Saga of 14
Pajero cars…All engines failed within 6 months
The
Principal of the Sunyani Polytechnic, Dr Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, has suggested to
politicians and other public officials to stop educating their children abroad.
This principle, he said, will demonstrate their confidence in the country’s
educational system and motivate all Ghanaians to educate their children
locally.
Mr
Nsiah-Gyabaah explained that it would also facilitate qualitative improvement
in the country’s educational system. The Principal said as a result of lack of
facilities, 1,317 qualified applicants could not be admitted and added that the
rate at which politicians and policy makers have been sending their children abroad
to receive education sends signals to the rest of Ghanaians that those who
formulated the educational policies have lost confidence in the system.
This year
1,945 students, including 615 females, were formally admitted to the
institution. He said one major reason for the failure of the educational
reforms programme is that policies have been centred mainly on teaching without
addressing the basic and pressing needs of students and teachers.
“In the
polytechnics, for instance, inadequate infrastructure and low salary levels of
staff have made it very difficult to attract and retain qualified staff,” he
said.
The
Principal, therefore, commended the staff of the polytechnics who stayed on to
teach in spite of the difficulties. He called on the government to, as a matter
of urgency, mobilize public opinion on the burning issues relating to the
duration of the SSS programme, infrastructure, salary and motivation of
teachers and funding of tertiary education.
Dr
Nsiah-Gyabaah noted that there is no point reducing ythe number of years spent
at the JSS when the students who come out of the schools are not well trained
to function effectively on the job market.
He said the
polytechnic is negotiating with some private estate developers to put up
hostels and flats for staff and students to solve the accommodation around the
polytechnic campus to charge exorbitant rents.
Others have
also turned unapproved structures into bedrooms/hostels for students without
providing facilities such as toilets, bathrooms, water and electricity. This
situation, according to the principal, is creating a lot of problems for the
students.
He said the
economic constraints faced by the polytechnics will not make the provision of
hostel facilities possible. Dr Nsiah-Gyabaah said Higher National Diploma
programmes in General Agriculture, Secretaryship and Management Studies will
take off at the polytechnic next year. He warned the students against the
HIV/AIDS pandemic.
More…/
Former
Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam was at the
weekend elected unopposed as the Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC) at the party’s regional delegates congress at
Sunyani.
The
congress, which recorded major changes in executive positions at the regional
secretariat also witnessed Mr D.K. Antoh, a businessman, defeating Alhaji Musah
Mohammed to become the first vice-Chairman.
Other
executive members elected were Nana Asare Kufuor, second vice-Chairman; Mr
Mohammed Doku, Secretary; Mr K. Oppong Ababio, Assistant Secretary; Mr Charles
Baafour Diawuo, Organiser, and Nana Nimpong, Treasurer.
The rest
are Mr Amparbeng Kyeremeh, Propaganda Secretary; Alhaji Dauda Bawa, Deputy
Propaganda Secretary, and Deputy Regional Organiser, Mr Baba Gasu.
Two days
earlier, Mr Mohammed Seidu and Miss Agnes Adomah were elected Regional Youth
Organiser and Regional Women’s Organiser respectively at a special congress.
The
election, supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC), was attended by some
former ministers, including Mr J.H. Owusu Acheampong, Mrs Cecilia Johnson, Mr
Kwabena Kyereh and Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah.
Addressing
the delegates, Mr Asiedu-Nketiah, who is also the Member of Parliament for
Wenchi West, said the party is poised to recapture political power in the 2004
presidential and parliamentary elections.
He said the
NDC has identified its mistakes and will not repeat them to ensure that it
forms the next government in January 2005. He, therefore, called on party
members to rally behind the new leadership to enable it to work hard to win
back seats it lost to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the last parliamentary
polls.
Mr
Owusu-Acheampong, for his part, urged the members to work hard to mobilise more
people to join the ranks of the party.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
The Minority has expressed surprise at last Thursday December 12 ruling by the Speaker that a motion they had wanted to move could not be heard.
