AIDS test mandatory…Before wedding in Dormaa Methodist
Pistol found in boys' hostel…At Aggrey Memorial
Expose corrupt government officials
Ghana Education Service blows 300mC on Konadu's NGO
NDC's rural development is a hoax…
AIDS test mandatory…Before wedding in Dormaa Methodist
The Ghanaian Times in its top story reports that a reverend minister of the Methodist Church has made AIDS test mandatory for people belonging to his circuit, who wish to marry. Those who refuse to have the test cannot have their wedding in the church. They will not have the approval of the church for their marriage.
The Times says the Reverend Emmanuel Eddy Ackon, Superintendent Minister of the Dormaa-Ahenkro circuit in the Brong Ahafo Region, explained that his directive is not meant to embarrass anybody. Rather, it is part of an attempt to help check all forms of social menace and save innocent people from the trouble arising out of careless "some blind love". Rev. Ackon is reported to have given the directive at the church's annual harvest and thanksgiving service at Dormaa-Ahenkro.
The paper says Rev. Ackon defended his action, saying that it is in conformity with the national crusade to check the spread of the deadly disease. "A lot of people are afraid, for whatever reasons, to do the test but I insist on it. So far, no one has tested positive", he is quoted as saying.
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Pistol found in boys' hostel…At Aggrey Memorial
The Daily Graphic reports that the Cape Coast Police have taken possession of a pistol and some ammunition retrieved from one of the boys dormitories of Aggrey Memorial Zion Secondary School at Cape Coast in the Central Region. The Graphic says in its lead story that the automatic pistol, number 79, with one round of ammunition stuck in the chamber and 10 rounds 8mm ammunition in a small plastic box, were retrieved from the ceiling of the dormitory on November 24, this year.
The paper says Mr J.B. Amofah, Central Regional Police Commander, in a briefing, said the headmaster of the school, Mr Kwasi Appiah-Danquah, at about 2 p.m. that day, called for police assistance to protect the school against a planned demonstration by the students against the school authorities. According to Mr Amofah, when the police got to the school, the headmaster handed over to them the weapon and the ammunition, which he said were retrieved from the ceiling during an unannounced search conducted by the teaching staff.
He said the search was conducted upon a tip-off that some of the students were planning to demonstrate and that weapons were to be used during the event. He said the headmaster then took the police to "Pinanko Block" room number one and pointed to a ceiling where the items were discovered. None of the students in the room claimed ownership of the items, the story says, adding that the police command is continuing investigations into the case.
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Expose corrupt government officials
In a front-page banner headline story, the Evening News reports that the leadership of the Progressive Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) has asked all cadres to openly expose corrupt government and party officials, whom they feel are dissipating Ghana's scarce resources. "Nobody will victimise you for doing the right thing. If you find ant government official going contrary to the original principle of the revolution and involving himself in any unacceptable practice, that person must be exposed", Nii Adjei Boye Sekan, Presidential Staffer in charge of the PVOs, is quoted as saying. Nii Boye Sekan was speaking in an interview with the paper in Accra on Wednesday.
He is reported as saying that the issue of corruption has been highlighted of late and therefore there is the need for all to help curb it. His comments are said to be based on allegation made by some cadres that some government and party officials are being corrupt in their day-to-day activities. Nii Boye Sekan urged them not to generalise the issue of corruption among all government officials but to point out those involved
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Ghana Education Service blows 300mC on Konadu's NGO
The Ghanaian Chronicle in a front-page banner, says as the Ghana Education Service (GES) revealed recently that it needs 12,000 teachers to run the public schools, it has emerged that the service has seconded 131 trained teachers, who are paid with public funds, to the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM), a non-governmental organisation, closely affiliated to the ruling NDC and headed by Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the First Lady.
The Chronicle says sources give a conservative estimates of how much is gobbled down annually by the DWM, which runs day-care centres for profit, at 300 million cedis. The paper says according to the GES, the teachers on secondment are engaged mostly at day-care centres, which, as institutions that cater for early childhood development, receive maximum support from the GES.
The Chronicle says the disclosure was contained in a reply to its questionnaire to the Director-General of the Service, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi. According to the paper, the questionnaire was prompted by concerns over unconfirmed reports that more than 6,000 teachers are on secondment as organisers to the DWM.
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NDC's rural development is a hoax…
In its top story, the Free Press says that the much-talked about rural development and educational reforms by the (P)NDC could at best be described as a "hoax", when one thinks of the fact that in some areas in the Eastern Region, a whole primary school of six classes, does not have a single classroom.
The paper says that where the situation is "even better", the whole primary school is accommodated in an old church building and sometimes two rooms for the six classes, that is three classes under one roof. According to the Free Press, its visit to some villages in the Manya Krobo District, has established that such situations abound in the area. It says at Adwenso village, a 15 x 30 feet mud, uncemented classroom is used by classes 4, 5 and 6.
The paper says that the situation would undoubtedly affect the academic performance of the pupils for between 7.30 a.m. and 12 noon, the three classes would be required to use the classroom on a shift basis. It quotes a source as saying that at times, one of the classes might not learn at all.
The Free Press says that sadly enough, these pupils at the end of the nine-year period (at J.S.S. 3) sit for the same examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council for all schools in Ghana.
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