PTA and the Kumasi Rotary club for providing two boreholes for the school to ease the water problem.

VICTORY SONG FROM SYLVIA (PAGE 4, GRAPHIC SHOWBIZ)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi

Kumasi continues to be a fertile breeding ground for gospel artistes and one of the latest to come out with her maiden release is Sylvia Amponsah Bosompem.
The title of the 26-year-old Sylvia’s work is M’adi Konim and it was launched at the Santase-Fankyenebra All Saints Catholic Church. With her sparkling voice and a glowing passion to touch hearts, Sylvia said it gladdens her heart to be able to comfort the distressed through music.
Educated at Odorgonno Secondary School in Accra and the St. Monica’s College of Education, Ashanti Mampong, Sylvia’s album contains songs such as Ayekoo, Kasa and Mabre Maso Ase. They are in slow worship vein to smoothen worried hearts and facilitate entering into God’s presence.
Other songs on the album that make pleasant listening are Save Me, Awurade Yeda Wo Ase and Y’ Asom Abedu Fie.
An admirable trait on the M’adi Konim album is the flexibility exhibited by the musicians on the recording who are able to supply appropriate dynamics to enable her show off her vocal prowess.

CONGRATULATIONS, OTUMFUO...He chalks 59 years (LEAD STORY, GRAPHIC NSEMPA)

By Collins Gyasi and Ernestina Kyerewaa Oppong, Kumasi

THE Anglican Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese, Rt Rev. Yinkah Sarfo has commended the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his exemplary leadership initiatives designed for Asanteman and the country as a whole.
He gave the commendation during a sermon at a special thanksgiving service to mark the 59th birthday of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu.
The service which was held at the Anglican Church in Kumasi, had in attendance a divisional chiefs and their queens, the royal family, former President John Agyekum Kufour and wife, Mrs Theresa Kufour, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu and other well wishers.
He observed that though the Asantehene was the youngest of the siblings from the royal family, he was rightly chosen by the kingmakers and added that since the King was chosen, he had exhibited inspirational leadership throughout the years of his reign.
Bishop Yinka Sarfo described the King as a kind-hearted person who had his ears to the ground and had love and compassion for the poor.
On his political, economic and religious contributions, the Bishop said Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had gone past his boundaries.
He therefore, called on all and sundry to rally behind him with prayers for God to make manifest what he had for Asanteman and Ghana to chalk more success.
He prayed the Lord to grant the Asantehene spiritual wisdom, love and vision.
The bishop wished him happy birthday as he marked another milestone on the great Golden Stool.
In a speech, the Asantehene attributed his success to God’s might, counselling from his elders and his wife lady Julia.
He said throughout the years, they had been his advisors and also supported him in whatever he did.
The Asantehene called for unity of purpose among the chiefs and people in the region and the country as a whole.
For his birthday present, the Anglican Church gave him a holy bible to read always and prayers were said for him and the nation, the church of God, the President and the ministers of state.
After the church service, Otumfuo feted children from orphanages in the Ashanti Region at the palace. The children also had fun as many air filled playing apparatus were made available for their enjoyment.

WORKSHOP ON CHILD LABOUR HELD IN KUMASI (PAGE 47)

THE Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Antwi Boasiako Sekyere, has sent a note of caution to parents and children not to see child labour as a consequence but as a cause of poverty and under-development.
He said children subjected to extreme forms of exploitation, with little or no education, were likely to grow to be illiterate adults, while the prosperity of the country depended greatly on the quality of its human resource base, which was the youth
“Therefore, to tolerate child labour is inconsistent with the massive investment the nation is making,” he stressed.
Mr Boasiako Sekyere was addressing a three-day inception workshop for co-ordinating directors of district assemblies, NGOs, directors of Labour, Social Welfare, Education and Statistics drawn from the Central, Eastern and Volta regions in Kumasi.
He said the Employment and Social Welfare Ministry, in collaboration with COCOBOD and other partners, was stepping up efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in the cocoa sector in particular and other sectors of society.
Accordingly, he said since the inception of the National Programme to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Cocoa (NPECLC), the ministry had conducted pilot and scale-up surveys, which had helped to ascertain the extent and nature of child labour in the sector, which the International Cocoa Verification Board (ICVB) had accepted.
He announced that remediation activities had been implemented in 11 districts and 110 communities and that currently more than 1,200 children were being provided with support to pursue formal education, including vocational skills.
The support include the provision of learning materials, footwear, school bags and uniforms, psychological counselling and health.
The Ashanti Regional Manager of the COCOBOD, Mr S. E. Bissiw, said since the emergence of the issue of child labour, the government had demonstrated its commitment to lead the fight and support its elimination.
He announced that the board had given nearly GH¢1.3 million to support the expansion of remediation activities in additional 36 cocoa districts and hoped the fund would help increase awareness of the issue.
The National Programme Manager of the NPECLC, Mrs Rita Owusu-Amankwah, for her part, said the workshop had become necessary to scale up remediation interventions to cover more districts and by the turn of the year they would have covered 47 cocoa districts out of the existing 64.
She said this year would see at least 470 communities scaled up and stakeholders in that service encouraged to make their activities known to the national programme.