In a press conference after the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Peter Ala Adjetey, had passed his ruling, the minority led by their leader Hon A.S.K. Bagbin said it was very difficult to understand the speaker’s decision because whereas he himself admitted the motion and gave the directive for it to be printed in the order paper, it would be improper to rule that the same motion could not be heard.
Hon. Bagbin admitted that the House’s Standing Order has not made it clear on who (the leadership of the House or the Speaker who is not a member of Parliament) should admit business statements into the house.
He said they would move a substantive motion at a latter date if that is what will relieve Ghanaians from the untold hardship that has plagued the ordinary people. Earlier the Speaker Hon. Aala Adjetey had ruled that the motion – “that this House urges the government to reduce price of Petroleum Produce Pricing Policy” – Could not be heard due to the House’s Standing Order 93 (3), which state that “It shall be out of order to attempt to reconsider any specific question upon which the House has come to a conclusion during the current session, except upon a substantive motion for rescission”.
The Speaker had explained that allowing a motion on the Order paper does not necessarily mean he has to admit it even if a member raises a constructive objection to such motion.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Hon. Christine Churcher, Minister of State for Basic, Secondary and Girl Child Education has affirmed that if Africa and indeed Ghana could devote greater resources, time and energy to female education, the resultant crescendo in the level of socio-economic development would be overwhelming.
She stressed that when women are well educated, society gets advantage in increased earnings and income, higher productivity, improved diet for families, reduced infant mortality and a corresponding increase in levels of public health.
She cautioned stakeholders in education that available statistics paint an appalling portrait of the education of African women and girls with 19 sub-Saharan countries having literacy rate for females below 30 per cent while corresponding rates for males were twice as much.
She further expounded that less than half of 6-11 year old girls are estimated to be in school with the situation in Ghana equally gloomy or dusky.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary speech and prize giving ceremony of Academy of Christ the King at Cape Coast, Hon. Churcher reiterated that the theme for the celebration, “Promoting gender equity through quality education for national development” could not have come at a better time than this when the NPP government is determined to make education the tool for women’s empowerment.
She propounded that another major intervention of the NPP government to economically empower women and make it possible for them to educate their children has been the launching of President Kufuor’s 700 billion cedis Emergency Social Relief Programme (ESRP).
Ms Churcher assured the headmistress, staff, board of directors and students of Academy of Christ the King that as MP for Cape Coast and the Minister of State for the sector, she would make sure that the school’s vision of being at par with the endowed schools will be topmost on her agenda.
In this era of positive change and positive attitude, the MP further assured the school that their enlisted problems would be given prompt attention.
Hon. Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, speaking as the Guest of Honour for the anniversary, stated that he is aware of parents making sacrifices for the success of their children in education and students should reciprocate by staying away from drugs, teenage pregnancies and other negative tendencies.
He asked the students not to let the investment made by their parents and the government go waste as the government has given out 20 billion cedis to absorb some of the fees paid by students.
Mr. Muniru Arafat Nuhu, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) in his address, asked students to examine themselves individually and determine where they are on the “ladder of honesty”.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Saga of
14 Pajero cars…All engines failed within 6 months
The Ghana
Water Company Limited (GCWL) has a mountain to climb in their effort to
convince Ghanaians to accept the proposed huge increases in water bills
following forensic audit report highlighting wide spread fraud, embezzlement
and mismanagement in the operation of the company in the immediate past.
According
to the report, 14 Mitsubishi Pajero Cross country vehicles imported through
African Automobile Limited (AAL) broke down with engine problems within six
months of delivery. When the management of GCWL asked for replacement in
accordance with warranties on the vehicles, AAL did rectify only one vehicle.
According
to AAL showroom prices, a Pajero 2.5 litres cost $39,000 (about ¢280 million).
A new model with 3.2 litres engine cost $45,000 (about ¢330 million). The total
cost of the 14 cars is estimated at between ¢3.9 billion and ¢4.5 billion. All
this is lost to the company. In addition to this whooping loss, the GWCL spends
huge sums of money on repairs and maintenance.
“Currently,”
states the audit report, “African Automobile Limited, local representative for
Mitsubishi vehicles has sued GWCL in an Accra High Court for payment of ¢3.637
billion being cost of spare parts supplies and maintenance on GWCL
vehicles.”
