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Fake Doctor injects gold dealer to death | Ghana News Hub

2015-04-11T02:48:00.001-07:00

Fake Doctor injects gold dealer to death | Ghana News Hub

Charisma without character is a disgrace -Dr. Frimpong-Manso

2012-04-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

The General Superintendent of the Evangel Assemblies of God Church, Adabraka, has voiced out grave concern over the character of some pastors who, through their deeds, were dinting the image of men of God whose prime objective was to win souls for Christ. “Charisma without character,” Dr. Paul Frimpong-Manso argued, “is a disaster,” and expressed worry that some pastors had brought the image of the church into disrepute. However, he expressed satisfaction that ministers of the Assemblies of God Church had throughout the ages lived up to expectation, by exhibiting a high standard of morality to the glory of God, out of which they had now become worthy examples for others to follow. Dr. Frimpong-Manso made this observation on Saturday in Accra at an event to sanctify thirteen new ministers of the gospel by the Evangel Assemblies of God Church. He charged the new 13 consecrated ministers of the gospel not to be swayed by material things in life, but rather live holy, humble, happy, and healthy lives. “Succumbing to the chasing of girls, gold, and glory are the things that destroy leaders. As a reverend minister, if you do not live a holy life, you cannot make it. Holiness is a demand more than an option,” he noted. With the consecration of the thirteen new ministers, they are now officially recognised as Assemblies of God Church Ministers, and can now perform special and sacred functions of the church. Commenting on the event shortly after the programme, one of the newly-blessed ministers, Rev. Comfort Chemfe Adjarko, said expressed happiness with her new status. She told journalists that she was really humbled as an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God Church, and promised to work hard in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Rev. Adjarko, who is also the founder of the Tema-based Creator Schools, said there was joy in the work of God, and urged her follow colleagues to give their all in spreading the Good News. Touching on the 2012 general elections, Rev. Adjarko urged Ghanaians to be law-abiding and approach the polls with kind heartedness, in order to ensure peace before, during, and after the elections. “If we throw this nation into chaos, where will we go? Our God is a God of peace, so we should all go to the polls peacefully. Ghana should go forward and not backwards,” she said. Present at the function were other ministers of the gospel, including the Senior Pastor of the Tema Central Assemblies of God Church, Rev. David Nagbemado, some family members and friends of the newly-blessed ministers.

Veep inspects ZoomLion Sorting & Composting Plant

2011-08-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, on Tuesday, paid a surprise visit to inspect a multi-million sorting and composting facility being put up by waste management giants, ZoomLion Ghana Limited, at Adjenkotoku, a suburb of Accra.

Mr. Mahama was taken round the company by the Chief Executive Officer of ZoomLion Ghana, Mr. Siaw Agyapong

The facility, which is about 90% complete, will have the capacity to pelletise recovered plastics to be sold to end-users for the manufacture of plastic items such as plastic chairs, carpets, bowls and many others.

The facility is also expected to produce compost or organic fertiliser to feed local farmers to support the production of food for human consumption.

The plant would be able to process 300 tonnes of waste in an eight-hour shift, and will have a sorting and buy-back centre, where several people can be engaged in the recovery of useful materials to serve many other uses.

Directly and indirectly, the establishment of this sorting and composting centre would provide employment to several hundreds of youths, especially, those within the immediate environs of the facility.

Owners of the facility, after the presidential tour, said frantic efforts were in the pipeline to expand the centre to include recycling and liquid waste treatment plants in the shortest possible time.

They called for government partnership, since the facility was cost and labour intensive.

Mr. Mahama speaking to journalists, after inspecting the facility, said he was impressed with what he saw, and promised that the government would consider the proposal being put up by owners of the facility in good faith.

He said the project, which is currently on a pilot basis, would be replicated in other major cities such as Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale, where generation of garbage is very high.

Ghana: Faith Baptist School denies child molestation charge

2011-05-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Authorities of the Faith Community Baptist School have dismissed claims that their students were left unprotected during the school’s recent clash with some irate youth in the Madina community over a disputed piece of land.

“I wish to state emphatically, that what was said or reported is false, and does not represent the facts on the grounds. Some parents who were present during the attack can attest to the fact that our teachers and school authorities were on hand to provide the necessary protection to the students.

“In fact, all students were with their teachers in their classrooms, while the main gates to the school were locked. Students were later moved out of their classrooms to the chapel. Parents rushed to pick up their children, and students were allowed to leave after the police had secured the school area.