OBUASI ASSEMBLY CONFIRMS DCE (PAGE 17)

THE Obuasi Municipal Assembly set a record when the election of Presiding Member (PM) being contested by two persons had to travel into a record five rounds before one of them was confirmed as duly elected by the 42-member assembly.
The voting for the two contestants, Mr J.F.K. Addai, an AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) representative in the assembly, (now an appointee) and Mr Benjamin Annang, the Assembly Member for Sanso and a social advocate, started after midday on Saturday and was supervised by the Electoral Commission.
Observers, however, had to wait for over six hours before Mr Annang threw in the towel for Mr Addai to poll 36 votes to occupy the PM seat.
He was later sworn into office by the Obuasi Circuit Court Judge, Mr Gilbert Ewusi Addo.
However, the President’s nominee for the post of Municipal Chief Executive, Mr John Alexander Kobina Ackon, received overwhelming endorsement of the assembly members.
Mr Ackon, who was born and bred in Obuasi, holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was formerly an employee of AGA, polled 36 votes with two against and four votes disqualified.
His endorsement was greeted with thunderous shouts of “Easy, easy!” by the enthusiastic crowd.
In his victory speech, he said the municipal assembly needed a unifier and with the unity among the members, he believed that the path would be clear.
He, therefore, urged them to unite solidly behind him and help to develop the municipality.
Mr Addai promised that as a former staff of AGA, he had a good relationship with the mining firm and would work hard to develop the communities.
He said he would invite all stakeholder; comprising chiefs, community leaders and AGA to a roundtable conference to find a lasting solution to the problems associated with galamsey.

OBUASI IRS PLANS TO EXCEED REVENUE TARGET (PAGE 47)

THE Obuasi Municipal Manager of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Mr A. M. A. Yakubu, has urged Ghanaians to honour their tax obligations.
According to him, since taxation was a source of revenue for governments worldwide, it was important for all to honour their social responsibility to enable the government to generate enough revenue for national development.
Mr Yakubu, who made the appeal announced that the IRS had targeted to collect GH¢3.5 million in the Obuasi Municipality this financial year, but added that the workers at the Obuasi office had resolved to raise the target to GH¢ 4.4 million.
On the performance of the IRS in the municipality, he indicated that in 2007, the service managed to collect GH¢2,257,382.41, against a target of GH¢1,776,261.56, representing an increase of GH¢481,120.85 or 27 per cent.
He said the service managed to bag GH¢ 2,798,773 last year, against a target of GH¢2,600,000, representing an increase of GH¢198,773, or eight per cent.
According to Mr Yakubu, the IRS had dedicated its fifth “Revenue Week”, which is on the theme, “Enhancing Tax Compliance: The Responsibility of the income-earning property owner”, to property owners.
“Rent has become a huge investment in the country, and we believe if we are able to tap into the rent business, it will go a long way to increase our tax base,” he told the Daily Graphic.
He commended members of staff in the Obuasi office for their efforts, and expressed the hope that the target set for the year would be exceeded.

NEW POULTRY FEED ENHANCER RECOMMENDED (BACK PAGE)

A TEAM of researchers from the Animal Science Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has recommended a new poultry feed enhancer to poultry farmers to improve general poultry performance.
They undertook studies using a livestock performance enhancer known as 3rd Generation Ruman Enhancer (RE3), an additive in poultry feeding to all classes of poultry birds for improved performance at lower cost.
It is a liquid chemical, manufactured by Basic Environmental Systems and Technology Incorporated (BEST) of Canada and approved by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) of Ghana.
The researchers made the recommendations when they talked about the product and its usefulness at a one-day workshop organised by the Ashanti Regional Directorate, in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) for poultry farmers.
Professor S. A. Osei of KNUST said poultry feed had become the single most important recurrent cost of producing broilers and eggs.
He said it was found during the research that all ingredients used in the preparation of RE3 were from natural sources and remained in their natural state.
He said no toxic chemicals were found to have been used in the preparation of RE3, adding it contained yeast, which produced acid to fight any plague that might attack the birds.
Prof. Osei stated that whenever the RE3 was added in the feed for the broilers and layers, it gave the advantage in terms of laying eggs, bodyweight and liveability, which in the end saved money.
Throwing light on the chemical, Prof. O. B. Okai said the enhancer was solely for broilers and layers, but not ducks or ostriches, adding that local research proved that replacing antibiotics with RE3 would save the farmer approximately US$485 per 1,000 layers.
A Research Scientist to the Canadian government at BEST, Dr John Baah, said mixing the enhancer, according to instructions for broilers or layers, yielded better results and reduced cost.