The audit
team found mismanagement of the transport system at GGWCL and made the
following recommendation: “We recommend that an investment appraisal should be
carried out to determine the merits of rather acquiring new vehicles than to
invest heavily in faulty vehicles.
The sum of
the money AAL is claiming from GWCL of over ¢3 billion for the supplies of
spare parts and maintenance of GWCL vehicles could conveniently acquire ten
cross country vehicles.”
In an orgy
of misapplication of company resources, the report found that the Chief Manager
in Public Relations has failed to account for imprest given him from 1999 to
2001 amount to about ¢128 million and recommended stringent means to get the
amount refunded.
“We have
recommended that all means must be used to recover the amount, including a
request by the Company solicitor Secretary to take appropriate legal procedure
to hold lien, his superannuation and social security.”
But Anson
Lawson, the Manager in question, interdicted since February this year, with
Charles Adjei, former Managing Director of the GWCL, disputed the audit
findings in a chat with Public Agenda.
He said he
has accounted for every cedi collected in the performance of his duties. “I
have retired all imprest and I have documentation to prove that,” he said.
The report
questioned the rationale behind payment of about ¢1 million every month as
phone bills on the cellular phone used by Board Chairman C.W.O. Sackeyfio. “The
company ought to have limits for Executives who have such facilities in the
light of GWCL’s financial position.
The report
indicted Charles Adjei for involving the company in an expenditure of 7,500
pounds to advertise in an African Investment Almanac without seeking
professional advice from the Public Relations unit. “By professional standards,
the advert was expensive and unnecessary.
The report
said as at September 20, when their mandate ran out, the audit team had not
been able to complete their assignment due to the volume of malfeasance they
had to contend with.
“The
construction of 10 Horsely Water Tanks, acquisition of a property in Kumasi and
chemical usage at the various water works, utility billing, payroll and cash
management at the districts were not fully covered due to the volume of work in
relation to the reporting time frame.” The audit team said the investigation
was still ongoing.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
The Managing Director of Ghana Commercial Bank, Mr William Bray has
commended the government for its prudent fiscal discipline which has caused a
reduction in inflation, interest rates and stability of the exchange rate.
“This is good for the commerce and we encourage the government to continue the
good work it is doing in this area. Surely, if this trend continues, then the
government’s vision of the Golden Age of Business would be achieved,” he said.
Mr Bray was addressing the customer of GCB at a cocktail held in Accra, The
occasion was to create a platform for the bank to congratulate its customers for doing
business with the bank.
GCB has already responded to the favourable changes in the macro-economic
environment by reducing its base interest rates twice within the last quarter of this
year.
The bank reduced its rate in October from 48 per cent to less than 38 per cent and in
Last week it was again reduced to 35 per cent, thereby becoming the first bank to do
so. Mr Bray assured that the bank had position itself in such a way that it could attend
to the financial needs of both small and medium scale businesses.
He noted that one major problem the bank faced is the inability of customers to bring
to the notice whatever difficulties they encountered with the bank. “All we see is that a customer who previously was with the us is now doing business with another bank.
Even if we are exposed to them, they leave all the same and the facility remain in our books unretired.
“This development makes it difficult for us to do business the way we would love to. It is my wish that customers would inform the bank, immediately, whenever they take a facility from us and problems crop up. The bank would make suggestions as to how best to solve the problems,” he said.
Mr Bray said that the bank would next year increase its total advances by at least a third to enable it give more credit to the agricultural sector and other vital sectors such as the export sector.
He stated that the “COMMERNET” product, which enables customers to access their accounts from their offices and homes using dial-up lines would be launched next year.
“So far, 82 out of our 130 branches are computerised. This would help reduce frustrations customers go through in terms of long waiting hours at the banking halls to the detriment of their businesses” he stated.
The managing director noted that customers would be provided more automated teller machines (ATM) at various locations to facilitate the smooth take off of its product Flex save.
He explained that all these products were intended to enhance commerce and hence make life easier for the customer.
GRi…/
Send your
comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com