FAKE FILM DIRECTOR JAILED FOR STEALING (MIRROR, DEC 31, 2010, PAGE 21)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.

A KUMASI Circuit Court has convicted a self-styled movie director who craftily managed to deceive a student and succeeded in bolting away with her Laptop and a mobile phone.
James Kelvin Asante, pleaded not guilty to stealing the items valued at GH¢1,520 but was found guilty by the court.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, the Police Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei, said Asante, lived in Accra and on September 13, last year, approached a witness in the case, Ms Benelyn Ofei, a student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), that he needed someone to play an acting role in a film he was working on.
Ms Ofei, who looked at the story with a cold attitude, called in her roommate, the complainant, to meet the convict if she was interested.
The prosecutor said the complainant, after hearing the story from Asante, showed interest to feature in the said film and said that she was ready to play any role.
Asante allegedly told the complainant that one Yvonne Forson had disappointed him (Asante), hence his desire to look for a substitute actress.
The prosecutor said: “ The convict directed her (the complainant) to bring along her laptop and phone so that he could copy the script onto the laptop for her to study it. With regard to the phone, he purported to store his number on it for her to give him a call if she encountered any difficulty.”
On the complainant’s return with the items, Asante allegedly collected them and sent her to meet some film stars at the Unity Hall and sign an entry form. She rushed to the Hall but met none of the alleged film stars.
Ms Baffour-Kyei said the complainant returned to report to Asante but he too had disappeared with her laptop and the Nokia phone.
She said three days later, she saw Asante on the university campus and reported the matter to the KNUST Security personnel who arrested and handed him over to the KNUST police. After investigations, he was charged with the crime.

ANTOA POLICE TO GET PERMANENT STRUCTURES (PAGE 22, DEC 29, 2010)

THE Antoa Traditional Council is constructing permanent structures for the Antoa Police Station in the Ashanti Region at a cost of GH¢150,000.
Police personnel in the town have operated in rented premises since 1961 so the traditional authorities released a 27-acre piece land for the project.
In a speech read on behalf of the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Patrick Timbilla at the sod-cutting ceremony, he urged the people to volunteer information about suspected criminals to the police.
He said that was one sure way of checking crime, stressing that the police were not magicians to get to the bottom of every crime without public support.
Mr Timbillah said policing everywhere depended on information, giving the assurance that police personnel could perform very well upon accurate information given them.
He said it was everybody’s civic duty to inform the police on the activities and movements of criminals within the communities.
Mr Timbillah observed that in recent times, armed robbers had turned their attention on the highways with most of the fugitives and their tricks being imported.
He, therefore, warned the public not to keep more monies at home.
The regional commander expressed the service’s appreciation to the chief of Antoa, Nana Kwame Owusu Agyeman, the queen and elders of the town for their great assistance in helping to create a harmonious society.
He urged the general public and organisations to emulate the leadership examples of the chief and his people to help the police in the execution of their responsibilities.
The Kwabre East District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Adams Iddrissu, enumerated the numerous projects executed by the chief and his elders for the community.
He said the Antoa community had been very popular on the lips of people throughout the country and everything necessary would be done to raise the living standard of the people.
On behalf of the district assembly, the DCE pledged 200 bags of cement towards the project.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Kofi Frimpong gave the assurance that the 14-kilometre road from the town to Kumasi had been awarded on contract for reconstruction.
He pledged to provide all the roofing sheets needed to complete the police station.
Earlier in a welcoming address, Nana Owusu Agyeman said the completion of the station would ensure that most of the social vices such as drug peddling, gambling and truancy among school children in the area would stop.
He made request for the youth of the town to be considered for enlistment into the Ghana Police Service.

LET 2011 BE YEAR OF PROSPERITY...House of Chiefs urges Ghanaians (PAGE 12, DEC 27, 2010)

THE National House of Chiefs has noted that political insults had the tendency to create chaos or anarchy in the country.
While hailing the country’s democratic dispensation, the House described as unfortunate the use of insulting language against political opponents in recent times.
It has, therefore, called on all and sundry to ensure that there is decency in the political environment.
In a New Year message signed by the Registrar of the house, Mr S.R Takyi, on behalf of the Wulugu Naba Pugansoa Naa, Prof. John S. Nabila, the House urged all Ghanaians to unite and pray so that 2011 would usher the country into a period of prosperity.
The House commended all chiefs in the country for their support during 2010 and prayed that the House would continue to receive the necessary support and encouragement to deliver in the coming year.
It commended the government and the nation’s gallant farmers for the successful Farmers’ Day celebration at Somanya in the Eastern Region.
The chiefs also thanked God for the peaceful celebration of the major festivals, such as Good Friday, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha as well as the peaceful Hajj.
Nananom stated that Christmas was the revelation of God’s love to mankind.
Consequently, they called on Ghanaians to extend love to their neighbours.

AFARI GYAN INTERACTS WITH ORGANISATIONS (NSEMPA, PAGE 10, DEC 20, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

THE CHAIRMAN of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, has expressed optimism that the December 28, 2010 District Level Elections (DLE) would definitely take place as scheduled.
Interacting with District Officers of the Electoral Commission (EC), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) as well as the Information Services Department (ISD) in Kumasi on their respective responsibilities to ensure the success of the DLE, Dr Afari, assured them, “we can hold the elections; We can tell the people that we can.”
Speaking on the theme ‘Harnessing The Resources Of EC, NCCE and ISD for improved citizen participation in the 2010 DLE”, he said he had been yearning to see an amendment in the Act 473 District Assembly Act 1994, which restricted platform mounting to introduce candidates as the sole prerogative of the EC.
He commended the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Yileh Chireh, for has efforts towards the amendment.
Dr Afari Gyan explained that Act 801, currently liberalised platform mounting in two major ways; it allows candidates to mount their own platforms, in addition to those mounted by the EC.
It also allows organisations not associated with any political party to support the EC in cash or kind for the purpose of mounting a platform for the common use of candidates.
Currently, LI 1967 has reduced the membership of Unit Committees from 15 to five elected ones.
It also reduces the number of Unit Committees from 15,000 to 6,135 Dr Gyan explained that instead of the 10 previously elected to form a Unit Committee, only five would be elected.
Dr Afari advised the electorates to elect the most suitable, intelligent and serious minded candidates to facilitate development at the grassroots.

EPA HOLDS FORUM FOR 17 COMMUNITIES (NSEMPA, PAGE 10, DEC 20, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Konongo

THE Ashanti office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has organised a day’s public forum for the regulators of all the 17 communities that would be affected by the mining activities of the Owere Mines Limited (OML) at the Jubilee Park at Konongo Odumasi in the Asante Akyem North District of Ashanti.
The forum was to come out with an official communiqué issued by the custodians of the land on the impact and benefits from the project.
Chiefs, elders and representatives of the communities attended it. Also present were representatives from the Minerals Commission, Mines Department, Ministry of Science and Technology, Lands and Forestry and Water Resources Commission.
Mr Osei Bonsu, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), urged the chiefs in the operational area to come together and prepare a communiqué, which could be beneficial to their communities rather than each community coming out with its own proposal.
He said since their grandfathers could not protect the minerals but gave them out to the ‘white men’, now all the fertile lands, cocoa, timber and others were not yeilding therequired income while the whites had preserved theirs in large quantities for posterity.
Mr Osei Bonsu advised them to remember what mining operations had bequeathed on some of the communities since the last 100 years and compare their findings before coming out with a concrete decision.
“You must think of the community and the people and not your individual welfare. Think of what lies ahead and what the future holds or looks like. Think of what the children in the next 100 years will live on before you come to a conclusion; or they will blame you,” he cautioned, stressing that they should think through these before coming out with a decision.
The MCE said companies, in the past, had failed to deliver on their promises and warned the management of OML to adhere strictly to its corporate norms and practices within its time frame in the municipality.
Mr Roger Bannister, Project Manager, speaking on the OML’s policy towards the protection of the environment, said the company was in the process of acquiring an environmental permit from the EPA. however, the project would be a typical open pit mine, using conventional equipment and mining with local mining contractors in the country. He promised that the company would strictly conform to recommended practices.
The first phase, according to Mr Bannister, a.k.a Asante Agyeman, involves excavating and treatment of old Konongo tailings, cutting back on some existing mined-out pits to reach ‘deeper for the ore material’, stressed it would mostly be centered around already disturbed or mined areas with little or no additional areas.
“ We will use recommended practice by stripping off top soil, stockpiling and appropriately labelling them prior to excavation, while processing would involve crushing, grinding and the use of Carbon In Leach (CIL), treatment method in the first two to three years.
“Monitoring bores will be installed at specific points to monitor quality and possible impact on underground water, while trench for the pipeline from plant to Tailing Storage Facility (TSF) will be lined with HDPE (tarpaulin) liner to contain leakage and protect underground water.” he stated.
Mr Ransford Sekyi, the Regional EPA Officer and chairman for the occasion, said the concession would cover about 126 kilometres, while work would commence on about 200hectres of Greenfield, which would include 80 kilometres of the old sites at Odumasi and Obenimase.
He said work would start with three old pits and appealed to the communities not to encroach upon the land because they want compensation.
The Owere Mines Limited is a Ghanaian-Australian owned company, which was incorporated by African Gold in joint ventureship with Talos Ghana Limited. The OML has been engaged in exploration and care maintenance and an initial mine study phase was completed in May, this year.

