District assembly places embargo on Poverty Alleviation Fund
Distance Education must be Integral part of Educational System - Spio-Garbrah
Danish Parliamentary Committee Visits Volta Region
Otumfuo Pledges Support for Girl Education in Science
Two organisations assist Kumasi Central Prisons
Workers now better off with new wage policy – Mumuni
DWM has 230 Day-care centres in Ashanti
Help build a new Ghana - Bishop urges Christians
Dormaa Council vows to settle chieftaincy disputes
Re-demarcation of Ghana-Togo border is no antagonism
District assembly places embargo on Poverty Alleviation Fund
Ajumako(Central Region) 23 Aug. ’99
The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam district assembly has placed an embargo on the disbursement of its share of the Poverty Alleviation Fund because beneficiaries have not pay back their loans.
Mr Kobena Musa Biney, District Chief Executive explained on Thursday that out of 223 million cedis granted to beneficiaries, only one million cedis has been recovered.
The Poverty Alleviation scheme would be restored when the assembly sees a positive response in re-payment, he said.
Mr Biney appealed to the beneficiaries to repay promptly to enable others to benefit.
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Distance Education must be Integral part of Educational System - Spio-Garbrah
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 Aug. ’99
Ghana's dream of using education as a tool for human resource development in the next millennium will not be achieved unless distance education is made an integral part of the country's educational system, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Education, has said.
"A credible and efficient distance education programme will sharpen the skills and self-advancement of its recipients, thus empowering them to enhance the country's development process and enable them to compete in the global market."
Mr Spio-Garbrah told Dr. H. Lee MacDonald, Chairman, and Mr Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and Chief Executive officer of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) in Accra that some of the difficulties and pressure on the tertiary institution would have been eliminated if distance education had been introduced in the country earlier.
The COL was formed by Commonwealth governments in 1988 to widen access to learning opportunities and promote co-operation among educational institutions throughout the Commonwealth.
The minister said distance education would enable Ghana to enrol more than the current 40 per cent of qualified students who cannot gain admission to the country's universities.
Mr Spio-Garbrah said an aggressive expansion programme would enable a significant number of teachers and students to simultaneously obtain distance education.
The programme could be done through the use of Internet facilities, telecommunications, information technology, audio-visual equipment and radio and television broadcasts.
The minister noted that these products and services would help bring education to thousands of people who would otherwise be unreachable through conventional residential university education.
Dr. MacDonald, leader of the delegation, said they were on a fact-finding mission to explore how distance education can be used to increase access to all forms of education in Ghana.
He assured the minister of COL's readiness to collaborate with the ministry in making distance education available to potential students.
Mr R. A. Aggor, Co-ordinator for distance education of the ministry, said a pilot programmes involving 200 learners has already started at the University College of Education, Winneba.
The University of Ghana would launch its distance education programme this year and called on qualified students to take advantage of it.
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Danish Parliamentary Committee Visits Volta Region
Dededo (Volta Region) 23 Aug. ’99
Mr Jan Petersen, Acting Chairman of the Danish Parliamentary Committee on Finance, has said that the Danish Parliament strongly supports investments being made in various sectors of the Ghanaian economy.
Addressing a durbar at Dededo in the Volta region, Mr Petersen expressed satisfaction at the impact of Danish investment on the lives of rural communities.
The durbar was organsied for a 14-member Danish government delegation now on a four-day visit to the country to assess the impact of Danish investments in Ghana.
The team, which was accompanied by the Danish ambassador to Ghana, Mr Ole Blicher Olsen, also include the Danish Minister for Development Co-operation, Mr Jan Trojborg, and other staff from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr Kwasi Aboagye, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, said government is determined to develop the social and economic status of the rural communities.
Government, therefore, appreciates the immense contributions being made by the Danish government towards Ghana's development efforts.
So far 200,000 people have benefited from water facilities while an additional 150,000 are yet to be served.
Over the last six years, the programme has constructed 400 institutional and 1,250 household places of convenience, as well as 900 water systems in the region.
The programme is being implemented in collaboration with a number of foreign and local partners including the British Department for International Development (DFID), the World Health Organisation and some church organisations.
The delegation will later visit the Akosombo transport project and cultural and wildlife projects being funded by DANIDA.
They will also pay a courtesy call on President Jerry John Rawlings and interact with some Ghanaian parliamentarians.
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Otumfuo Pledges Support for Girl Education in Science
Kumasi (Asahnti Region) 23 Aug. ’99
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has pledged his support for girl-child education, especially the annual Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) clinic for girls.
He observed that when girls are given the opportunity and encouragement to study Science and Mathematics, they would be able to contribute their quota to the technological advancement of the country.
The Asantehene said this when 290 girls and organisers attending a week's STME Clinic in Kumasi paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace on Saturday.
The girls were drawn from the various junior and senior secondary schools in all the 18 districts in the region.
