GES to get tough on ghost names
Mother and son from the diaspora installed as sub- chiefs
Ministry to set up tourism development fund
VRA to provide water to 52 resettlements along Volta lake
Churches observe ban on drumming
Six communities to be connected to national Grid
Enforce laws on women and children rights - Movement
Convention party elects chairman for Western region
Methodist university takes off next October
Two health institutions receive drugs and medical equipment
First Lady calls for end to violence against women
Police forms watchdog task force to check criminals
GES to get tough on ghost names
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 17 May ’99 --
District Directors of Education will henceforth be held liable jointly with their accountants for any ghost names as well as other financial malpractices that may be detected on payment vouchers of any district.
Professor Chris Ameyaw-Akumfi, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service(GES) gave the warning at the close of a three-week financial management training for divisional, regional and newly-promoted district directors, accountants and auditors of the GES in Kumasi at the weekend.
The Director General therefore asked them to be very vigilant to ensure proper financial management in their
districts.
He reminded them that the training they had gone through had fully equipped them to stop some of the tricks adopted by financial officers, to ensure sound financial administration in their districts.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi regretted that "in the past, directors and other management staff were appointed to management positions without any formal training and practical experience in handling management issues, be it financial or otherwise".
That order needs to be changed, he said, but pointed out that the change will not take place or be sustained unless appropriate human skills are provided to support it.
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Mother and son from the diaspora installed as sub- chiefs
Tanoso (Brong Ahafo) 17 May ’99
An African-American, Bishop William Lockhart of the Temple of Faith Ministry was last Tuesday installed as Nkosuohene of Tano in the Techiman District, under the stool name Nana Yeboah Ashimah.
At the same ceremony, which was performed by Nana Kwasi Kwarteng Ababio, chief of Tanoso, Bishop Lockhart's mother, Berty Brown, was also installed as the Tanoso Nkosuohemaa. Her stool name is Nana Akosua Fosuaah Aduanwoma.
His two sisters, Mary and Rose, were given Ghanaian names as Amma Kraah Ntiriwah and Amma Twumawaah, respectively.
Bishop Lochart recalled the misery of the slave trade and disclosed that God revealed to him 29 years ago that Tanoso was his ancestral home adding that it was therefore a joy for him to set his foot on his ancestral land at last.
Nana Yeboah Ashimah expressed his determination to bring development and prosperity to the town through the provision of schools, good roads, a church, orphanage, and Christian education centres among others.
He launched a branch of his church in the town, saying it would be the "super structure" of the development of the area.
Mr Clement Antwi-Boasiako, assembly member, paid tribute to those who fought to abolish the slave trade and subsequently guaranteed freedom to all Africans who fell victim to the obnoxious trade.
He was happy that African-Americans are now searching for their roots as a result of which Bishop Lockhart has found Tanoso to be his ancestral home.
Congratulating them, Nana Owusu Korkor, Akwamuhene of Tanoso said the homecoming and enstoolment of Bishop Lockhart had overwhelmed him.
The Bishop automatically becomes a royal of the Akwamu stool of Tanoso.
Nana Kwasi Kwarteng Ababio promised to offer land to the Bishop to enable him carry out his intended development programmes.
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Ministry to set up tourism development fund
Cape Coast (Central Region) 17 May ’99
The Ministry of Tourism is to set up a tourism development fund to market and promote tourist facilities and events in the country.
This is to ensure the sustainable development of the industry to help achieve the projection of an estimated earning of more than one billion dollars within the next ten years.
The Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), Mrs. Doreen Owusu-Fianko, announced this at the third Central Region Tourism Awards Night held at Cape Coast on Saturday.
She said the modalities for the setting up of the fund were being worked out and that, at the opportune time, views would be solicited to ensure a comprehensive strategy.
In all, eleven individuals and businesses engaged in the industry in the region won competitive awards, with the "Coconut Grove Beach Resort" at Elmina, emerging as the "Hotel of the year" for the third time running.