ANGLOGOLD MD COMMENDS MINE UNION (NSEMPA, PAGE 10, DEC 20, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Obuasi

THE Managing Director of Anglo Gold Ashanti (Obuasi Mine), Mr Kwesi Enyan, has commended the Obuasi branch of the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) for its immense support in the operations of the company.
He said the union, as one of the company’s social partners has generally supported the management of the mine through both difficult and happy times.
Mr Enyan gave the commendation at the official sod-cutting ceremony to mark the start of a two-phase construction of a basic school complex at Anyinam, a suburb of Obuasi.
The school, estimated to cost GH¢960.000 will have two-storey blocks, a pre-school block, primary and junior high school (JHS) classrooms to accommodate 40 pupils each for a start, while an administration, an ICT centre and a library block would take off in the next phase.
Mr Enyan entreated the union executives to continue partnering management in their quest to turn the fortunes of the mine around especially in the areas of safety efficiency improvement as well as checking stealing of company property including high-grade ore and concentrates at plant sites.
He said the single most important part of mining was not the ore but the safety of miners.
Mr Prince William Ankrah, General Secretary (GMWU), commended the Obuasi branch for placing high premium on human capital investment and offering quality basic education to their wards and children.
Mr John Kobina Ackon, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Obuasi, praised the cordial relationship between the management, union and workers and said the initiative of the union would influence of the schoolchildren to fight against diseases and reduce increasing congestion in the existing schools.
Mr Johnny Owusu-Boadi, the Municipal Director of Education, commended teachers and students for their hard work, before this year’s BECE results in which the school came first nationwide and hoped they would keep up their performance in the succeeding years.

RATIFY ILO CONVENTION 176 (NSEMPA, PAGE 10, DEC 20, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Obuasi

THE Ghana mine workers union (GMWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has urged the government to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 176 on safety in the mines, which was adopted on June 22, 1995, at the 82nd Session of the ILO General Conference at Geneva.
Brother Prince William Ankrah, General Secretary of GMWU, regretted that since 1995 when the convention was adopted no government in the country had ratified it, even though it is central to eusuring decent work in an industry, which had occupational safety and health hazards as its main challenges.
Bro. Ankrah was flanked by Bro. John Kwadwo Brempong, National Chairman, and some executive members from both the national and Obuasi branches of the GMWU.
“Convention 176 provides the necessary basis for a sustainable the mining industry that ensures that its workers return from their workplaces safe and healthy and that companies can attract and retain workers.” he emphasised.
He observed that the convention defined mining to cover surface or underground sites where exploration for minerals that involve the mechanical disturbance of the ground, extraction of minerals, preparation, including crushing, grinding, concentration or washing of the extracted material and all machinery, equipment, appliances, plant, buildings and civil engineering structures were used in conjunction with these activities.
Bro. Ankrah said existing mining regulations were biased against miners except Convention 176 that seeks to protect the health, safety and welfare of the miners.
Mining, he observed, has resuscitated the country’s economy and, therefore, it was time for the establishment of effective procedures to ensure the implementation of the rights of workers and their representatives to be consulted on matters and to participate in measures relating to safety and health at the workplaces, among other things, adding that serious mining nations had long adopted the convention.
The convention, in part, mandates the employer to assess all risks and deal with them in the following order of priority: eliminate risk, control the risk at source, minimise the risk by means that include the design of safe work systems and insofar as the risk remains. The employer also has to provide for the use of personal, protective equipment, having regard to what is reasonable, practical and feasible to good practice and the exercise of due diligence.
He said workers, under the convention, had the right to report accidents, dangerous occurrences and hazards to the employer and to competent authority, and request and obtain attention where there was cause for concern on safety and health grounds.
In like manner, the workers have the duty of complying with prescribed safety and health measures, taking reasonable care for their own safety and health and that of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work.
Concluding, Bro Ankrah said “a member that has ratified the convention may denounce it after the expiration of 10 years from the date on which the convention came into force by an act communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration.”

COURT JAILS MAN FOR UNLAWFUL ENTRY, STEALING (PAGE 3, NSEMPA, DEC 20, 2010)

ACollins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

A Kumasi Circuit Court sentenced an Anwomaso-based fitter, Atta Bobbie, to a 24-month jail term when he appeared before the court presided by Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey on charges of unlawful entry and stealing GH¢ 900.00 at Anwomaso, a suburb of Kumasi.
Briefing the court on the case, Chief Inspector Rejoice Sumatu said the accused lived in the same town with a nephew to the complainant, who is a driver.
On November 27, this year the complainant was in the house of a friend, one Mr Darko when Atta paid them a visit. Whilst there, he told his friend that he had left an amount of GH¢900.00 in his room and so Darko should lock the doors when he was ready to leave. This instruction was head by the accused person.
Chief Inspector Sumatu stated that a few minutes after Darko left, Bobbie said goodbye and sneaked out to his uncle’s residence from where he scaled the wall into the yard.
“The accused checked out the yard of the house, found a ladder which helped him climb to the ceiling and finally entered the room where the money was kept. He then pocketed it and left the town,” the prosecutor stated.
The prosecutor said the complainant returned to the house a day after only to realise that the money was not there and immediately confronted his friend, Darko, but he denied any knowledge of the missing money.
From his friend’s house, the complainant suspected it could be his nephew who had stolen the money so he lodged a complaint with the police at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
On December 4, 2010, the complainant rushed to the police and said he had had information that Bobbie was at a funeral at Onwe-Ejisu and with their assistance, the latter was arrested.
In his cautioned statement, he denied committing the offence but later changed his mind and admitted the offence. The money has since been refunded to the complainant.

I USE PISTOL FOR MY BUSINESS (NSEMPA, PAGE 3, DEC 20, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum Gyasi, Kumasi

A KUMASI Circuit Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey has sentenced a 19-year-old man to two-and-half years in prison with hard labour for illegal possession of firearms.
Akwasi Bentum, who completed junior high school (JHS) at Esereso, near Kumasi, four years ago, pleaded guilty with the explanation, that he used the locally manufactured pistol for his “business”.
Presenting the facts to the crowded court, Chief Inspector Nana C. K. Fosu, said on October 14, this year, an Oforikrom-based community protection assistant and
neighbourhood watchdog committee members, assisted the Oforikrom police to arrest the convict who had taken undue advantage of the darkness to snatch bags and mobile phones from people along the Aboabo stream at Anloga Junction.
Early on, Nana Fosu told the court that the police had received distressed calls that some young men had been attacking people with locally manufactured pistols and when they succeeded in robbing their victims they often dived into the stream and swam away with their booty.
He said armed with the information, the police and other public organisations kept surveillance and detailed men on foot patrols around the area. The police had further advised the general public to inform the security agencies any time they suspected someone with questionable character loitering in their area.
Chief Inspector Fosu said it was during one of such operations that Bentum and one other person at large were confronted. While his accomplice managed to escape, the convict unsuccessfully struggled to free himself but he was overpowered and arrested.
An on-the-spot search on Bentum yielded a locally manufactured pistol and a live cartridge loaded in the chamber of the pistol.
In his cautioned statement, the convict claimed ownership of the pistol and said he had been using it for his business.
Pressed for further explanation, he said he used it to scare forest guards on inspection in the bush. “I fire the gun to warn them (illegal chainsaw operators) to be wary of the approach of guards and take cover.”
When he was asked if he had a license, Bentum replied that his license was with his master.