“Also, officers from the Madina Urban Council hurried to the school and led the younger ones with their teachers to the Madina Urban Council,” noted Kate Oduro Sarfo, Headmistress in charge of Primary section of Faith Community Baptist School, at a press conference in Accra yesterday.

Child’s Right International, a non-governmental organization, with the sole aim of fighting for children’s rights, immediately after the Madina riot, went public to criticise Faith Community Baptist School for leaving students of the school “to their own mercy to run for their lives, while teachers and school authorities were nowhere to provide protection for the children of the school.”

A week ago, the entire Madina community woke up to witness one of the most unfortunate behaviours exhibited by some irate youth, who identified themselves as “Concerned Youth of Madina Zongo.”

The youth subjected the leadership of the school to all manner of attacks, in their attempt to claim a parcel of land, which it said, belonged to the Madina Zongo community, but had been claimed by the Faith Community Baptist School/Church.

The incident attracted the attention of the Ghana Police Service, which went to the scene to rescue the school authorities.

The incident turned nasty when the irate youth turned their anger on the police for preventing them from achieving their purpose.

The police had to use all manner of tactics, including tear gas and the firing of live bullets to disperse the crowd.

Twelve people were arrested in the said riot, and are currently on bail. Calm has since returned to the school, with the authorities and students going about their normal duties.

According to Madam Sarfo, the authorities of the school do not intend to criticise Child’s Rights International, but would have preferred they visited the scene upon hearing what was happening to get first hand information, before going public with its press briefing over the issue.

She said no official of the NGO had, till date, visited the school to ask about the welfare of the students, after the horrific incident.

Madam Sarfo noted that no student died or sustained any injury as a result of the riot.

Touching on the ownership of the disputed piece of land, the Head Pastor of the Faith Community Baptist Church, Rev. Joseph Oduro Yeboah noted that the church, in 1982, entered into an agreement with Redco, a subsidiary of the Bank for Housing and Construction, for the use of the six-acre piece of land for purposes that would benefit both the church and the community.

The school, ever since it acquired that piece of land, has faced stiff opposition from the community, in its attempt to reclaim it. The two factions have over a decade been back and forth at the law courts, all claiming ownership of the disputed land.

Pulling a catalogue of documents to buttress his claim, Mr. Yeboah said that the six-acre piece of land was sold to the church for an amount of ¢34 million and was meant for the construction of a health facility and vocational school.

According to him, since the church was not ready with its project, it allowed the community to use it for all social purposes, including serving as a polling station for the community during elections.

“The most important fact that the public must know is that the land was not a ‘community land’ or public arena that the church had gone to take from the community. It is rather the church’s land which the public has been using for parking of trucks, Christian crusades, Ramadan activities, political rallies and other purposes,” he emphasised.

Rev. Yeboah, therefore, assured parents and guardians of the school that the unfortunate incident will not happen again, since the administrators of the church and school were exploring all avenues to ensure the cordiality that had existed for the past twenty-four years between the church, school and community.

Welcome on board: Ghana: Security probe cache of arms

2011-05-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome on board: Ghana: Security probe cache of arms: "The Government of Ghana has tasked the various security agencies to conduct thorough investigations into the circumstances under which a cac..."

Ghana: Security probe cache of arms

2011-05-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Government of Ghana has tasked the various security agencies to conduct thorough investigations into the circumstances under which a cache of arms was found buried at Akweteyman, a suburb of Accra.

Consequently, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, the Bureau of National Investigations, and the intelligence unit of the Ghana Armed Forces have began prying into how the ammunition, said to have been buried in the ground for the past 30 years, came to be located right in the centre of Accra, without the security services knowing about it.

The ammunitions were discovered by accident late Friday, when workers of a construction firm working on a road rehabilitation were digging a trench to lay a culvert. The workers first discovered five rusty pistols buried in the ground. Their suspicion for more discoveries heightened and they, therefore, decided to dig further, resulting in the finding of a sack containing pistols and other weapons.

They called in the police who immediately arrived on the scene to cart the weapons away. “After the police had examined the items, they realised that parts of the weapons were missing, and, therefore, decided to come back to the scene to search the area more intensively,” our sister paper, The Chronicle on Saturday reported.

The police, The Chronicle on Saturday noted, uncovered two more sacks full of pistols, which they took away to the regional headquarters in Accra.