MP WORRIED ABOUT MOBILE PHONE USAGE BY DRIVERS (PAGE 35)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo-Ano North, Mr Richard Akuoko Adiyia, has expressed concern about the usage of mobile phones by drivers when they are behind the steering wheel.
He said he had made a statement on the issue on the floor of Parliament, since that was one of the major causes of accidents on the roads. 
Mr Adiyia expressed the concern in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi.
  He said the country could not ignore such an unseen contributory factor to the rising chain of accidents on the roads.
 Mr Adiyia stressed the need for the government to channel more resources into road safety campaigns since public education was also necessary to minimise the carnage on the roads.
The MP said even though he was aware that there was no statistics to prove that the use of mobile phones while driving had been a major cause of accidents, he knew the government loses US$165 million annually on medical expenses on accident victims, damaged vehicles and insurance costs, representing 1.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He paused to ask if making or receiving calls while driving could be a “friend or foe?”  
According to Mr Adiyia, some drivers boasted that they were able to combine mobile phone usage effectively while driving with hands freely on the gadgets without any eventualities.
Giving statistics of accidents recorded in the Ashanti Region by the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), he said in the first quarter of 2009, the region lost 469 lives through accidents as compared to 396 during the same period last year.
He said if such nasty trends continued in all the regions, within three years, half the population would have been lost.  
Mr Adiyia observed, “While we are looking for safe food to eat, we must equally look for safe vehicles to travel on.”
He advised travellers to carefully look at the condition of vehicles before boarding them.
Mr Adayia also urged motorists against fatigue, speeding, wrong overtaking and overloading, which were major causes of road accidents.

GHANAIANS URGED TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO NATIONAL DEV (PAGE 22)

THE General Overseer of the Caravan of Prayer Outreach Ministry, Pastor Johnson Briamah Seidu, has called on Ghanaians to commit themselves to the total development of the country.
He said freedom was necessary in human life but its achievement depended on the people and their commitment to national development.
He, therefore, stressed the need for all Ghanaians to work hard to move the country forward.
Pastor Seidu was preaching a sermon at his ministry, near the Kumasi High School. It was on the theme; Let us rise up and build.
Pastor Seidu called all Ghanaians to change their attitude and work relentlessly to rebuild the nation.
He recalled the biblical history when after the crucifixion of Jesus, the apostles prayed and cast a lot that fell on Matthias to replace Judas.
Pastor Seidu stated that since Ghanaians voted for a change, and has happened, they should all contribute their quota towards the reconstruction of the nation.
Prayers were said for the leaders of the nation and the country in general.
The congregation also prayed for drivers so that the carnage on our roads could cease.

CHRISTIANS URGED TO WIN MORE SOULS FOR CHRIST (PAGE 21)

A LECTURER at the University of Science and Technology, Very Rev. Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, has urged Christians to intensify their evangelism in order to win more souls for Christ.  
He advised Christians to go out into homes and on the streets to spread the gospel. 
Dr Boafo was speaking at a three-day seminar organised by Emmanuel Society of the Methodist Church in Kumasi.
He quoted Reverend John Wesley as saying that when he sent his followers out to evangelise, he told them not to do anything but to save souls. 
 Dr Boafo, who is a Doctor of Philosophy, reminded the participants never to be discouraged but should continue to offer prayers for the converts to take Christ as their Lord and their saviour.
  Dr Boafo charged Christians to exhibit the change the people were yearning.
He also admonished them to obey the law and with that new spirit, Ghanaians should work in unison to leave a better legacy for the future generation. 