I USE PISTOL FOR MY BUSINESS (NSEMPA, PAGE 3, DEC 20, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum Gyasi, Kumasi

A KUMASI Circuit Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey has sentenced a 19-year-old man to two-and-half years in prison with hard labour for illegal possession of firearms.
Akwasi Bentum, who completed junior high school (JHS) at Esereso, near Kumasi, four years ago, pleaded guilty with the explanation, that he used the locally manufactured pistol for his “business”.
Presenting the facts to the crowded court, Chief Inspector Nana C. K. Fosu, said on October 14, this year, an Oforikrom-based community protection assistant and
neighbourhood watchdog committee members, assisted the Oforikrom police to arrest the convict who had taken undue advantage of the darkness to snatch bags and mobile phones from people along the Aboabo stream at Anloga Junction.
Early on, Nana Fosu told the court that the police had received distressed calls that some young men had been attacking people with locally manufactured pistols and when they succeeded in robbing their victims they often dived into the stream and swam away with their booty.
He said armed with the information, the police and other public organisations kept surveillance and detailed men on foot patrols around the area. The police had further advised the general public to inform the security agencies any time they suspected someone with questionable character loitering in their area.
Chief Inspector Fosu said it was during one of such operations that Bentum and one other person at large were confronted. While his accomplice managed to escape, the convict unsuccessfully struggled to free himself but he was overpowered and arrested.
An on-the-spot search on Bentum yielded a locally manufactured pistol and a live cartridge loaded in the chamber of the pistol.
In his cautioned statement, the convict claimed ownership of the pistol and said he had been using it for his business.
Pressed for further explanation, he said he used it to scare forest guards on inspection in the bush. “I fire the gun to warn them (illegal chainsaw operators) to be wary of the approach of guards and take cover.”
When he was asked if he had a license, Bentum replied that his license was with his master.

USE ONLY LABELLED AGRO CHEMICALS (NSEMPA, PAGE 3, DEC 13, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Jacobu

An agro chemical dealer, Mr Bernard Kwasi Dwemoh, has warned farmers to refrain from using unlabelled food storage chemicals.
He pointed out that chemicals, which were not labelled did not provide the needed information on its chemical components, how it should be used, and side effects, among others.
Mr Dwemoh, who operates Betonies Agro Chemicals, gave the advice during the 26th National Farmers’ Day celebration at Jacobu in the Amansie Central District of Ashanti Region.
He took advantage of the farmers’ day to interact with farmers who visited his stand and advised them on how to store their products to maximise income generation.
Expressing concern about the unlabelled chemicals in the market, he said it undermined the storage of products and therefore, urged farmers to buy only labelled products.
He said many insecticides had similar concentrations and scent, making it difficult for farmers to differentiate one from the other without looking at the labels.
Mr Dwemoh explained that buying quality products would enable them store their products for a longer period and advised them to appreciate the side effects of chemicals, to enable them select the right products for their operations.
He noted that it was equally important for them to refrain from picking carcases from the bush, explaining that eating such carcases could pose serious health problems for them.

PROF BUOR SUPPORTS EDUCATION (JUNIOR GRAPHIC, DEC 1, 2010, PAGE 3)

Pupils, parents and the people of Atwima Manhyia in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti Region have marked the third anniversary of an awards scheme instituted by the Vice Chancellor of the Valley View University, Professor Daniel Buor, for the local Methodist School.
The scheme which was instituted by Prof. Buor in 2007 is aimed at rewarding hardworking pupils and teachers of the school.
The Headmistress of the school, Ms Agnes Asantewaa, in an address said the introduction of the scheme had helped improve the academic work of the pupils considerably.
She said the school placed first in a reading competition conducted by the Atwima Nwabiagya District Directorate of the Methodist Education Unit for Upper Primary pupils in the circuit.
Furthermore, Ms Asantewaa said the school was adjudged third in the district and attributed the achievement to the introduction of the award scheme.
She expressed delight at the positive trend and recalled that; “formerly, absenteeism among teachers and pupils, which was rife is now a thing of the past.”
Ms Asantewaa said admissions had increased considerably but had unfortunately led to overcrowding. She, therefore, called on the community, the directorate and the assembly to help provide classroom facilities to ease the congestion.
The Atwima Nwabiagya District Director of the Methodist Education Unit, Mr Cosmos Yawo Dzansi advised parents who did not show interest in their children’s education to come on board so that the dreams of their benefactor, who is also a past student of the school would be realised.
Prof. Buor commended the teachers and parents for appreciating his efforts and pleaded with members of the community to create an education fund, to award scholarships to hard working students.
He promised to finance the fencing of the school to ward off passers-by who distracted the attention of the pupils during lessons.
Four teachers, were rewarded for their dedication to work, while six pupils also received awards in various disciplines.
Nicholas Boakye and Francisca Achiaa were awarded prizes for their excellent academic performance, while Isaac Paddy and Florence Adu were adjudged the best behaved pupils. Isaac Yeboah and Rakiatu Abdulai won awards for their brilliance in sports.

CHIEFTAINCY INSTITUTION IS RELEVANT TO GHANA'S DEVT (PAGE 43, NOV 29, 2010)

THE Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hannah Tetteh, has stated that the chieftaincy institution is relevant in the socio-economic development of the country today as it was in the past.
Speaking at a grand durbar to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the enstoolment of the Tepahene, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem at Tepa in the Ashanti Region, Ms Tetteh said the benefits inherent in the institution outweighed the drawbacks.
She said ”Today, it looks as if there is a latent competition among chiefs of what they can do to improve the lot of their people.”
The durbar was marked with rich culture. In attendance were a large number of chiefs, former President John Agyekum Kufuor and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate for the 2012 general elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The theme for the celebration was: “10 years of quality leadership; promoting the welfare of the people.”
Ms Tetteh stated that chiefs were at the forefront in the struggle for independence and had preserved the people’s cultural identity of which the nation was proud.
She said the institution had undergone silent reforms as governance had become more demanding.
The minister said since the Constitution recognised chieftaincy as sacred and the role it could play in advancing socio-economic development, chiefs nonetheless were recognised as key partners and agents of development in the country.
“They have assisted the government in the provision of social amenities such as hospitals, schools, police barracks, potable water, environmental sanitation, among others.” she said.
Ms Tetteh advised chiefs not only to be rulers over their subjects, but they must also be honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and intelligent citizens, and above all should be pillars around who their people could be mobilised for the development of the country.
She commended Nana Ampem, the traditional council and the people of Tepa for the peace in the area and urged them to keep it up.
The minister described the Omanhene for demonstrating great leadership skills and assured him of the government’s support.
Nana Ampem in a brief speech, said the praises showered on him were as a result of the support he enjoyed from his people.
A book on the Omanhene’s 10 years reign was launched, the proceeds of which would be used for the development of the local nurses’ training school.

ACHISCO LAUNCHES GOLDEN JUBILEE ACTIVITIES (PAGE 54, NOV 22, 2010)

THE Acherensuahene, Agyewodin Adu Gyamfi Ampem, has appealed to the government and the general public to assist the Acherensua Senior High School (ACHISCO) to become a centre of excellence in the country.
While praising Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah for his foresight in establishing the school, the Omanhene said the school still lacked a number of facilities to enable it to achieve its mandate.
Launching activities marking the Golden Jubilee celebration of the school in Kumasi, Agyewodin Ampem, who is also the Chairman of the Ghana Education Service Council, said classrooms, dormitory blocks and other teaching and learning materials must be put in place to properly position the school to deliver.
A number of activities have been lined up for the year-long celebration.
Agyewodin Ampem said ACHISCO had turned out many great people who were contributing in various ways towards the development of the nation and abroad.
He said but for the school, many of such great people might not have had the opportunity to continue their education after the basic level.
The school, which was established in September, 1961, was one of the Educational Trust Schools set up by the Convention People’s Party’s (CPP) government to boost education in the country.
The Omanhene said Dr Nkrumah’s realisation that only education could lift up the rural areas and for that reason established the school at Acherensua, had been worthwhile.
He praised past and present crop of chiefs of the area, current and pioneer tutors and other personalities whose sweat and toil had contributed in diverse ways to the success of the institution.
Agyewodin Ampem acknowledged that although the school faced challenges, it had produced men and women of excellence who were serving in various capacities throughout the world, adding that five of the current parliamentarians were products of ACHISCO.
He said once their performance had carved a name for the school, it behoved past students as owners to maintain such priceless possession better than anyone else, and urged them to help the school in its development programme.
The Omanhene said all hands must be on deck to make ACHISCO a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr John Asare Baiden, appealed for support for the school to effectively carry out its mandate.
He said the school had no assembly hall, which did not speak well of it, adding that some of the school buildings, including the classrooms had also not seen any major renovation for years.
“Insufficient accommodation for the students and poor road network at the compound are some of the major problems facing ACHISCO,” Mr Baiden stated.
He stressed that only a one-unit block was used as dormitory to house 400 female students.
“The students have to arrange and re-arrange the dining hall during any gathering. We call on the old students, most of whom are in gainful employment to come over to Macedonia and help us,” the headmaster said.
Present to support their alma mater were three parliamentarians, namely Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, the MP for Afigya Sekyere West, Mr Yaw Baah, the MP for Kumawu and Mr Balado Manu, the MP for Ahafo Ano South. They were supported by Mr Kennedy Agyapong, the MP for Assin North.