Reacting to the arms find, the government issued a press release through the Ministry of Information at the week-end.

Signed by Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the statement described the weapons discovery as “relatively small quantities of stripped and corroded parts of arms and ammunition.” The government suspects the ammunitions “to have been buried in the area in the late 1970s.” So far, no arrest has been made, but the government said the owner of the land, suspected to be a former military personnel, has been invited to help in the investigation.

At the time of going to press last night, the name of the landlord of the house where the cache of arms were found was not known, but the Acting Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Cephas Arthur, when contacted on his mobile handset, said a proper briefing on the issue would be made today.

Security experts The Chronicle talked to opined that if the government suspects that the arms were buried in the 1970s, then it could be linked to the junior and non-commissioned officers revolt of June 1979, when arms and ammunitions were released by some military officers without lawful authority.

Reading is key to acquiring knowledge -Prof. Oquaye

2011-03-30T11:31:00.001-07:00

The second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, has called on students in the country to inculcate the habit of reading in themselves, to improve on their knowledge base.

According to Prof. Oquaye, it was only through reading that one could acquire knowledge, in order to be part of the changing world.

“If you are not knowledgeable in today’s world, I’m afraid, you are hardly part of the world,” he said.

Prof. Oquaye made this remark when he officially launched the literacy project at the forecourt of Parliament, in Accra yesterday.

The project aims to improve on reading in the rural communities, especially, cocoa growing areas in the country.

To Prof. Oquaye, a lot of children were not reading, simply because of the unavailability of books, a situation, he said, infringes on the rights of the children.

“The most important human right is the right to read, the right to know, and the right to an informed society,” he said.

Over 34,000 books, ranging from novels, fiction, reference, science and mathematics, according to the Executive Director of Child Rights International (CRI), Bright Appiah, would be distributed to communities, especially, those in cocoa growing areas in 120 selected constituencies, from the kindergarten to the Senior High school.

Mr. Appiah said research had proven that almost 54% of children in cocoa growing areas cannot read and write, hence his outfit’s decision to empower children in those communities. The lack of libraries, he said also, were the main hindrances in those communities.

To address the problem, the CRI Executive Director said his outfit, in collaboration with Memifee Valley College from California, donor of the books, would establish e-libraries in 300 communities.

According to Mr. Appiah, the CRI was also looking at the one laptop per child initiative for those in the cocoa growing communities, to further address the problem.

“We are aware of a number of risks in this area, especially, lack of electricity, and that is why we are opting for the one laptop per child scheme. The computers could last for over four hours, and to us, the most important thing is to let the children have access to those laptops and things would improve.

Another option is to send the computers to the district level, and periodically invite the children to have access to the laptops. By so doing, their knowledge base would be enhanced,” Mr. Appiah noted.

Present to grace the occasion were Mrs. Akosua Frema Opare-Osei, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso West Wuogon, the Charity Baptist Church School, Accra, and children of the Adabraka Presbyterian Junior High School.

Boankra Inland Port needs $210m to complete

2011-03-28T09:13:00.001-07:00

The Minister for Transport, Alhaji Collins Dauda has ruled out the possibility of completing the Boankra Inland Port project in 2012 as result of unavailability of funds.
Touted as part of the Government of Ghana’s Gateway projects, the Boankra Inland Port project is currently faced with a deficit of US$210million for the completion of Phase II of the said project.
Alhaji Dauda made this remark when he appeared in Parliament on Wednesday to answer to a question posed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu-Juaben, Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi on what plans the Ministry of Transport has to make the Boankra Inland Port operational before the end of December 2012.
Lack of funds coupled with the inability to rehabilitate the existing Eastern corridor Railway Line has been the two most outstanding factors impeding the project since its inception in 2002.
Construction of the project including the rehabilitation of the Eastern Rail Line was expected to be completed in 2007 after taking off with the acquisition of land in 2002.
Phase I of the project according to the Minister of Transport has been completed with funds being sought for the execution of Phase II which is projected to be completed in two years.
Phase I of the project included; payment of compensation for land and crop farmers, clearing of vegetation and fencing of site, building of two schools for Boankra and Hwireso to replace the one on the site used by the two communities, feasibility study, business plan, detailed drawings, construction of an administration block and provision of water, electricity and telecommunication.
Phase II of the said project comprise; the provision of roads, drains, culverts, security posts, sewerage, Customs Bonded and Open Warehouses, truck and car parking lots, commercials estates and light industrial estates.
Securing investors to undertake the project also forms part of Phase II, according to the Minister.
Alhaji Dauda told Parliament that three companies have shown beyond their expression of interest in completing the Boankra Inland Port project. The companies include; China Harbours Engineering, ACI-USA and Dominion Associates Mart.
The aforementioned companies, the Minister said has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) for the execution of the project.
Messrs Dominion Associates Mart is said to be on the verge of securing a US$250million facility from the Bank of Baroda, a premier Indian Bank with operations in Ghana and other parts of the world.
The GSA, according to Alhaji Dauda, has approached its bankers, Ghana International Bank in the United Kingdom for the required due diligence on the project.
The Ministry of Transport, Alhaji Dauda said has also taken up the issue of due diligence and is being pursued with the appropriate authorities.
Touching on the issue of rehabilitation of the Eastern Railway Line, the Minister said his outfit has reached out to several investors but is yet to settle on one who has proven to be competent and have the requisite fund and logistics to execute the task.