Nana Kwame Nkyi the XII, Omanhene of Assin Apimanim Traditional Area, was adjudged the "Tourism Personality of the year" as part of honorary awards to seven organisations and individuals for their contribution to tourism development in the region.
Mrs. Owusu-Fianko said there are also plans by the GTB to set up a business development unit to guide and help fund the appropriate development in accommodation and other indigenous enterprises related to the hospitality industry.
This had become necessary because the recently held World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and Africa Travel Association (ATA) congress saw Africa, including Ghana, as the tourism destination for the next millennium, she said.
The cultural, historical and ecological heritage, she said, are Africa's strength that would enable it to have a fair share of the ever-increasing global travel and tourism business.
Mrs. Owusu-Fianko also said emphasis should be placed on the development of communities within which tourist attractions are located to ensure sustainable tourism development that harmonises economic benefits for the people.
She, therefore, called on individuals and tourism development-oriented organisations in the region to develop and integrate tourism activities in such communities.
Mrs. Owusu-Fianko further called for an effective environmental sanitation management system within Cape Coast and Elmina.
She commended the award winners and said such occasions should be used to review individual and collective strategies to improve upon businesses in the industry.
The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Mr H.Q. Jehu-Appiah, however, expressed concern about the lack of qualified tour guides in the region to interpret the historical and cultural significance of festivals accurately to tourists.
He, therefore, stressed the need to train and acquire well-informed guides locally to sustain tourist interest in the region.
Welcoming the guests, Mr Sampson Donkor, the regional manager of the GTB, announced that more community-based tourism activities were being introduced to help achieve the region's vision to lead the country's tourism industry into the next millennium.
These include the enhancement of the Assin Manso Slave route project and the identification of one major attraction for development in selected districts to serve as a developing point for other attractions.
He also announced plans to provide additional accommodation facilities and said more than 350 international star-rated rooms would be added to existing ones by the year 2001.
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VRA to provide water to 52 resettlements along Volta lake
Makango (Northern Region) 17 May ’99
The Volta River Authority (VRA) resettlement trust board has released 500,000 dollars for the provision of potable water to all the 52 communities who were affected by the construction of the Akosombo Hydro Electricity Dam.
Feasibility studies have already been completed to determine the water systems that would be suitable for the communities scattered along tributaries of the Volta Lake.
Alhaji Hamid Baba Braimah, member of the board and MP for Salaga, announced this at Makango, a fishing and farming community in the East Gonja district.
He was commissioning an 80 million-cedi clinic, which he initiated three years ago with his share of the MP's common fund. The clinic, which has two staff bungalows furnished by FAME, will serve about 15 communities in the area.
The district assembly, in collaboration with the VRA Trust Board and the Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism (FAME), a medical non-governmental organisation, completed the project.
The VRA Trust Board, in conjunction with the Ministry of Mines and Energy, is contracting a loan facility from the Chinese government to extend electricity to the 52 communities at an initial cost of 46 million dollars, he said.
Evangelist Enoch Nyador, executive director of FAME, said the organisation had provided another clinic at Ekumdi, also in the East Gonja district.
He called on the people to live in peace and unity to attract more projects to the district.
Mr. Jerry Dramah Jackson, District Chief Executive, assured investors that peace had returned to the district after the 1994 ethnic conflict, adding, feel to come and invest in the area.
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Book fair opens in Bolgatanga
Bolgatanga (Upper East) 17 May ’99
Mrs. Stella Yembilla, Bolgatanga District Director of Education, says lack of relevant textbooks in school libraries is a major contributory factor to the falling standard of education in the country.
She noted that even though education has become a major priority on the country's development agenda, a lot still needs to be done to equip school libraries with the most up-to-date reading and learning materials.
Mrs. Yembilla was opening a two-day Upper East Regional Book Fair in Bolgatanga under the theme "the child has a right to read".
The fair, the first of its kind in the region, was organised by the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA), the Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC), and the Children Literature Foundation (CLF), a non-governmental organisation.