HELP ELIMINATE CHILD SLAVERY (BACK PAGE)

THE Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alex Asum-Ahensah, has called on Ghanaians to join hands with the government to eradicate child slavery and trafficking.
He explained that while some children were lured from their parents and sexually abused, some were sold as slaves, with many more drafted to fight in wars.
Such activities, he said, “jeopardise their health and future education”, stressing, “Child prostitution and other forms of treatment to children must be promptly reported to the police for urgent action.”
Mr Asum-Ahensah made the call at the 2009 Easter School for Children in Kumasi on Monday.
The school, with the theme; “Growing child participation through service learning”, was attended by selected children from various parts of the country and other countries on the continent.
Mr Asum-Ahensah expressed the need to encourage children to make their views known on issues that affected them, saying promoting children’s participation on issues would ensure their growth and development.
The Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, said the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was an internationally agreed framework that ensured minimum standards for the well-being of the child.
It also promotes and protects the inherent dignity of every child.
She said it was important for society to devise measures that would promote the welfare of children to enable them to develop their potential fully.
Ms Dansua also emphasised the need to help children to better understand the concept of child rights to enable them to take informed decisions on issues that affected them.

MP WANTS PROJECTS COMPLETED IN AHAFO ANO NORTH (PAGE 16)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo Ano North Constituency, Mr Richard Akuoko Adiyia, has identified the upgrading of the Tepa District Hospital, solving the perennial water shortage and the tarring of about 28 kilometres of two major roads in the constituency as critical needs which call for immediate attention.
He said the district hospital was over-stretched by both out-patients and in-patients who patronised it, adding that people from as far as Goaso and beyond used the facility.
Mr Adiyia has, therefore, called on the government, the District Assembly, the Ministry of Health and the Traditional Council to expedite action on the ongoing expansion programme at the district hospital to relieve the people of their plight.
The two preliminary roads, he said, were from Anyinasuso to Asuhyeae, a stretch of about eight kilometres.
He said the roads become unmotorable whenever there was heavy rainfall and called on the government to expedite action to enable work on it to be completed on schedule.
The Member of Parliament said he observed during his tour of some towns that the roads had developed dangerous potholes with stagnant water, and pleaded that the seven-kilometre stretch be completed between six and eight months to facilitate easy movement of people and goods.
Some of the communities he visited included Mamfo, Asuhyeae, Tiwobabi, Fenobo and Achina, where he asked them to live a peaceful life and be each other’s keeper.
He urged them to co-operate with the government to work for the welfare of all to move the country forward.
Mr Adiyia also donated sporting equipment to some schools.
On water, he said the situation at Mabang and Akwasiase needed urgent solution, even though work on the project was ongoing, the snail pace movement made the lives of the people too cumbersome.
He appealed to the District Chief Executive to see to the early completion to relieve the people of their plight.

FARMERS SUPPORT SWOLLEN SHOOT ERADICATION PROJECT (PAGE 28)

Cocoa farmers in the Wassa-Akropong area of the Western Region say they will co-operate fully with the Cocoa Swollen Shoots Virus Disease (CSSVD) Control Unit to eradicate the disease which is having a toll on their farms.
They said their yields had dwindled as a result of the disease so it was important for them to team up with the unit to prevent further destruction.
The assurance was given when officers from the unit (formerly known as Cocoa Services Division), paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the area, Kasapreko Kwame Bassanyin III, at his palace to introduce the newly posted officers to the area to him.
Mr Francis Antwi-Adjei, the acting Manager for the Western-South sector of the region, said cocoa trees, like any other fruit-bearing tree could be attacked by disease as they grew, adding that without proper maintenance and care the virus could spread and farms in that particular area could be destroyed.
He urged the farmers to impress on their caretakers to welcome the officers who would undertake the exercise and co-operate with them to eradicate the virus from the district,
He said once the virus had been discovered the only option was to destroy the trees to stop it from spreading to neighbouring farms.
“Since it is a virus, it can spread and within five years all cocoa trees in the area will be attacked,” he said.
Mr Antwi-Adjei stated that the government had an incentive package for farmers to replant and maintain their farms till their plants started bearing fruits.
He indicated that it had been the intention of the government to put money in the pockets of farmers hence the introduction of the mass cocoa spraying exercise.
He explained that it was not advisable to plant raw seedlings in between the affected areas since the virus would affect the healthy trees.
Mr Manu Adabor, Cartographic Manager of CSSVD, said the farms would be surveyed with a new Global Position System (GPS) and divided into sectors and blocks to ensure that all the affected trees were removed.
He assured the farmers that the survey would also help them to know the amount of chemicals to be applied for a block or sector.
The Executive Director of CSSVD, Mr F.E. Nsiah, commended the chiefs for their preparedness to make the programme a success.
He said the work was quite cumbersome but his men would prove equal to the task.
The chiefs complained about the delay in the payment, and sometimes non-payment of compensation to farmers.
Also, they wanted all the produce from the area to be sold to cocoa merchants there instead of selling them in different regions.
They maintained that since such practices existed, they were usually under-supplied with inputs to maintain their farms and cited the mass spraying as an example.