Let's empower Unit Committee members- Deputy Minister designate

2011-03-23T12:37:00.001-07:00

The Deputy Minister designate for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Aquinas Quansah has said it was time to empower Unit Committee members at the local assembly, to enable them perform better in the discharge of their duties in local governance.

“It is about time we train the people at the local level, especially those at the Unit Committee. By so doing, they will perform better.”

Mr. Quansah made this remark yesterday, when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament for vetting. Article 78 of the Constitution of Ghana empowers the President to appoint Ministers of State with the prior approval of Parliament.

Article 78 (1) states that “ Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament, from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament.

Unit Committee members have in the eyes of the public being perceived not to be performing any function. This perception necessitated the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Mrs. Akosua Frema Opare-Osei to ask the deputy Minister designate on how he will liaise with the sector Minister to use the Unit Committee as a tool for effective development.

Responding to the question, Mr. Quansah said when the Unit Committee is given equal attention as the Assembly members, he had no doubt that they will perform better.

“Mr. Chairman, it is time the MMDCEs seriously interact with the Unit Committees to enable them feel part of local governance. The way we deal with our Assembly members, we should do same to the Unit Committee members. We have to swear them into office just like we do the Assembly members,” he noted.

Reacting to how he will deal with the frosty relations between DCEs and MPs, the deputy Minister designate said he will collaborate with his sector Minister to bring the two on board, in a dialogue whenever there was a problem.
As to whether District Assembly election should be organized on partisan basis, Mr. Quansah said he totally disagree to that proposal. He maintained that the District Assembly election should be organized on non-partisan basis.

Also appearing at the Appointments Committee for vetting was Emelia Arthur, Deputy Minister designate for Western Region, and Ernest Attuquaye Armah, Deputy Minister for Communications.
Smart looking Emelia Arthur, after taking her oath, looked uncomfortable in her seat.

Seated at her right hand side, to lend their support to her were the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo and the Central Regional Minister, Ama Benyiwa Doe. The two couldn’t afford coaching their colleague to be brief, when responding to questions from the members of the Appointments Committee.

Responding to a question from the MP for Amenfi East, Joseph Boahen Aidoo on how she will deal with challenges of refugees from neighboring La Cote d’Ivoire, Ms. Arthur said the country already is faced with the provision of space for the refugees, but that not withstanding, “in the spirit of good neighbourliness, it is important Ghana provides space for the Ivorian refugees coming into the country.”

According to her, the Western Regional Coordinating Council, in collaboration with the UNHR and NADMO has programs in place to address the issue.

Ms. Arthur, a staunch Nkrumaist, believes that when there is equal distribution of national resources, the issue of party foot soldiers agitation would be solved.

“RCC has the responsibility for ensuring that all monies that come from the Central Government are used for the benefit of the people. We will do our best by getting the district assemblies to invest in places that will create jobs,” she said.

The Deputy Minister designate for Communications, Ernest Attuquaye Armah had a field day as he was spared from probing questions from the Appointments Committee. He lasted for seventeen minutes before the Committee.

However, he had some problems with his Curriculum Vitae. He was ordered by the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Edward Doe Adjaho to withdraw his CV and furnish the Committee with the amended version before the Committee would consider his approval.