Mrs. Yembilla said in this era where scientific and technological is advancing fast, people living in less developed societies cannot afford to lack behind in the provision of adequate educational facilities.
Mrs. Yembilla, therefore, commended the organisers of the fair for extending their services to the people of the area, but urged them to extend their services to the districts.
Mr Courage Kwami Segbawu, National President of GBPA, said the aim of organising the fair in the regions is to expose students and pupils in schools to locally and internationally published books.
"It is our hope that the children will find these books attractive, buy a few and start the process of developing interest in reading to broaden their knowledge".
He called on local enterprises and business people in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions to invest in the distribution and selling of books.
Eighteen firms are participating in the two-day fair. They include some of the major stakeholders in the country's publishing industry like Afram Publications, Readwide Bookshop, SEDCO Publishing Limited, and EPP Books.
Others are the Ghana Universities Press, Mayan Book Centre, Bureau of Ghana Languages, Africa Christian Press, the Bible Society of Ghana and Royal Gold Publishers.
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Churches observe ban on drumming
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May ’99
Churches in the Accra Metropolis on Sunday went about their activities without their usual drumming in apparent observance of the ban on drumming and noise making imposed by the Ga Traditional Council.
Churches visited by the Ghana News Agency included the True Vine Charismatic Church, near the Baiden Powel Hall, at the High Street, Holy Trinity Cathedral, High Street, Lighthouse Chapel International and Church of Pentecost, both at Korle-Gonno.
The others were Pentecostal Church International, Dansoman, Winners Chapel and Presbyterian Church, Ghana, Dansoman Asoredanho.
At the Korle-Gonno Lighthouse Chapel, officials of the church declined to talk to the GNA. A source close to the church, however, said that last year the church was at the centre of controversy surrounding the ban on drumming and so had decided not to drum at all this year.
"We did not drum but we will worship God because there is no prescribed method for the worship of the Lord," he said.
As at 1100 Hours, there were no reported cases of harassment by any group of persons in any of the churches visited.
Security personnel were also not seen at the premises of the churches but worshippers spoken to believed that the warning by the Police Administration against unlawful acts was being heeded.
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Six communities to be connected to National Grid
Bibiani (Western Region) 17th May ’99 –
Six communities in the Sefwi-Anwhiaso-Bekwai District of the Western Region are to be connected to the national electricity grid soon.
They are Surano, Chirano, Subri, Patabosso, Tanoso and Afam, Mr Seidu Adam, MP for the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai announced at Bibiani during a working visit over the weekend.
Mr Adamu who is also the Deputy Regional Minister for the Western Region, said work on the 13-kilometre road from Sefwi-Bekwai to Wiawso has been completed while work on the Bibiani-Awaso road is in progress.
He said potable water has been provided for the people of Bibiani, Anwhiaso, Awaso, Patabosso, Tanoso and Asawinso.
The MP asked parents to send their children to school and called for co-operation between them and teachers to ensure peaceful environment for academic work.
Nana Wereko Ampim, National Democratic Congress Chairman for the Constituency, called for unity, peace and co-operation between members of the NDC and those in the opposition for the development of the area.
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Enforce laws on women and children rights - Movement
Anwiafutu (Ashanti) 17th May ’99 –
The Atwima District branch of the 31st December Women's Movement has called on the Law enforcement agencies and the Judiciary to strictly enforce laws enacted to protect the rights of women and children.
It is only through this that the laws would be respected, a communique issued during the 17th
anniversary celebration of the movement at Anwiafutu, a farming community in the district, said.
Signed jointly by Ms Margaret Oduro, District Chairperson and Madam Grace Danso, Executive Member,
the communique pledged the total support of women in the area to Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, First Lady and President of the Movement.
It expressed the readiness of the branch to work towards the success of policies and programmes initiated by the leadership of the movement.
The women congratulated the government for its bold and pragmatic policies aimed at empowering women and expressed optimism that the people of Ghana would massively vote to retain the NDC to carry through its vision for the nation in the year 2000 general elections.