PROF ADEI UNHAPPY WITH BOARDS (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 10)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

THE immediate past Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration [GIMPA], Professor Stephen Adei, has observed that the widespread ineffectiveness of boards, especially in the public sector, has contributed terribly to undermining Ghana’s development.
He said the challenges faced by many otherwise giant institutions leading to the collapse of some companies such as the Ghana Airways could be traced directly to bad corporate governance practices in this country.
Among the causes of the poor performance of boards in Ghana, he said, were the appointment of board members for the wrong reasons and not on the basis of their orientation and training.
He also cited undue interventions by appointing authorities in the day-to-day work of boards leading to lack of independence, virtual absence of performance monitoring and evaluation of boards.
Also, conflict of interest and even corruption including collusion between executive and non-executive directors, poor official remuneration of board members and weak enforcement of laws regarding boards, had all contributed to the situation.
Prof. Adei made the statement when he addressed the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology [KNUST] School of Business’ maiden Business Week celebration.
It was on the theme “Corporate Governance in Ghana; Emerging Issues”.
Prof. Adei observed that the key purpose of a board was to ensure the organisation’s prosperity by directing the company’s affairs while meeting the appropriate interest of its shareholders and relevant stakeholders’.
He said for boards to discharge their responsibilities well, it was required that people who offer themselves and were appointed to boards and councils were competent in terms of skills and experience.
In his welcoming address, the president of the KNUST School of Business Students Association, Mr Theophilus Kofi Anyanful, paid glowing tribute to past and present Vice Chancellors for their visionary leadership, which had moved the school from the times it was only a Department to date
Dr Eva Tagoe Darko, Lecturer at the School, urged the students to take their lessons seriously to achieve their goals of leaving the university as people with great minds.
“Use your books and dictionaries than the sophiscated phones,” he advised.

PARENTS ASKED TO ASSIST SCHOOL MANAGEMENT (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 10)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

REVEREND Stephen Mathyrs Acquah, the Director of the Gonzalez Educational Complex in Kumasi, has asked parents to assist school management boards to provide quality education at the basic level.
He noted that the critical challenge of education in the country was to make basic education more effective.
Rev Acquah made the remarks on Sunday at the climax of the first anniversary celebration of the school.
The anniversary had the theme, ‘Focusing on Child Training Technology’.
Rev Acquah said teaching was not an easy work but with the cooperation of parents and other stakeholders, teachers would be motivated enough to give of their best to lay a solid foundation for the children entrusted in their care.
“Without fortified foundation at the basic level, whatever system you adopt in teaching will not be successful,” he stressed.
He said the Gonzalez School needed parents’ assistance to train the children in Information Communication Technology [ICT] and also put up a permanent school block and provide logistics for the school.
The chairman of the school’s PTA, Mr Mark Asare Donkor, said education was very expensive throughout the world but parents should think of its benefits and invest in their children to become responsible future leaders.
He called for effective coordination between parents and school authorities to enhance sustainable growth of the children.
Mr Donkor pleaded with the school board to fence the campus to protect the children from going outside.
The Director of Ghana Inland Mission, Rev E.K Basoah, said parents should go the extra mile to train children to take the mantle of leadership in the future.
He advised parents to attend church services with their children and not to leave them behind.

STEALING AT POLICE BARRACKS (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 3)

By Collins Agyekum Gyasi, Kumasi.

EVEN in the midst of the scores of men and women of the police at the Dichemso Police Barracks in Kumasi, some young men had the courage to go to the barracks to steal.
Luck, however, run out for them when they were arrested but this was after one of them had inflicted cutlass wounds on the policeman who arrested him.
A Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced one of them, Nicholas Ayirensah. 20, to 15 years jail term for organising and taking part in the stealing of some items from the barracks.
He pleaded guilty to the charges of unlawful entry, stealing and causing unlawful harm preferred against him when he appeared before the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amoh Yartey.
His two accomplices, Victor Awonbigo Aramba, who claimed to be a student of Ghana National Academy, Kumasi, and Ibrahim Awudu, a 19-year-old petty trader, were however remanded into prison custody.
The two pleaded not guilty to the charges of unlawful entry and conspiracy to steal when they appeared before the court.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Archibald Kwasi Fandoh, said on February 10, this year, the convict and his accomplices went to the Dichemso Police barracks around 1.20 a.m. by scaling over a wall at the compound of the barracks.
He said they were carrying a sharp dagger, a pair of scissors, pliers and four mobile phone chargers as well as an unserviceable mobile phone when they entered the barracks.
Chief Inspector Yartey said on entering the police barracks, they expertly used the knife and scissors to open one of the rooms to steal
In the process, the complainant in the case, District Sergeant Major [DSM] Francis Yirenkyi, spotted them and enquired of what they were doing.
On hearing the voice of the DSM, the three took to their heels but the complainant succeeded in arresting Nicholas who attempted to scale over the fence wall.
In the process of arresting Nicholas Ayirensah, he pulled out the knife and slashed the forehead of the complainant, his left arm and back.
The prosecutor said some concerned neighbours and policemen who arrived there assisted in arresting the convict and sent him to the police station.
During police investigations, Nicholas confessed that they went there to steal and mentioned Aramba and Awudu as his accomplices, and led police to arrest them in different houses at Moshie Zongo.