A legislator's shocking revelation: 80% MPs are womanisers

2011-03-23T12:13:00.001-07:00

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Afram Plains North, Emmanuel Aboagye Didieye, yesterday bolted away from Parliament in typical ‘Usain Bolt’ fashion, for fear of being dragged before the Privileges Committee over a statement he made earlier on Adom FM, alleging that 80% of his colleague MPs were “extreme womanisers.”
The MP for Bimbilla, Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul, before the commencement of Public Business in the House, drew the Speaker’s attention to Mr. Didieye’s ‘loose’ talk. Immediately the issue was raised on the floor of the House, Mr. Didieye sneaked out of the Chamber to escape the wrath of his colleague MPs, who were furious over his comments on Adom FM, made on March 17th and 18th 2011, respectively. But his vanishing act even worsened the situation. The Second Deputy Speaker and MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, who conducted the affairs of the House, ordered him to appear before the Privileges Committee of Parliament, after a thorough search for him in the House had proved futile. Mr. Nitiwul had dared the Afram Plains North MP, who was calmly slouching in his seat in the Chamber, to name and shame MPs he (Didieye) claimed to be “extreme womanisers”, or withdraw and apologise to Parliament.
“I stand on authority, and say that if you are a thief, at least symptoms should begin from your house. You can ask all the pretty women in Parliament whether I, Dominic Nitiwul, have ever talked to them, much more want to go out with them. He can go and find out. And for him to say that at least 80% of members of parliament are womanisers is uncalled for.”
“Womanisers are not women, they are men. Women are close to 20% of parliament, and that means that every Member of Parliament, who is a male here, is a womaniser. I want the honourable here to stand up to name and shame, or withdraw and apologise to Parliament, or I will propose that he be dragged to the Privileges Committee, and we will debate that report before we rise,” charged the furious looking Nitiwul. The Afram Plains North MP, on Adom FM’s ‘Dwaso Nsem’, alleged that with the exclusion of female MPs, most of his colleague MPs use their resources to chase women, especially, the “small girls, and even married women in the streets”. He could not, however, name any MP as an example to buttress his claim. According to him, he was once a womaniser, but stopped after realising that the practice was an immoral act. Male journalists were also not spared by the quiet looking MP, who hardly contributes to debates on the floor of the House. “Because they (journalists) are popular and famous, they use their offices as an advantage in chasing girls. Most male journalists have more than four girlfriends at a time.” This attitude is an ordinary instinct in men, which does not change even if tomorrow you become a Member of Parliament.” Even pastors talk about how to resist the temptation of chasing women,” he told Adakabre Frimpong, host of Adom FM’s ‘Dwaso Nsem’ program. His revelation came to his colleague MPs as shock, with some insisting that he be dragged before the Privileges Committee. “I will want to rise on the point of privilege. For far too long, when outsiders denigrate this House, we come here shouting with one voice against such denigration, how much more for such a person who should know better. “It is sad when matters of this nature are being raised, and members of the opposite side will encourage such a member to walk out from the Chamber. Such an irresponsible statement should not have come out of the member on air. I will propose that the member be dragged to the Privileges Committee, and we will produce the tapes,” said Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, MP for Manhyia. However, the Majority Leader, Cletus Avoka, pleaded with the Speaker to enable the Members have access to the recorded tape, to enable them make an informed decision over the matter. According to him, Mr. Didieye cannot easily be dragged before the Privileges Committee when the leadership of the House does not have the content of his alleged statement. “At the moment, it is hanging, it is on air, but we want to have information about the issue before the matter could be sent to the Privileges Committee. Let us trace the source of the alleged statement, and the leadership of the House will critically look at the whole issue, and decide on it,” noted Mr. Avoka. His plea was, however, not taken by the Speaker, who insisted that there was enough evidence before the House to decide on the matter, after Mr. Nitiwul named two members who were in the studios of Adom FM when the incident occurred, to buttress his argument.
“Honourable members, our country will not be engaged in the pollution of politics. It is increasingly becoming a sad custom that in politics, people can say anything. They give the impression that politics is a dirty game. That is not so.
“There are decent people in politics. And it cannot be allowed to become the norm and the political culture of Ghana that in politics you can lie about anyone, say any dirty thing about somebody any time, just because it is politics. “It will augur very badly for the governance of our nation. There should be men and women with dignity who want to enter into politics and serve their nation. In fact, after service to God, the next service is service to the nation, and that is why soldiers go and even die for their country. “People who are duly trained, and who have served in various capacities, should be able to bring the experience they have gathered over the years to serve their nation in politics, and as representatives of the people, even in Parliament, without even having the privilege to insult them anyhow and mar their well-acquired reputations overnight, just because it is politics. It cannot be true. “I will refer this matter before the Privileges Committee. The Honorable Nitiwul has given us enough prima facie evidence to work upon,” noted Mr. Oquaye. He added: “It is noteworthy that when the honourable member who lodged this complaint, members saw the Afram Plains North MP, Mr. Aboagye Didieyie leave the honourable House. I am told by the leader that all attempts to bring him back have failed. “He is, therefore, referred to the Privileges Committee accordingly. This matter will be reported back in one week from today, as a very serious matter, and for appropriate steps to be taken.