The district assemblies are sponsoring 252 of the girls with 38 of them being catered for by private schools in the region.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu expressed his gratitude for the visit and urged the girls to be humble, obedient and learn hard.
He pointed out that the world is controlled by Science and Technology and they should, therefore, adopt positive attitudes in learning Science and Technology and consider it as indispensable in everyday life.
The STME Clinic was initially organised on national basis but has now been decentralised.
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Two organisations assist Kumasi Central Prisons
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 23 Aug. ’99
The Presbyterian Prisons Ministry, Accra, and Prisons Christian Fellowship in Kumasi have presented equipment and materials worth 2.2 million cedis to the Central Prisons in Kumasi.
The Presbyterian Ministry donated a gas oven worth 1.7 million cedis and 300,000 cedis cash to the Female Department while the Fellowship gave three boxes of intravenous infusions worth 180,000 cedis to the infirmary of the Prisons.
The Reverend Charles Frimpong-Mensah, Treasurer, and Elder Sylvester Kofi-Attiah, member, both of the Fellowship, presented the items that were received by the Chief Superintendent of Prisons, Mr Henry Ofori.
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Workers now better off with new wage policy – Mumuni
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 Aug ’99
Alhaji Mohamed Mumuni, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, has said the implementation of the Price Waterhouse salary report has made the majority of workers better off than before despite initial setbacks.
In an interview on the new wage policy, Alhaji Mumuni said it has not only enhanced the income levels of workers but also improved the efficiency rate of payment from 90 per cent to 95 per cent after the initial anomalies were rectified.
He said data compiled by the Controller and Accountant-General's Department indicated that in July, this year, 60 per cent of workers on its pay-roll received salary increases ranging from 20 per cent to 50 per cent while 28 per cent of them got varying pay rise of up to 20 per cent.
Those who did not receive any increases represented just about 11 per cent of the 300,000 workers on the Controller's payroll.
Alhaji Mumuni said the initial problems identified with the new salary structure in June were basically technical errors, which bordered on data entry and computation.
These anomalies, he said, were not unexpected considering the large number of workers on the Integrated Personnel and Pay Data payroll.
However, he said, the situation was of grave concern to government hence its directive to the Controller to improve upon its efficiency of payment.
The initial implementation of the Price Waterhouse report in June received severe criticism from workers on the payroll of the Controller.
Some of the workers had their salaries either reduced or had negative salaries while others received nothing at all.
Other problems identified included wrong entries of data, omissions and wrong interpretation of the "grandfather" concept which, the Ministry said, was based on the principle that no worker should be made worse off by the new wage policy.
Alhaji Mumuni said the Controller took "prompt action" to raise special vouchers to pay the affected workers who, according to him, constituted about 10 per cent of the total workforce.
He intimated that the pay concept under the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) is that of total compensation where permanent allowances and other such pay supplements are to be eliminated.
The Minister said in order to achieve this objective, government has decided that maintenance allowance should not form part of total compensation but should be paid at the department or facility level.
This arrangement, which takes effect from this month, would help streamline the payment of vehicle maintenance allowance, which presently is fraught with a lot of abuse.
He said further discussions relating to policy matters are to be tabled by the Associations and discussed with the Central Management Board (CMB).
Alhaji Mumuni expressed surprise at the latest reaction of some groups who are criticising the implementation of the policy.
He said he was surprised because at various times some groups such as the Ghana Bar Association, Catholic Bishops Conference, leaders of the opposition and several others issued statements calling on government to ensure the immediate implementation of the policy.
"Such was the pressure that there was not ample time to test-run the pay-roll and remove all the bugs prior to full implementation," he said.
"Regrettably today, some of the same political party leaders have turned round to question the implementation of the policy," he added.
Alhaji Mumuni said government remains irrevocably committed to collective bargaining in bipartite and tripartite negotiations at the national, sectoral, enterprise and shop floor levels.
"At no time has government decided to set aside the legitimate right of workers to bargain as enshrined in their Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) because of the implementation of the Ghana Universal Salary Structure," he stressed.
He said government's commitment arises from its determination that collective bargaining, as a fundamental economic right of the Ghanaian worker under the Constitution, must be defended as stipulated by the International Labour Organisation Convention.
The minister called on all organisations whose CBAs are due for negotiations to notify their sector ministries who, in consultation with the CMB, will provide guidelines and broad policy outlines for negotiations.
He said subvented organisations without CBA certificates should also contact the CMB for appropriate guidelines and directives in order to convert onto the GUSS.
The CMB, he added, has the responsibility to continually monitor the levels agreed upon and advise government accordingly.
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DWM has 230 Day-care centres in Ashanti
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 23 Aug ’99
The 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) in the Ashanti Region, has so far established 230 Day-care Centres, Miss Agnes Obeng, Ashanti Regional Organiser of the Movement has said at the ninth passing out ceremony of the Ministries Canteen 31st DWM Day-care centre at Adum, Kumasi.