WORKSHOP ON BEST PRACICES FOR FARMERS (PAGE 28)

FARMERS have been urged to adopt best practices in the application of crop care products on their farms.
The Technical Support and Development Manager of Golden Stork Limited, a registered importer and distributor of crop-care products, Mr Patrick Dewatre, who made the call, said poor application of the products could be harmful to the crops and the people who consume the farm products.
He was addressing about 60 participants across the country at a day’s workshop for its clients and distributors in Kumasi to showcase its products to the farming public, and to teach them the best application of its chemicals.
Golden Stork Ltd based in Tema is a subsidiary of the French company, SCPA Sivex International (SSI) in Paris, which operates in seven African countries including Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroun and Burkina Faso.
Mr Dewatre said farmers must always go for better results and they could do that when they adopted approved methods of farming.
‘To identify a product, look for the trademark, active ingredient, content and the type of formula and its origin because there are several imitated chemical products on the markets,” he said.
Currently, four of Golden Stork products on the Ghanaian market are insecticides, weed killers, fertilizer and pesticide which kill sucking pests like white flies, and scales and those in the soil such as termites and ants.
Other members of the company at the function were Mr Didier Gonsolin, Business Manager, (Agric Products), Messrs William Nuamah and Stephen Tour, both Agronomists (Fertilizers and Agro-chemicals respectively).

TEACHERS URGED TO ASSESS STUDENTS REGULARLY (PAGE 11)

THE Head of the Research Department of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr Joshua J. K. Baku, has urged teachers to assess their students regularly to enable them to focus on their academic programmes.
He said continuous assessment of students enabled them to appreciate their standards and improve upon their weaknesses and also help boost their confidence especially during their final examinations instead of relying on foreign materials.
Mr Baku gave the advice during the first Ashanti Regional WAEC seminar in Kumasi, which was organised by WAEC and attended by teachers and students from selected senior high schools (SHSs) in the Kumasi metropolis and its environs.
He described assessment as a technique to promote improvement in education in a holistic way and called on teachers and organisations involved in the assessment of students to appreciate its role in the education curricula and include it in their programmes.
Mr A. Owusu-Achiaw, Headmaster of Prempeh College, who chaired the programme, advised teachers to make assessment a priority and consider it an integral part of education.
He also urged them to endeavour to standardise the assessment of their students through class and group work and also offer them deserving marks to enable the students to concentrate on their academic programmes.

WORKSHOP ON BURULI ULCER (PAGE 43)