JOURNALISTS ATTEND SEMINAR ON 'REPORTING CORRUPTION' (PAGE 18, NOV 13, 2010)

THE GHANA Integrity Initiative (GII) in partnership with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has organised a seminar on reporting corruption in the country for representatives of media houses in Kumasi.
The seminar which was on the theme, “Reporting Corruption: Our contribution to building a just and democratic Ghana” was chaired by Mr Kweku K. Apeadu-Baah, a clinical psychologist.
It was aimed at deepening the understanding of the participants on the nature, causes, manifestations and effects of corruption on the society as a whole.
It was to build the participants’ capacity to demand responsiveness, accountability and transparency from people and institutions in the country; and mobilise people to become anti-corruption monitors and crusaders.
Speaking on the ‘Effects of corruption on National Development in Ghana’, Mr George Amoah, Project Co-ordinator of Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC ), said the battle on corruption in the country could only be won by the collaboration of all and sundry.
Mr Amoah said the country, “is not far from developed but only corruption is seriously holding us back. We haven’t defined corruption because as of now there’s no law that clearly warn people from getting into its claws”.
He described bribery as an exchange of favour between a briber and the bribed and mentioned cheating, tricks, embezzlement, nepotism, fraud, looting, petty and grand corruption and many more which all lead to highly placed individuals exploiting their positions to extract large bribes in return for favours.
He advised the public to be careful to vote for the right people and not those who bribe their way to the top.
Mr Amoah noted that a survey conducted in 2005 by a research team showed that about 87 per cent of Ghanaians are reluctant to report issues of corruption because they were not certain something will be done about it and called on people who become victims of corrupt practices to call on ALAC Ghana, which seeks to provide the avenue for people and corporate bodies to lodge their complaints with the appropriate institutions for redress.
He directed aggrieved citizens to refer their complaints to established agencies, such as CHRAJ, Serious Fraud Office (CFO), Police Intelligence and Professional Standard Bureau, BNI, National Security and others to better handle cases of corruption.
Mr Joseph Maxwell Apeagyei, Senior Principal Investigator, Anti-Corruption Focal-person, Ashanti Region, said Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International, sought to educate the Ghanaian public on the negative effects of the canker of corruption and the need to curb it.
He urged the public to demand transparency and accountability from office holders, and called for networking among governmental and community-based organisations to enhance efficiency and transparency in governance.

KMA INAUGURATES EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS (PAGE 29, NOV 4, 2010)

The Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, has appealed to stakeholders in the educational sector to inculcate the culture of maintenance in public schools to prolong their lifespan.
He pointed out that the government was poised to provide basic facilities needed to improve academic programmes and therefore urged the public to support in that direction.
Mr Sarpong made the appeal when he inaugurated a number of projects executed under the District Development Fund through the Functional Organisation Assessment Tool (FOAT).
The projects included a 12-unit classroom block at the Prempeh College Basic A school, a two-unit classroom block at Adiebeba Metro Assembly, a mechanised borehole at New Agogo and a kindergarten (KG) block at Emena.
The rest were KG blocks at Bomso, Aboabo, Wesley College and Opoku Ware Experimental schools, where six-unit classroom blocks were inaugurated in addition.
In his address Mr Sarpong noted that the provision of free uniforms and exercise books were true indication of the government’s commitment to lessen the burdens of parents and also to encourage pupils to focus on their academic programmes.
He urged residents in the Kumasi metropolis to honour their tax obligations to enable the assembly to generate the needed financial resources to initiate development programmes.
Giving a brief account of the Prempeh College Basic School, the Headmaster, Mr George Tawiah, said inadequate classrooms had undermined effective academic work, since the school operated two streams in February 2007.
Mr Tawiah commended the KMA for providing the new classroom block to reduce congestion in the school. He, however, appealed to the assembly to support the school with a computer laboratory to enhance the teaching and learning of Information Communication Technology (ICT) programmes.
He also appealed to the assembly to help in the construction of a fence to ward off intruders who had been invading the school to disturb academic work.
Present at the ceremony included Akyempemhene, Oheneba Adusei Poku, who deputised for the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

TEACHERS MUST UNDERTAKE PROFESSIONAL COURSES (PAGE 11, AUGUST 20, 2010)

THE Director of the Institute of Education at the University of Cape Coast, Professor James Adu Opare, has stressed the need for teachers to regularly undertake professional development programmes as a way of improving their capacity and make them more proficient.
He noted that the diploma and degree programmes being instituted for basic education courses are meant to build the capacity of teachers in a more proficient way to enhance effective delivery in the classrooms.
Prof. Opare said it was only when teachers were able to meet the needed requirements and became skillful in their delivery that the standard of education in the country would improve.
The Director was speaking at the graduation ceremony of St. Louis College of Education in Kumasi, where a total of 1,258 diplomates graduated.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Improved Teacher Quality, a basis for National Development’ Professor Opare said it was important for teachers to be abreast of technology and other teaching and learning materials as a way of boosting their confidence in their service delivery.
He said the requisite qualification and proficiency in service delivery on the part of teachers would also impact positively on the human resource development to enhance accelerated national development.
Prof. Opare said since capacity building of teachers had direct correlation with national development, it was important for the government to support the professional training of teachers in diverse ways as a way of motivating them to upgrade their skills.
The Principal of the College, Mrs Mary Anane Druyeh, commended the Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for taking up the challenge of helping to implement government’s policy on human resource development of the country.
She said the programme was impacting positively on the educational reform target of training highly qualified teachers in every classroom .
Re-affirming that teachers were the central actors of every country’s human resource development, Mrs Druyeh said, it was for this reason that the GES had put in place the “Sandwich Programme” to enable teachers to build their capacity more meaningfully.
She stated that among other things, the programme has reduced the number of practising teachers without the national minimum teacher qualification for teaching in Basic Schools in the country.
Mrs Druyeh advised the graduates to be committed to the profession and also work extra hard for them to win the confidence of their students all the time.

CEDEP TO HELP REDUCE HIV/AIDS (PAGE 29, AUGUST 19, 2010)

Executive members of the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) say they will collaborate with stakeholders to sustain the needed education to the public to reverse the spread of HIV AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
The Executive Director of CEDEP, Mr Patrick Amoateng-Mensah, who gave the assurance, said reversing the spread of such diseases would help the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Speaking at the official launch of the Ashanti Regional chapter of Fair Play for Africa campaign on the theme :“Reduction of HIV Aids stigma among women”, Mr Amoateng-Mensah said although Ghana had made efforts at increasing financial resources for the health sector over the years, the target of 15 per cent to support the sector was yet to be attained.
This, he said, had affected the efficient and effective medical care delivery in the country, stressing “hospitals and clinics remained ill-equipped, staff are inadequate, while women and girls of reproductive age continue to die from preventable pregnancy-related conditions”.
Mr Amoateng-Mensah announced that CEDEP supported societies that promote social, economic and civic rights of people in pursuance of equitable and sustainable human development with focus on education.
In her address, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Oforikrom, Mrs Elizabeth Agyemang, said Ghana had made substantial progress towards achieving the MDG indicators.
She, however, noted that the progress had been slow and regretted that stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with the HIV AIDS had undermined the ability of individuals, families and communities to adequately protect themselves or provide support to others affected by the disease.
The MP advised women to lead morally upright lifestyles and also offer themselves to be screened and vaccinated against certain diseases to improve their health.
She said it was equally important for them to abstain from casual and pre-marital sex.
The Campaign Co-ordinator, Mrs Della Bright Kokroko, said Fair Play Ghana would campaign throughout 2010 by utilising key national and global movements to implement various activities to achieve its campaign objectives.
In an address read on his behalf, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, observed that the AIDS stigma had created enormous barriers to public health programmes.
He said it was therefore, important for all stakeholders to be creative in designing HIV AIDS interventions, policies and programmes for implementation to reduce the stigma associated with the disease.