Ghana: 15 orphanages closed down

2011-03-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare has closed down 15 orphanages, out of the one hundred and twenty seven operating in the country. This followed the rot exposé at the Osu Children’s home by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

The Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Enoch Teye Mensah disclosed yesterday, when he appeared in Parliament to answer a question posed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South, George Boakye, about what his outfit was doing to improve conditions in orphanage homes in the country, in the light of the recent revelations at the Osu Children’s home.

The names of the orphanages were not immediately disclosed. The Ningo-Prampram MP said the closing down of the orphanages formed part of his outfit’s ongoing campaign to discourage people from running such homes.

On August 23, 2007, the Department of Social Welfare launched the Care Reform Initiative to discourage the setting up of new Orphanages in favour of encouraging community based care and support.

Its aim is to transform the current system to ensure that Departments, Agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the country have the training and resources to encourage appropriate parental care, and ensure that institutional care in orphanages is used only as a last resort.

Mr. Mensah said the Department of Social Welfare under Legislation has also produced a data base of children in institutions, drafted guidelines for foster care and adoption and is in the process of drafting a Cabinet Memorandum for Ghana to accede to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.

The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption is an international convention which aims at protecting children and their families against the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad.
It does so by establishing principles for countries to follow that focus on the need for intercountry adoptions to occur only where it is in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights.

The Convention also focuses on the need for countries to work to prevent the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children. It was concluded on 29 May 1993 and came into force on 1 May 1995.

But surprisingly, Mr. Mensah said five new orphanages have been issued with licenses to operate in the country. He did not disclose the names of these five orphanages.

n Ghana, according to Mr. Mensah, 4,000 children were recorded in the 127 orphanages, but there was evidence to prove that not all the children were orphans.

He told Members of the House that lack of funding has been an impediment to the smooth operations of the Department. He said a small amount of GH¢5,000.00, is allocated yearly to the various Departments of Social Welfare in all the 170 districts to carry out their duties. This amount he said is woefully inadequate.

Mr. Mensah said in spite of the move by the Department to regularize the operating of orphanages, many well-meaning public figures continue to organize fanfares to donate to orphanages out of the usually misplaced notion that “this is in the interest of the Ghanaian child.”

He, therefore, appealed to public to channel their donations to the Department to help strengthen to enable it carry out its operations. He also appealed to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to have a second look at the finances of the Department.

Instructively, UNICEF and global partners define an orphan as a child who has lost one or both parents. By this definition there were over 132 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in 2005.

This large figure represents not only children who have lost both parents, but also those who have lost a father but have a surviving mother or have lost their mother but have a surviving father.

Out of the more than 132 million children classified as orphans, only 13 million have lost both parents. According to UNICEF, evidence clearly shows that the vast majority of orphans are living with a surviving parent grandparent, or other family member, while 95 per cent of all orphans are over the age of five.

Power struggle @ Tema Parents Assoc. School

2011-02-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Tension is said to be mounting at the Tema Parents Association School, following an alleged attempt to re-register the school by executives of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

The PTA executives, led by its Chairman, Justice Senyo Dzamefe, an Appeal Court Judge, were also allegedly fingered in a plot to seize and operate the accounts of the school in their name. The management and teachers of the school do not understand why the PTA executives, who are yet to be inaugurated, should make attempts to re-register and manage the school.

However, at an emergency meeting called by the PTA last Thursday, February 3, 2011, to calm nerves down as a result of the impasse between the staff of the school and the PTA, Justice Dzamefe described as 'palpably false' the allegations leveled against him and his executives.

According to him, the intervention by the PTA is to bring sanity and 'checks and balance' in the day-to-day running of the school.