A FIVE-DAY training programme on early detection and reporting of Buruli ulcer has been held for focal persons in Amansie Central District, one of the most endemic areas of the disease in the Ashanti Region.
There were 240 focal persons in attendance. The programme was organised by Health Foundation of Ghana (HFG), a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), with support from Fontilles Lucha Contra La Lepra, a Spanish NGO, while the National Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NBUCP), the Amansie Central District Assembly, the District Health Directorate and the Ghana Education Service (GES) were collaborators.
The participants included 80 community-based surveillance volunteers, 80 school health educational programme co-ordinators, 40 community health workers and 40 members of staff of St Peter’s Hospital at Jacobu.
Since 2005, new cases of Buruli ulcer totalling 3,033 have been recorded nation-wide.
The programme was to equip the participants with skills and knowledge to detect and also report Buruli ulcer at its early stages and increase awareness of the disease through information, education and communication.
As part of its programme, Health Foundation Ghana would additionally undertake public education in selected communities and provide medical and theatre support for the district’s Buruli ulcer referral centre at Jacobu.
The HFG has been associated with Buruli ulcer in the Amansie area since 1996 when they undertook research into the treatment of the disease at St Martins Hospital at Agroyesum.
Between 2002 and 2008, the NGO trained over 750 community health volunteers, teachers and health workers in a number of districts who in turn undertook various activities in connection with the disease in their respective communities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony at Jacobu, the Country Director of HFG, Mrs Lynda Arthur, stressed the need to remove the myths and stigma associated with the disease.
Participants at the training programme were informed that Buruli ulcer is covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme and urged to them report to the recognised health facilities anywhere in the country for treatment.
She urged health professionals and other health workers in the country to be abreast of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) current treatment recommendations for the disease to enable them to disseminate vital information to affected families and communities.
Mrs Arthur commended Fontilles for the support to Buruli ulcer endemic communities in the country.
The Amansie District Co-ordinating Director, Mr Matthew Tay, pledged the district assembly’s support to fight the disease.
Mr Charles Yeboah, a representative of the NBUCP, was confident that the efforts to control the disease would yield positive results because of the multi-sectoral approach adopted in the district.
The District Director of Health Services, Madam Agnes Adu, gave the assurance that her outfit was poised to team up with other stakeholders to control the disease.

5 TO CONTEST COUNCIL OF STATE IN ASHANTI REGION (PAGE 13)

FIVE people in the Ashanti Region, including a 75-year-old renowned industrialist, Mr Akenten Appiah-Minkah, are contesting for the slot of a regional representative to the Council of State.
The Deputy Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) in the Ashanti Region, Mr Isaac Owusu, said 10 people picked up nomination forms, but at the close of nominations on January 27, 2009, only five of the candidates had duly filed and returned their forms to the EC.
The rest of the candidates were Rev. George Antwi, 63, Senior Pastor of the Living Hope Baptist Church at Odum, Kumasi; Nana Asiama Poku Afrifa, 71, a traditional ruler and farmer from Toase; Mr Joseph Alexander Sarkodie Tuffuor, 77, Member of Parliament for Subin Constituency in 1992, who is a general contractor and farmer, and Mr Kwame Gyawu-Kyem, 82, a former Editor of the Ghanaian Times and Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima in 1992.
Speaking on the rules of the game, Mr Owusu said the Constitutional Instrument on the regional representation on the Council of State allows a person from a particular region to stand for election as a member of the Council of State.
He quoted the instrument, saying a non-Ghanaian was not qualified to be elected as a representative to the council.
"The person must be a registered voter, resident in or hail from the region from which he seeks representation."
Again, he explained that a candidate must be someone who had not been disqualified to stand for national elections or disqualified to hold or act in any public office.

PARENTS MUST SUPPORT SCHOOL BOARDS (PAGE 11)

THE Director of the Gonzalez Educational Complex in Kumasi, Reverend Stephen Acquah, has asked parents to support school management boards to provide quality education, particularly at the basic level.
Rev Acquah noted that the critical challenge of education in the country was to make basic education more effective.
He made the remarks in Kumasi in connection with the first anniversary celebration of the school on the theme, 'Focusing on Child Training Technology'.
Rev Acquah said teaching is not an easy job but with the co-operation of parents and other stakeholders, teachers would be motivated to offer their best to lay a solid foundation for the children entrusted to their care.
'Without a fortified foundation at the basic level, whatever system you adopt in teaching will not be successful', he stressed.
He said the Gonzalez School needed the assistance of parents to train the children in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and also to put up a permanent school block and provide logistics for the school.
For his part, the Chairman of the school's Parent -Teacher Association (PTA), Mr Mark Asare Donkor, said education was very expensive all over the world but parents should think of its benefits and invest in their children and help them to become responsible people in the future.
Mr Donkor pleaded with the school board to fence the campus to protect the children from going outside.
The Director of Ghana Inland Mission, Rev E.K. Basoah, said parents should go the extra mile to train their children to take the mantle as future leaders.
He advised that parents should not leave their children at home when going to church, but make it a habit to always go with them.