UNEMPLOYED JAILED 10 YEARS FOR STEALING (MIRROR, PAGE 27, AUGUST 14, 2010)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.

A KUMASI Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, has sentenced an unemployed man to 10 years jail term for unlawful entry to another person’s premises.
Tuffik Moro, 18, was convicted on his own plea for taking away some phones, DVD, LCD and other electrical gadgets valued over several hundreds of cedis.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei told the court that on August 1, 2010, a witness in the case woke up at about 2.10 am to go out and urinate only to see two young men scale the fence wall.
Moments after raising alarm the tenants arrested the convict, Moro, while his accomplice managed to outwit his pursuers.
When a search was conducted on Moro a Nokia, Sonny Errickson, and LG cell phones totalling over GH¢125. 00 were found on him. Again, another search from a Benz car with registration number GE 170 X packed in the yard revealed that a car radio and its booster had disappeared.
Moro allegedly admitted the offences during interrogation but denied being to the complainant’s residence to steal any car tape and booster.
Madam Baffuor-Kyei told the court that the convict in his caution statement mentioned one Kofi Adwuo as his accomplice but failed to assist the police to cause his arrest.
The convict is alleged to have stated that he and Adwuo went to Kotei, a suburb of Kumasi, and on their return at about 12 mid-night they reached ‘a certain house’ where his accomplice asked him to wait and keep watching.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 11, AUGUST 11, 2010)

THE government and stakeholders in education have been urged to help make science and technology the pivot around which the socio-economic development of the country revolves.
“ Rigorous Science and Technology agenda is needed. Technological innovations could propel Ghana to a higher pedestal in the world of technology”.
The Dean of the Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Reynolds Okai, said this when he addressed a three-day Science, Technology and Innovation camp for 730 Junior High School students selected from the Ashanti Region at the Yaa Asantewaa Girls Senior High School in Kumasi.
It was on the theme ‘Gender Equality in Science, Technology and Innovations for Better Ghana.’
The camp was aimed at helping students to use the application of science to develop projects, and also encourage pupils in basic schools to study Science and Technology related subjects in senior high school.
Prof. Okai observed that the country had seen major transformations over the past years and had chalked up successes in the construction of science resource centres including the introduction of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (Get Fund).
“Yet our educational system appears to be tilting towards one direction as the humanities appears to dominate the sciences,” said Professor Okai.
He called on all stakeholders, the government, parents, teachers, industries and institutions involved in science delivery to assist in tackling the problem.
Prof Okai urged the government to ensure that institutions mandated to teach Science and Technology had well equipped laboratories.
He lamented at the deplorable state of the Science laboratories and workshops at the various second cycle schools across the country.
“The government could generate interest in the youth to pursue science and technology related courses by providing scholarship packages for all students who opt for science and technology at the technical and senior high schools. The government could also absorb a certain proportion of their school fees, ” he suggested.
Prof. Okai advised students to translate what they had learnt in the classroom into reality.
In her welcome address, Mrs Gladys Amaning, the Kumasi Metro Director of Education, said Science and Technology had been rekindled to a higher level and urged the coordinators of the programme to help organise more of such camp projects as a means to encourage children to study science.
Madam Emma Amoateng Mensah, Director of Girls Education at the Regional Education Office, said the Ghana Education Service had put in place a mechanism to ensure that young students especially the girl-child got equal access to Science and Technology as their male counter-parts.

SPECIAL LIGHT TOPS THEM ALL (JUNIOR GRAPHIC, PAGE3, AUGUST 4, 2010)

Special Light International School in Kumasi came tops and took home a 24-inch colour television and 24 pieces of mathematical sets after competing in a cultural festival organised for private and public schools in Kumasi.
The competition was organised by Talented African Youth Cultural Group in collaboration with the National Youth Council on the theme, “Sankofa”.
Open Heavens International, Job Foundation International, Bethel Emmanuel School and Emmanuel Education Complex followed in the second, third, fourth and fifth positions respectively. Each school received a standing fan.
Pupils from 13 public and private schools in the Kumasi Metropolis gathered at the Ahinsan Estate Youth Centre to compete in poetry recitals, coral music, drama, cultural and choreography displays.
The splendid performances displayed by the children put the audience on their feet amid intermittent applause throughout the three-hour competition.
In an address read on his behalf, the Chief Executive of Kumasi, Mr Samuel Sarpong, entreated the students to continue to work hard to make the programme popular among their peers to serve as preparatory grounds for theatre studies in schools. 
He called for the provision of infrastructure, as well as the right motivation for teachers of drama and culture to enable the students to learn more about their culture.
That, he said, would help prevent the children from copying foreign values which ‘is killing the moral fabric of our society.’
Rev Isaac Kwesi Botwe, a member of the organising team called for public support and sponsorship, so as to be able to sustain the programme.

CHIEF RE-ROOFS PRIMARY SCHOOL (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 10, JULY 26, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi

THE Chief of Antoa in the Kwabre District of Ashanti, Nana Kwame Owusu-Agyeman I, has single-handedly re-roofed the Antoa United Primary school block, office and store at the cost of GH¢6,200.
He has also wired the school, donated 40 dual desks and several energy saving bulbs to enable pupils in the school benefit tremendously from Information Communication Technology (ICT) programmes.
Commending the chief for his gesture during the school’s annual speech and prize-giving ceremony at Antoa, the Headmistress, Madam Phyllis Asante, said it was important for the community to emulate the gesture of the Antoahene to facilitate the development of the school.
She appealed to parents to invest in their children’s education as a way of building their capacity effectively. This, she said, would enable their wards acquire employable skills to support sustainable socio-economic development.
Madam Asante also appealed to the Antoa community and old students of the school to assist in the development of the ICT centre as a way of motivating the students to focus on the programme.
She announced that a primary 6 pupil, Ms Regina Agyei, who is 12 years-old, represented the district in a reading competition.
The headmistress explained that Regina, who was voted the best reader in the district, was among pupils from other schools who would have dinner with President J.E.A. Mills at a date yet to be announced.
Mr Emmanuel Edmund Premoh, the Welfare Officer of the Presbyterian Educational Unit in Kumasi, who represented the Regional Manager, passionately appealed to parents and guardians to support government’s initiative to develop the potentials of the youth through education.
“As parents, consider the social intervention of education by government through the school feeding programme, capitation grant, supply of school uniforms and text books as a source of encouragement to help the children. You should also contribute your quota to propel them to learn hard and stop attending wake-keepings and funerals”.
Mr Premoh called on Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), School Management Committees (SMCs) and the Traditional authorities, to actively support their respective schools to accelerate their development.
In his address, Nana Kwame Owusu-Agyeman, advised parents to use their resources judiciously, and stressed the need for them to invest in their children’s education.
He said it was equally important for them to show love to their children and co-operate with teachers in training them, stating that, “the best legacy to be given to your child is good education”.

KNUST BUILDS PARADE GROUND (PAGE 18, JULY 20, 2010)

Authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have inaugurated a GH¢ 700,000 parade ground to provide space and stands for social and religious programmes.
The facility with seats to facilitate student group discussions and social interaction was christened Royal Parade Grounds.
Addressing a cross-section of the public who attended the programme, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, announced that the ground, which was equipped with wireless internet facility for research, also accommodated ATM machines for various financial institutions.
He mentioned the Ghana Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Home Finance Company, ECOBANK, Agricultural Development Bank, Union Bank for Africa (UBA), Cal Bank, among others, as the financial institutions permitted to operate in the area.
He said the university’s authorities were also considering granting permission to other financial institutions which had applied to operate ATM services on campus.
Prof. Adarkwa said as part of the measures to provide efficient service to the university community and its environs, a stand-by generator had been acquired to provide power anytime there was power outage.
He explained that regular power supply would not only enhance effective business transaction but would also improve security for residents who patronise the facility during the night.
He announced that a set of guidelines had been developed by the office of the Deputy Registrar-General, Administration, for compliance by those who would patronise the facility, including students and staff.
The guidelines, he explained, stipulated the procedure of hiring the facility, usage, fees and charges, as well as the management of revenue that accrued from the usage of the facility.
He commended all stakeholders whose contributions made it possible for the project to be completed on schedule, and urged the community to collaborate to maintain it adequately to enable it to be of benefit to them.