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Convention party elects chairman for Western region
Takoradi (Western Region) 17th May ’99 –
Dr. Asua Kwesi, a Takoradi private medical practitioner was at the weekend electedchairman of the Western regional branch of the Convention Party (CP) at a congress held at the Workers College, Takoradi.
He polled 61 votes to beat the interim chairman, Supi Ebo Bentsi-Enchill who polled 28 votes at a keenlycontested election supervised by the Electoral Commission.
Dr. Gordon Alozuka, a tutor of Saint Johns Secondary school in Sekondi polled 56 votes to dispose of the interim regional Secretary , Mr. I. B. K. Arthur, who had 32 votes. The post of regional orgainser went to Mr. J. E. Menyah who beat his opponent, Mr. S. K. Eshun by 48 to 41 votes.
Mr. Chris Nkrumah became the regional youth organiser when he had 53 votes as against 34 votes polled by his opponent, Mr. John Obeng.
As a compromise, the post of assistant regional secretary was given to Mr. I. B. K. Arthur, while that of assistant regional organiser and assistant youth orgainser were unanimously given to Mr. S. K. Eshun and Mr. John Obeng.
Miss Eku Kuder and Miss Naomi Arthur were elected unopposed as regional women’s orgainser and assistant regional women’s organiser respectively, while Mr. Ibrahim Bajo was elected unopposed as education secretary.
Professor Mawuse Dake, member of the central committee of the party ppealed to all genuine Nkrumaists to come together to build the Convention Party on the foundation laid by the late President, Osagyefo DR Kwame Nkrumah.
He pointed out that Nkrumaism can never be destroyed by any party because the benefits it brought to Ghanaians have not been surpassed by any government.
Dr. Nii Noi Dowuona, Interim General Secretary said the country has serious problems due to mismanagement of the country's resources.
He called on the youth and women to rally behind the party to enable it to win the 2000 election to reverse the hardships that Ghanaians are going through.
Other speakers included Honorable Mr. Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira and Honorable J. E. K. Abekah, MP for Effia-Kwesimintsim.
The Congress was chaired by Mr. Arkoh Nelson who deputised for the interim chairman of the party, Mr. Kojo Botsio.
Present were Dr. K. Nduom and Mr. George Aggudey aspiring flag bearers of the party.
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Methodist university takes off next October
Accra (Greater Accra), 17th May ’99 –
The Methodist University, the second private university to be established in the country, will take off next October.
Reverend Albert Ofoe Wright, Secretary of the Methodist Conference announced this on Saturday at the opening of a three-day delegates conference of the Boys and Girls Brigades of the church in Accra on Saturday.
He said the new university, which will be temporarily located at the campus of Wesley Grammar School in Accra, will offer courses in various disciplines including computer studies, science and agriculture.
The Church has acquired land at Larteh, Akwapim, for the future expansion and permanent campus of the university.
The conference is being attended by 150 delegates and will discuss the rejuvenation of the activities of the brigades, the church, the youth and the country's development.
It is under the theme, "Supporting the Vision, Role of the Methodist Brigades in the next millennium".
Rev. Ofoe Wright said the university will maintain campuses in Kumasi, Dawhenya and Sunyani.
He said adequate preparation and organisational work has been done to start the university project, including the appointment of an acting co-ordinator. A secretariat has also been established in Accra.
Rev. Ofoe Wright said a hostel for the students has been procured and a library facility is being put in place and announced that the Trinity Theological Seminary at Legon, has received accreditation as an autonomous institution to pursue courses.
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Two health institutions receive drugs and medical equipment
Offinso (Ashanti), 17th May ‘99 –
Ananse Foundation, a Netherlands-based non-governmental organisation on medicare has presented medical equipment and drugs worth 300 million cedis to Saint Patrick's hospital at Maase and Nkenkasu community health centre both in the Offinso District of Ashanti.
The Foundation is committed to better medical care in urology in hospitals in Africa, south of the Sahara.