Twenty-six children passed out to enter basic school next academic year.
The Regional Organiser stressed that without assistance from the community and parents, the efforts of the Movement would not be successful since the management finds it difficult to pay attendants.
She appealed to parents to attend the Parent-Teacher-Association (PTA) meetings to contribute to the running of the centres and show concern for the training of their children.
Miss Anna Oppong, Headteacher said since its establishment in 1989 with 40 children, about 300 children have completed and entered basic school.
She urged parents to provide the required textbooks and stationary for their children when they are needed.
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Help build a new Ghana - Bishop urges Christians
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 23 Aug. ’99
The Right Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, Catholic Bishop of Koforidua on Friday called on Christians to engage their energies towards building a new Ghana as the new millennium approaches.
He therefore charged the Knights and Ladies of Saint John to spearhead the Catholic Church's campaign against bribery and corruption in the next millennium.
The Bishop was delivering the key-note address at the opening of the second biennial convention of the Cape Coast Grand Commandery and Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Saint John International in Kumasi.
He stressed that bribery and corruption is the root cause of most of the woes and tragedies in the country.
"If we are able to curb or even eradicate this sinful canker and immoral practice, we shall leave a better and more prosperous Ghana to posterity".
Delegates attending the convention are from local commanderies and auxiliaries in the Central, Western, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions.
The five-day convention is under the theme, "A journey towards the year of Jubilee, Our way of life".
Bishop Palmer-Buckle advised the Knights and Ladies of Saint John to study the last two pastoral letters of the Bishops Conference on Bribery and Corruption, and try to implement the outlined strategies.
He reiterated Pope John Paul's call on the industrialised nations to cancel Africa's 250 billion dollars debt as the world enters the next millennium.
The Right Reverend Peter Akwasi Sarpong, Catholic Bishop of Kumasi, urged Christians to pray for love to permeate the lives of Ghanaians so that the society, which is plagued with all kinds of vices could become safe for all.
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Dormaa Council vows to settle chieftaincy disputes
Dormaa-Ahenkro (Brong Ahafo) 23 Aug. ’99
The Dormaa Traditional Council is determined to use every available means to settle chieftaincy disputes in the area to pave way for accelerated development.
Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu, Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, announced this at a meeting of the Traditional Council at Dormaa-Ahenkro on Friday.
He said the disputes have seriously affected the pace of development of the traditional area and called on the various factions to bury their differences and accept the peaceful settlement.
Osagyefo Agyemang Badu, who is also the president of the Dormaa Traditional Council, particularly mentioned areas such as Nsuhia, Akontanim, Wamfie and Dormaa-Akwamu where he said disputes have existed for a long time.
He called on members of the House to try and mobilise financial and material resources to undertake development projects to improve the living conditions of the people.
Osagyefo Agyemang Badu called on the people to unite and co-operate with the traditional leaders to ensure peace and development.
Nana Boakye Yiadom, Nkorahene, appealed to representatives of the traditional council in the Dormaa District Assembly to brief the House periodically about the assembly's deliberations to update members on development plans of the assembly.
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Re-demarcation of Ghana-Togo border is no antagonism
Wli-Afegame (Volta Region) 23 Aug. ’99
Alhaji Seidu Iddi, Volta Regional Minister, has said that the re-demarcation of Ghana-Togo boundaries does not mean separation in relations between the two sister countries.
He said such a move would rather strengthen the bond of friendship and remove any feelings of acrimony between peoples of the two countries.
Alhaji Iddi said this on Thursday during a visit to Wli-Afegame in the Hohoe District by a joint Ghana-Togo delegation to interact with the people and learn at first hand problems of encroachment on land and violations of Ghana's airspace by Togolese military aircraft last June.
Alhaji Iddi explained that the landing of Togolese military aircraft was not an attempt or any sinister motive by Togo to attack the people of Wli-Afegame and, for that matter, Ghana.
He, therefore, advised them not to become agitated or worried by the landing of Togolese helicopters in the area, which he described as a minor accident.
Alhaji Iddi said the Ghana-Togo Border Demarcation Commission would very soon start work on the issue and advised the people to co-operate with members of the commission.
General Sizing Walla, Togolese Minister of the Interior and Security, reiterated his government's position that the landing of the two aircraft was a mistake and pleaded with Ghana not to make a diplomatic case against Togo.
On the construction of a bridge at Wli-Afegame by his country, the Togolese minister said a background investigation would be carried out and the report forwarded to Ghana.
Okyeame John Awlisu, on behalf of the chiefs and people, assured the delegations that there was no quarrel among the people of Yikpa and that they would live in peace and harmony.
Nii Okaija Adamafio, Minister of the Interior, led the Ghana delegation.
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