GOVT TO FOSTER UNITY AMONG GHANAIANS (PAGE 22, JULY 6, 2010)

THE Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said the government would continue to foster unity, with the development of the citizenry in an equitable manner as its guiding principle.
He said it had been the prayer for “the day when ethnic strife and poverty would be banished from our land, a day when going to your hometown would not be different from the city you are travelling from and when nobody goes to bed hungry.”
Mr Ablakwa was speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the installation of Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem, Omanhene of Tepa Traditional area, at Tepa in the Ahafo Ano District of Ashanti.
It was attended by citizens from far and near, chiefs and their retinues including Nana Kwasi Bosompra, Omanhene of Goaso, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, Ashanti Regional Minister and some Members of Parliament and District Chief Executives.
The theme for the celebration was : “10 Years of Quality Leadership- Promoting the welfare of the People.”
The Deputy Minister commended Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem and described him as a visionary leader who looked at the future and to whom all must fondly cling.
Recounting some of the development projects undertaken during his 10 years on the stool, the Minister mentioned the provision of a 60-hectares for the establishment of a modern hospital complex, the proposal for a Health Assistants’ Training school and housing the Police personnel posted to the town and pledged the government’s preparedness as a trusted ally in development to improve the lives of Ghanaians.
Mr Kofi Opoku Manu said he had heard and seen the numerous work undertaken by the Omanhene and promised to be on his side in developing the traditional area, stressing that the development of the citizenry in an equitable manner would be his guiding principle.
He said the future of the area lay, to a large extent, on the educational development of the young and future leaders and urged parents to send their children to school.
The Omanhene called on the people in the traditional area to continue to support him in his development efforts through unity and prayers. He also called on the general public to co-operate with the government for the achievement of the Better Ghana Agenda.
The anniversary celebration continues till November, this year.

GOVT WILL FOSTER UNITY, EQUITABLE DEV — ABLAKWA (PAGE 13, JUNE 24, 2010)

THE Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said the government will continue to foster unity and the development of the citizenry in an equitable manner as its guiding principle.
He said it had been the prayer for “the day when ethnic strife and poverty would be banished from our land, a day when going to your hometown would not be different from the city you are travelling from and when nobody goes to bed hungry”.
Mr Ablakwa was speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the installation of Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem, Omanhene of Tepa Traditional area at Tepa in the Ahafo Ano District of Ashanti at the weekend.
It was attended by citizens from far and near, chiefs and their retinues including Nana Kwasi Bosompra, Omanhene of Goaso, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, Ashanti Regional Minister and some Members of Parliament and District Chief Executives.
The theme for the celebration was : “10 Years of Quality Leadership; Promoting the welfare of the People”.
He commended Nana Atwenewa Ampem for his leadership role and described him as a visionary leader who thinks of the well being of his people.
Recounting some of the development projects undertaken during his 10 years on the stool, the minister mentioned the provision of 60-hectares to the government for the establishment of a hospital complex, his proposal for a Health Assistants’ Training school and housing the Police personnel posted to the town.
He, therefore, pledged the government’s preparedness as a trusted ally in development to improve the lives of Ghanaians.
Mr Kofi Opoku Manu said he had heard and seen the numerous works undertaken by the Omanhene and promised to be on his side in developing the traditional area stressing that the development of the citizenry in an equitable manner would be his guiding principle.
He said the future of the area lay to a large extent on the educational development of the young and future leaders and urged parents to send their children to school.
The Omanhene called on the people in the traditional area to continue to support him in his development efforts through unity and prayers.
He also called on the general public to co-operate with the government for the achievement of the Better Ghana Agenda.
The anniversary celebration continues till November, this year.

LABOURER GETS FIVE YEARS FOR CAUSING HARM (PAGE 23, JUNE 24, 2010)

THE Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced a labourer, who inflicted several cuts on the body of his co-worker to five years imprisonment with hard labour.
The convict, Kwaku Nimoh, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge of causing unlawful harm.
Presenting the facts to the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, Chief Inspector Comfort Kyei Baafuor said Nimoh and the complainant, Kwabena Dankwah were labourers and resident at Adum and Daban, both suburbs of Kumasi respectively.
Chief Kyei Baffuor said on June 14, 2010, Nimoh and Dankwah had an argument over the history of Kumasi and Kumawu.
In the course of the heated argument, the Nimoh got offended. However, both were restrained from fighting by other workers around.
According to the prosecutor, at about 8.00 p.m. the same day, whilst Dankwah was at a car washing base taking his supper, the Nimoh emerged from the dark armed with a broken glass and attacked Dankwah who suffered multiple injuries on the neck, jaw and left hand.
Dankwah was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) where he was admitted for a night and discharged the following day.
Nimoh,who was later picked up by the police, admitted causing harm to his Dankwah, stating that he was under the influence of alcohol.

LABOURER GETS FIVE YEARS FOR CAUSING HARM (PAGE 23, JUNE 24, 2010)

THE Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced a labourer, who inflicted several cuts on the body of his co-worker to five years imprisonment with hard labour.
The convict, Kwaku Nimoh, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge of causing unlawful harm.
Presenting the facts to the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, Chief Inspector Comfort Kyei Baafuor said Nimoh and the complainant, Kwabena Dankwah were labourers and resident at Adum and Daban, both suburbs of Kumasi respectively.
Chief Kyei Baffuor said on June 14, 2010, Nimoh and Dankwah had an argument over the history of Kumasi and Kumawu.
In the course of the heated argument, the Nimoh got offended. However, both were restrained from fighting by other workers around.
According to the prosecutor, at about 8.00 p.m. the same day, whilst Dankwah was at a car washing base taking his supper, the Nimoh emerged from the dark armed with a broken glass and attacked Dankwah who suffered multiple injuries on the neck, jaw and left hand.
Dankwah was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) where he was admitted for a night and discharged the following day.
Nimoh,who was later picked up by the police, admitted causing harm to his Dankwah, stating that he was under the influence of alcohol.

LABOURER GETS FIVE YEARS FOR CAUSING HARM (PAGE 23, JUNE 24, 2010)

THE Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced a labourer, who inflicted several cuts on the body of his co-worker to five years imprisonment with hard labour.
The convict, Kwaku Nimoh, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge of causing unlawful harm.
Presenting the facts to the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, Chief Inspector Comfort Kyei Baafuor said Nimoh and the complainant, Kwabena Dankwah were labourers and resident at Adum and Daban, both suburbs of Kumasi respectively.
Chief Kyei Baffuor said on June 14, 2010, Nimoh and Dankwah had an argument over the history of Kumasi and Kumawu.
In the course of the heated argument, the Nimoh got offended. However, both were restrained from fighting by other workers around.
According to the prosecutor, at about 8.00 p.m. the same day, whilst Dankwah was at a car washing base taking his supper, the Nimoh emerged from the dark armed with a broken glass and attacked Dankwah who suffered multiple injuries on the neck, jaw and left hand.
Dankwah was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) where he was admitted for a night and discharged the following day.
Nimoh,who was later picked up by the police, admitted causing harm to his Dankwah, stating that he was under the influence of alcohol.

ECG TO GET TOUGH ON ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS (PAGE 19, MAY 14, 2010)

ABOUT 13 per cent of electricity generated in the country is stolen.
At the regional level, the Ashanti Region is the most affected with 12 per cent generated power stolen through illegal connections.
The Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Cephas Gakpo, who made this known, warned that the law would deal with offenders.
He was speaking at a forum in Kumasi, to brief customers about issues relating to electricity supply in the Ashanti Region and appealed to public to co-operate with the company to smoke out the criminals in the system.
He admitted that the company was facing many challenges including obsolete equipment and called on customers to pay their bills promptly to help address the challenges.
He said there was light at the end of the tunnel for the Ashanti Region because a tentative programme to improve electricity supply in the region took off two months ago.
He said within the next 18 months, the ECG’s numerous customers in the region would enjoy reliable supply.
Mr Gakpo said the African Development Bank (AfDB) was funding the construction of a second bulk supply point in the region.
The company, he said, was also constructing two substations at Feyiase and Fawode.
Again, the construction of five additional fully-furnished district offices at Suame and New Edubiase were ongoing.
He said the ECG was replacing credit metres with Split-Type Pre-paid metres in the Ashanti Region.
The ECG’s construction work on two customer service centres under the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project at Pankrono and Juaso were to start soon, Mr Gakpo said.
Meanwhile, he said, an order had been placed for the importation of about 107,000 metre phases for onward distribution to customers in the region.