WATER COMPANY ASSURES RESIDENTS OF KUMASI (PAGE 29, JAN 26)

THE Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has assured residents of Kumasi that water shortage in the metropolis will become a thing of the past when rehabilitation work on the Barekese and Owabi headwork is completed.
The company, therefore, appealed to consumers to exercise patience as repair work on the machines progressed. The rehabilitation work is expected to be completed by October this year.
This was made known by Mr Asoga Haruna, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the company, in Kumasi.
He said the 38 million euros expansion project being undertaken by Taysec Limited would improve the daily supply of water, explaining that six million gallons of water would be added to increase the water supplied from both the Barekese and the Owabi headwork to 27 million gallons daily.
Mr Haruna noted that the company’s inability to supply water to all parts of the metropolis was the result of low pressure and leakage that prevented suburbs in hilly areas from getting water regularly, while other areas got water very late in the night
He said some of the machines were old and weak, adding that the company was managing the situation through rationing.
“About three months ago we had a breakdown but we could not get spare parts to repair the machines because the company we bought the equipment from is no longer producing the parts,” he told the Daily Graphic.
He, however, indicated that two of the lines had been serviced and were functioning, while work on the third was progressing steadily.
He said new pipelines were also being laid in areas that hitherto were not covered to make water available to all.

GHANA POST OFFICIALS WANT THREE TOP OFFICIALS TO RESIGN (PAGE 14)

WORKERS of the Ghana Post Company in Kumasi have embarked on a one-day sit-down strike to press home their demand for the resignation of the managing director (MD) and two other top management members.
They are also demanding the dissolution of the company's board of directors for “woefully failing to perform its duties”.
The call on the three to "resign honourably" was made by the divisional executive council of the Ghana Post division of the communication workers union of the Ghana Trades Union Congress on December 23, 2008.
The three, Mr Kofi Dua-Adonteng, the MD, Mr Kena Ofori Attah, General Manager (Finance) and Mr Seth Obeng, General Manager (Financial Services) have been accused of failure to discharge their duties, thus creating difficulties for the company.
According to the workers, Mr Dua-Adonteng has awarded contracts to himself without recourse to laid-down procedures.
They also alleged that there was overemployment and underutilisation of some staff in the company.
The workers further said due to mismanagement, some quality products of the company had been phased out of the system, citing phone cards and sale of passport forms.
According to them, when the MD assumed office in 2004, the company had surplus revenue of GH¢600,000, but it was currently indebted to the tune of GH¢7,500,000.
Again, Mr Dua-Adonteng was accused of taking action to consider the payments of retirees' benefits and staff legitimate claims.
Mr Obeng was, on the other hand, accused of seriously mismanaging the instant money transfer (IMT) business, resulting in the less GH¢3,365.00.
When the Daily Graphic called on the Ashanti Regional Director, Mr Yaw Addo Larbi, he declined to comment, with the explanation that he was not at post when the Kumasi staff embarked on the sit-down strike.
However, he stated that some amount of money had been released for the payment of staff claims and other benefits, while other concerns were under consideration.

STOP ATTACKS ON NPP SUPPORTERS...Nana Akufo-Addo appeals to NDC supporters (SPREAD)

NANA Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP presidential candidate for the 2008 presidential election, has called on President John E.A. Mills and the NDC hierarchy to as a matter of urgency advise their supporters to stop the attacks on NPP sympathisers.
He expressed regret that even in defeat, NPP supporters were suffering insults, attacks and threats under a democratic dispensation.
"This is a serious cause of concern for us and indeed all Ghanaians who cherish peace, unity and development," he said.
Addressing a large number of party supporters at the Dwabrem of the Ghana National Cultural Centre in Kumasi last Monday, Nana Akufo-Addo said "violence in this moment of jubilation is not healthy for our fledgling democracy".
Nana Akufo-Addo was in the Ashanti Region to thank the party supporters for the massive support they gave to the NPP in the last elections.
Some of the supporters carried placards some of which read, 'Yenya wo so, Nana' [No other person but you]. 'No shake for Nana, come 2012', and 'Another stolen verdict',
He said patience had its limit and if NDC supporters continued to stretch the violence, "that ugly situation would not enable us to work hand in hand to move our motherland forward".
"God has blessed Ghana and still blessing Ghana. But what we make of such blessing will depend on us.
"If we decide to do things our own way and allow such issues to lure us into submitting to do wrong, we should remember it will affect all of us and our dear country," he said.
In his company were some NPP top members including Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Mr Dan Botwe, Mr Lord Commey and the immediate past Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr E.A. Owusu Ansah.
Nana Akufo-Addo thanked the people of the Ashanti Region for rooting solidly behind him and the party.
He appealed for calm and patience, stressing that the party would bounce back in 2012.
'"God bless all of you who voted for us. By His Grace we shall come back," he said.
He, however, advised the supporters to be on the lookout against the propaganda work of the NDC in order not to be swayed from the NPP.
"Four years is not far from us. It will soon catch up with us. Stand firm and pray," he advised.
Touching on unification of the party, he said divisions within the party could cost them greatly but unity, the essence of love, fellow feeling and safety would be their cherished possession.