The donation is made up of assorted drugs, theatre equipment, beds and mattresses, bed-side lockers
and tables, wheel chairs, cutlery and diathermy machines.
Others are sutures, catheters, theatre instruments, thermometers and stethoscopes, clinical equipment and urological instruments and materials.
Mr Sylvester Barimah-Antwi, African representative of the Foundation who presented the items said the Foundation provides medical, supportive and technical care in the health.
Mr Barimah-Antwi said the Foundation presented theatre equipment worth 60 million cedis to the Saint Patrick's Hospital last year.
He said the Foundation intends to offer training schemes for African medical doctors in urological surgery in an exchange programme.
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First Lady calls for end to violence against women
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 17th May ’99 –
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the First Lady and President of the 31st December Women's Movement(DWM), has noted with concern the continued perpetration of violence against women by fellow women.
This phenomenon, coupled with apathy and lack of solidarity among women in the country, are undermining the women empowerment drive being pursued by the movement.
Nana Konadu expressed these concerns at a regional rally at Sunyani on Friday as part of activities to mark the 17th anniversary celebration of the founding of the DWM.
She had earlier expressed similar sentiments at a durbar held in her honour at Nsoatre, near Sunyani, where she commissioned a 52 million-cedi day care nursery built by the movement with support from the district assembly and funded by the government, Sunyani District Assembly and the European Union.
Nana Konadu said the movement would continue to spearhead the full integration of women into national life and urged them to unite under the umbrella of the movement to ensure the full realisation of this objective.
She said, over the past years, the movement has, through income-generating activities and passage of gender sensitive laws, greatly contributed to the economic, social and political empowerment of women in the country.
Nana Konadu said the fact that a lot more women are occupying political positions was an indication of the positive impact of the efforts of the movement which, she said, would continue to exist even when her husband, President Jerry John Rawlings, leaves office.
She urged parents to take advantage of the government's Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme to enroll their daughters in school, adding that the acquisition of formal education is vital to the full participation of women in national life.
Nana Konadu further expressed concern about the rapid environmental degradation in the country and underscored the need for the strict enforcement and observance of environmental laws.
The General Secretary of the Movement and Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mrs Cecilia Johnson, said though the Movement is non-partisan, it has lent its support to the government because it is sensitive to the plight of women.
She asked Ghanaians not to forget the difficult days when the country was on the verge of collapse and how the present government managed to restore hope and international recognition for the country.
Mrs Johnson deplored what she described as the "growing spate of irresponsible journalism" in the country and urged journalists to be circumspect in their write-ups so that the peace and development of the country would not be interrupted.
She also called on chiefs to strive to find peaceful and effective ways to address permanently the numerous land and chieftaincy disputes which are undermining the government's investment drive and development.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Donald Adabre, paid tribute to the 31st December Women's Movement and its founder and leader for the able manner it has been able to champion the cause of women.
Mr Adabre described as appropriate the theme of the movement's anniversary celebration - "equality, peace and development, challenges of the third millennium" - and urged members to re-appraise their activities to evolve better strategies to address the concerns of women in the next century.
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Police forms watchdog task force to check criminals
Accra (Greater Accra), 17th May ‘99 –
The Greater Accra regional police commander has instituted a watchdog taskforce, comprising selected peace officers and their civilian counterparts, to check common crimes at selected places in the Accra Metropolis.
A statement issued on Saturday in Accra and signed by Mr Djanie Magoah, Chairman of the Taskforce, said it will be mounting operations to check crimes such as pick-pocketing, hard drugs, peddling and stealing.
The group has already mounted operations at Tudu, Accra Railways Station, Atukpai and around Makola areas, resulting in the arrest of a number of people suspected to be pickpockets, wee and cocaine peddlers and users who have been put before court.
The statement called on the public to assist the taskforce by reporting suspected criminals or showing their hideouts to enable the police to deal with them.
The public is also advised to shout for help whenever they are attacked by such criminals.
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