ASSIST PRIVATE SCHOOLS (JUNIOR GRAPHIC, PAGE 6, MAY 12, 2010)

The Supreme Saviour International School at Tanoso, a suburb of Kumasi, has held its fourth graduation with a call on the government to assist private schools with logistics, as is done for public schools.
The Proprietor of the school, the Rt Rev Dr Moses Gyawu, addressing the gathering, said, “As private entities, we have an enormous task to develop the intellect of the children in our schools through education. Therefore, the government must come to our assistance with the needed logistics.”
He said both public and private schools had one aim, “to train our future leaders”, and, therefore, the government must aid private schools, pointing out that in some rural communities there were no public schools for the children in those localities to attend.
The Rt Rev Dr Gyawu said parents were the strong partners of private school in the business of building a vibrant society and advised them not to leave that duty to teachers alone.
Three students were honoured with awards. They are Joseph Omane Boakye, adjudged the Best Academic Student, while Morris Afriyie and Emmanuella Ampofo Twumasi received the Best Behaved Male Student and the Best Behaved Female Student awards, respectively.

FARMER BUTCHERED (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, MAY 10, 2010, PAGE 3)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi & Joseph Kyei-Boateng, Obuasi.

A SETTLER farmer has butchered another fifty-six-year-old settler farmer at Ankaase, near Ampunyase in the Adansi South District of the Ashanti Region, to death over a piece of “kako” (salted meat).
The deceased, Borna, is alleged to have been butchered by Ebenezer, 19 years, some minutes after both of them had eaten a meal at the latter’s cottage in the evening of Thursday, April 15, 2010.
Graphic Nsempa sources indicate that both Ebenezer and the deceased lived in different cottages, about 20 metres apart and were neighbours who worked on the farms of different people at Ankaase.
According to the sources, the deceased bought a piece of ‘kako’ meat and hid it in his kitchen to be used later and left the cottage to visit another friend.
On his return, he passed through Ebenezer’s cottage and was invited to eat.
In the course of the meal, the deceased smelled kako in the soup but kept quiet and continued eating with his friend. He later left for his cottage in search of the salted meat he left there.
The sources alleged that after a futile search, the deceased returned to his friend to query him over the missing kako but Ebenezer did not take kindly to the question and got infuriated over the issue.
Being the older of the two, he however, left Borna and complained to the local Unit Committee.
Aware of his quick temper, the committee reported the case to the police at Ampunyase.
At the police station, both parties were allegedly ordered to return the following day, Friday, April 15, after statements had been taken from them.
On arrival at their cottages, Ebenezer, still burning with indignation, went to his cottage, picked a sharpened cutlass and attacked the deceased, inflicting several wounds on his body.
This paper learnt that when Ebenezer realised that Borna was dead, he chopped off the head, dumped the body into an abandoned galamsey pit behind the deceased’s kitchen and left for his cottage.
The following morning, the suspect allegedly crossed the Offin River to Dunkwa to source for some money from an old girl friend to bolt from the area but as fate had it, the sad news went round, the people organised themselves into a search party and went to the Dunkwa-On-Offin township to search for him.
When he was spotted by the group, they called the Dunkwa Railway Police who arrested the suspect and later handed him over to the Obuasi Central Police.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the morgue of the Dunkwa Government Hospital awaiting autopsy.
Meanwhile the Obuasi Police has also picked the owner of the farm on which Ebenezer worked.
He is alleged to have lied to the police when they went in search of the accused. He was alleged to have told the police when they asked of the whereabouts of the suspect that, he had sent him to Tema on an errand.

SAVIOUR SCHOOL CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY (PAGE 38, MAY 1, 2010)

THE Supreme Saviour International School at Tanoso, a suburb of Kumasi, has held its fourth graduation anniversary with a call on the government to assist private schools in the supply of logistics to help train the human resource of the country.
The Proprietor of the school, Rt Revd Dr Moses Gyawu, addressing the gathering, said human capital represented the investment that the country yearned for in order to enhance economic productivity.
He said “as a private entity, we have an enormous task to upgrade human capital as the attribute gained by the student through education, and the government must come to our assistance in terms of logistics”.
Rev. Dr Gyawu said both public and private schools have one aim “to train our future leaders”, and as such the government should assist them with logistics.
He said parents were partners in the business of building a vibrant society and that they should not leave that duty to teachers.
He tasked them to see themselves as the ones who “must create a family atmosphere among the children, animated by love and respect for God and man in which the well-rounded personal and social education of children are fostered”.
Three students were honoured during the ceremony. They are Joseph Omane Boakye,who was adjudged the best academic student, while Morris Afriyie and Emmanuella Ampofo Twumasi received the best behaved male and female student awards respectively.

FARMER REMANDED FOR FRAUD (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 3, FEB 8, 2010)

By Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.

A 34-YEAR-OLD farmer, Awudu Anini, who professed to have powers to dig up a hidden treasure in the farm of another farmer at Anyinasu in the Ashanti Region, has been remanded in prison custody by a Circuit Court.
He would re-appear before the court on February 9, 2010 to answer a fraud charge preferred against him.
Meanwhile, his accomplice, Sampson Musah, a Kumasi-based trader, is on the run.
Giving the facts to the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey; Chief Inspector C K Fosu said the complainant, Yaw Ibolido, and the accused were farmers who lived at Anyinasu.
Mr Fosu said in November, last year, the complainant contacted Anini to assist him to dig up some hidden treasure (gold) on his farm at Anyinasu.
He said the accused readily accepted the invitation and charged him GH¢ 2,300 and a white ram for rituals, which he readily accepted,
At the time of digging for the gold, the prosecutor said Anini met Musah and introduced him to the complainant as a gold testing officer whose services would be needed in the exercise.
The prosecution continued that after the accused person had dug out four yellowish objects he claimed to be gold, he gave them to Musah who also was quoted to have stated that it was pure gold.
Later, the accused person directed the complainant to travel to Kumasi to buy a chemical for Musah to refine the alleged gold.
However, on his return with the chemical, which cost GH¢ 900, the accused rejected it, because he said it was the wrong type.
He, however, managed to convince the complainant to bring additional money for the purification rites.

FIRE KILLS 29-YEAR-OLD MAN (PAGE 31, MARCH 9, 2010)

A 29-YEAR-OLD man was killed in a fire that engulfed his house at Adansi Akrokeri, near Obuasi, last Wednesday.
The 16-bedroom house of Kudjo Amoh, a galamsey operator, caught fire around 10:30p.m.
The friend of the deceased, who was also identified only as Addai suffered serious burns and was rushed to the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital for treatment but was immediately referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to receive emergency treatment.
A police source claimed that both the deceased and his friend were asleep when the room was engulfed by the fire.
Both were trapped but when Addai managed to free himself,he could not rescue his friend who was trapped and burnt beyond recognition.
Police at Obuasi are investigating the cause of the fire outbreak. According to eyewitnesses, the fire destroyed property worth millions of cedis,
A motorbike parked in one of the rooms was also destroyed.
A source told the Daily Graphic that Addai who is also a galamsey operator visited the deceased who lived in a house numbered AK 18/C at Akrokerrifie
. On the night of the fire outbreak, there was no power in the house so the deceased lighted a candle as a source of light .
The source said the candle light could be the source of the fire outbreak.
According to the source, neighbours saw the house engulfed with fire and it was during their shouts for help that Addai managed to escape, leaving the deceased.

IMPOSTOR REMANDED IN PRISON CUSTODY (PAGE 27, MIRROR, JAN 16, 2010)

From Collins Agyekum-Gyasi, Kumasi.
A 41-year-old unemployed, Mohammed Aminu, who posed as a Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) Operative in the Kumasi Metropolis was remanded in prison custody when he was arraigned before the Kumasi Circuit One Court presided over by Mr Justice E. Amo-Yartey, on Thursday.
 He has been charged with fraud and impersonation. His plea was not taken and he will reappear before the court on February 8, 2010.
Aminu, who has been introducing himself as a staff from the BNI, did same to Lance Corporal Fuseni Konlan at the Asawase Police Station and requested the Corporal to assist him to arrest the complainant in the case who called at the station to lodge a complaint against the accused.
Aminu, who was in the company of one Joe and Sunsum arrested the complainant at Dichemso, handcuffed him and said that he was wanted for his involvement in the Bawku crisis so the policeman should help them to send the man to the BNI office at Ahodwo Roundabout, Kumasi. 
The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Nana C. K. Fosu, said the Lance Corporal who was on guard duty that night, alighted at the Suame Roundabout and went to his duty point.
He said after the policeman had left, the accused and his accomplices held the complainant captive in a taxicab and refused to allow his (complainant) relatives know where they had taken him to and rather demanded a ransom of GH¢5,000.00 before he would be released.
Nana Fosu said after a marathon negotiation the accused person collected GH¢1,200 behind the Jubilee House, Ghana Commercial Bank at Suame before he regained his freedom at about 2.30 pm.
The complainant, however, lodged a complaint with the Ashanti Regional BNI who managed to arrest Aminu on December 31, 2009. 
  Nana Fosu said the accused admitted his offence and was still assisting the police in their investigation.    

ST. LOUIS SHS MARKS 58TH SPEECH DAY (PAGE 11, FEB 24, 2010)

THE Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, has called on students to make the most out of the investments made in them by their parents and the nation.
He said the current generation of students should be inspired by the large number of past students managing various high positions in the country and learn hard to achieve the purpose for which they were in school.
Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu made the call at the 58th Speech and Prize-giving Day of St Louis Senior High School held at the school’s compound Kumasi in the Ashanti Region last week-end.
He said the school had contributed immensely to eracdicating the erroneous impression about the capabilities and potential of the Ghanaian woman.
Mr Opoku-Manu said the government considered investment in human resource as a top-most priority and would explore all possibilities to ensure that schools and other training institutions were equipped with the requisite infrastructure to position them to produce the needed manpower to support the social and economic development of the country.
He advised the students to give due respect to their teachers and the authorities of the school to encourage them to open up to them to achieve their individual aims and aspirations in life.
The regional minister commended the Catholic Church for its immeasurable contribution towards supporting human resource development of the country.
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs Theresa Addae Commeh, said the school, which now has a population of 1,200, needed classroom blocks, accommodation facilities for tutors and a bigger school bus, explaining that the bus currently being used by the school could carry just a few students.
Mrs Commeh said the school had a borehole provided by a philanthropist but that could not cater for the water needs of the school and the students had to walk long distances to fetch water, and called on the ministry, companies and individuals to assist the school to meet its water requirements.
She said about 360 girls would be enrolled for the next academic year.
Mrs Commeh said majority of the 53 tutors and 63 non-teaching staff members lived outside the school compound and this had been a source of worry to the school since such a situation did not help in the supervision of the students.
Mrs Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh, Deputy Minister (Pre-Tertiary), who deputised for the Education Minister, commended the school for its academic spirit and successes chalked up by the students.
She commended the students for their healthy academic spirit, which is the prerequisite for harnessing the resources of the nation.
She also praised the students for being peaceful without the slightest unrest at the school.
The chairman for the ceremony and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, the Most Rev Thomas Kwaku Mensah, urged the students to learn with courage and take advantage of modern science and moral studies to help the nation because without moral excellence all their experience would come to nought.
He contended that moral education should be tied to the process of training and appealed to parents and guardians not to leave moral training in the hands of teachers.
He urged the government to always listen to the voice of the Catholic Church concerning education, adding that only the best was good for education and the church.
A representative of the St Louis Past Students Association (SLOPSA), Miss Georgina Darling Ofori, on behalf of the members, presented 30 computers, and 40 chairs and tables valued at GH¢42, 200 to the school as their ‘widow’s mite’ to assist their alma mater.

NATIONAL MEDIA COMMISSION COMMENDS GBC (PAGE 20, FEB 5, 2010)

WORKERS of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) have been commended for working hard for the corporation to meet the challenges as a state-owned media organisation.
The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, who made the commendation, said the company’s determination and resilience in the face of many odds had brought the station that far.
He mentioned some of the difficulties as poor remuneration, poor equipment and unfavourable working environment, adding that in spite of all those challenges, the staff of the company were able to produce news and entertainment to the people day and night.
Mr Blay-Amihere, who was addressing the GBC Divisional Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) delegates conference said the full story would be told at its 75th (Diamond) Jubilee celebration.
The conference was on the theme: “Emerging challenges of public broadcasting: The role of the union.”
Mr Blay-Amihere quoted the old adage that, “To those that much has been given, much is expected,” to buttress his point.
“It is universally accepted that the media are very vital to the building of every nation. As pioneer in broadcasting in the country, and as a state-owned public broadcasting service, much has been expected from GBC with so little given to it to fulfil its mandate,” Mr Blay Amihere stressed.
He said he was aware of the new challenges facing the service in the wake of the expanded media landscape with more than 120 FM radio stations, as well as more than 50 newspapers.
Mr Blay-Amihere also touched on the advent of the Internet, which sometimes was at the disadvantage of GBC which had a reputation of high professionalism and a national mandate that was not driven by profit but service to the nation.
The NMC Chairman commended the workers for resisting the temptation to “abandon the ship and join greener pastures”.
He was of the opinion that the new Public Broadcasting Bill, when passed, would address the issue of funding and other related challenges that could make the GBC a truly public broadcaster.
The Director-General of GBC, Mr Ampem Darko, said for the corporation to achieve its vision of providing an efficient, reliable and credible broadcasting service in the fields of culture, education and entertainment which reflected national progress and aspirations, as well as generated more revenue, there was the need to review the existing rules and tariffs.
He recalled how toll bridge rates had gone up astronomically, but television licence fees still remained as low as 30Gp, a situation he stressed needed to be addressed to prevent the taxpayer’s station being used as poaching grounds for private stations.

18 SCHOOLS TO BENEFIT FROM PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME (PAGE 11, JAN 20, 2010)

EIGHTEEN junior and senior high schools in the Kumasi Metropolis are to benefit from the School-to-School Partnership Programme under the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI).
The programme is designed to strengthen the awareness on culture, foster the exchange of rewarding ideas and bridge the digital divide by reinforcing the use of technology in educational institutions.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, disclosed this when officials of the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) visited the metropolitan assembly.
Among them was Professor Jeffrey Sachs, co-founder of the Millennium Promise Alliance and Director of the Earth Institute at the Columbia University, and Mr Kofi Annan, a former United Nations Secretary-General.
Giving a brief history of the MCI, Mr Sarpong said Kumasi was launched as one of the first seven millennium cities in the African sub-region in January, 2006.
That, he noted, was followed in July that same year, by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the MCI and the commencement of the assessment of the Millennium Cities in 2007.
He said the programme was going to be of great benefit to Kumasi as it would accelerate the pace of its development and reduce poverty among the people.
Mr Sarpong said in close collaboration with some organs of the United Nations (UN) in April 2007, an Investors Guide for the city was launched in London, at which over 120 people from both the private and public sectors participated.
Currently, he said, Kumasi had four uncompleted MCI projects that had reached various stages of completion.
Mr Sarpong said the metropolitan assembly had provided 15 computers for the Opoku Ware School to facilitate the School-to-School Partnership Programme, while three computers had also been released to the health sector for the Mother and Baby Unit of the Suntreso Hospital for record keeping.
Other benefits include the sponsorship of five pre-school teachers to Israel, maternity clinic and ward and kindergarten blocks with ancillary facilities for five communities.
“The KMA believes that these modest achievements and remarkable efforts will go a long way to help make the Millennium Development Goals achievable in the metropolis”, he stressed, and expressed the assembly’s gratitude to the entire MCI team for their commitment to the initiative.
Prof. Sachs in his reply said the MCI delegation was in Kumasi to work together with the assembly to connect schools in Kumasi with their counterparts in New York and Washington.
“We have a lot of great things ahead. It is time for Ghana to improve investment and technology”, he stated.
He also commended Mr Kofi Annan for mooting the idea of the Millennium Goals.

FOOTBALLER JAILED 20 YEARS FOR DEFILEMENT (PAGE 3, JAN 16, 2010)

THE Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced an 18-year-old footballer, Augustine Appiah, to a 20-year jail term for defilement.
Appiah pleaded not guilty to the charge but the prosecution was able to prove its case.
Presenting the facts to the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Comfort Baffuor-Kyei, said both the victim and the convict lived very close to each other at Abuakwa-Maakro in Kumasi.
She said on December 15, 2009, Appiah took undue advantage of the absence of the victim’s father from the house and forcibly had sex with her on the floor in her father’s room.
When her father arrived, the victim narrated the incident to him and he, in turn, reported the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Police Service in Kumasi.
Appiah was arrested three days after the incident.
A police medical form was issued to the victim, who returned it duly endorsed by a medical officer.
According to the prosecution, a police report stated that the convict had admitted the offence in his caution statement. However, during the trial in chambers, the convict alleged that the victim was his girlfriend.