The authorities of the school, alarmed by the decision, denounced the existence of the PTA in a memorandum dated January 18, 2011, and copied to the executives of the PTA, citing the aforementioned grievances among many others, as their bone of contention.

'Tema Parents' Association School, as we all know, is registered as a company limited by guarantee. It is guided by regulations (referring to Companies Code, 1963 Tema Parents' Association School Regulations of Company Limited by Guarantee, and presented by C.K.S. Kodi, Chartered Secretary).

'No where in the school's regulations, or in the conditions of service, is PTA mentioned. The subscribers of the school must have good reason why they did not incorporate PTA in the structure of the school. We do not need a PTA to run the school. There is no where in Ghana that school funds are kept by PTA, in a PTA accounts, or any account operated by PTA,' noted the management and teachers of the school, in the memorandum to the executives of the PTA. They also noted: 'We are very mindful of the fact that an attempt was made by the PTA to re-register the school in their name. We deem all these actions and utterances as interference in the day-to-day running of the school, and this is disturbing the peace of the school.'

According to the management of the school, somewhere last year, in the course of a crisis created by the former headmistress in challenging the legitimacy of the Board of Directors, a group of parents emerged as mediators, with the sole objective of resolving the impasse between the two bodies.

The group, the management of the school said, failed to achieve its objective, after giving it all the necessary cooperation, and was surprised see the group 'metamorphose itself into an Interim Management Committee, and subsequently, into a substantive PTA executive.'

The formation of the PTA, according to the management of the school, had brought about the current power struggle, as to who should run the school. A situation, it said, had brought fear and panic among the teaching body and other working staff of the school.

The management has, therefore, resolved not to cooperate with the PTA executives, since the 'Company Code which governs the school has not been amended to include the PTA.'

It however, requested for a Board of Directors, and therefore welcomed 'anybody who has any influence, whatsoever, should channel it towards bringing a Board in place.'

In sharp rebuttal to the allegations against the PTA executives, Justice Dzamefe said it had never be the intention of the PTA executives to re-register the Tema Parents' Association School in their name, neither has it be their intention to intrude into the affairs of the school.

Justice Dzamefe, in an address to parents who attended the emergency meeting on the school's premises last Thursday, said the stand of the PTA was to call for an independent audit of the school's accounts, and verification of the teachers' qualifications, since a recent ranking of the school in the Tema metropolis was not encouraging.

'The school is currently placed 28th on the table of best performing schools in the Tema Metropolis. This is not encouraging, and we called for verification of the teachers' qualifications, and to know from the Ghana Education Service, whether the teachers were placed under the right subjects. Our second request was for an independent audit of the school's accounts. My brothers and sisters, these are the two issues that we requested for, which has landed us in trouble,' lamented Justice Dzamefe.

According to him, as a result of a court action instituted against the school by its former headmistress, Mrs. Nsaki Kaseem, there was no Board of Directors, and a substantive headmaster or headmistress in place to run the school.

The situation, he said, had affected the school, since its Ecobank account, of which Mrs. Kaseem is a signatory, had been frozen by the court, resulting in a stay of execution motion filed by the out-gone Board of Directors.

Justice Dzamefe further said the accounts of the school had for the past two years not been audited. With a student population of about 1,500, the school currently takes GH¢470 per head, with about GH¢705,000 being paid into the coffers of the school per term. This huge amount, according to Justice Dzamefe, had been redirected into the Teachers Welfare accounts, an interest yielding account with two signatories.

'Fellow parents, because the school's Ecobank accounts have been frozen by the court, the teachers have been encouraging parents to pay hard cash and not cheques, to enable them have access to the money. The monies been collected are therefore, channeled into the Teachers Welfare Account, being operated by two signatories. This, I said, is unacceptable, since anything could happen,' he said.

But, the school authorities, when contacted, denied ever channeling monies belonging to the school into the welfare account.
According to the management of the school, due to the aforementioned court action, it had temporarily opened a new account with Unibank, where monies meant for the school are paid into that account, pending directives from existing subscribers of the school.

Justice Dzamefe also denied allegations against the PTA of attempting to re-register the school in its name.

He said their intention was to register the Tema Parents Association School PTA as a company limited by guarantee, under the Company's Code of 1963.

The objectives, he said, was to give the PTA the needed legal power to help parents and teachers of the school have a common understanding, and better appreciation of their education and social responsibilities, and also to facilitate the process of reaching agreements between parents and teachers, or the best solutions to common problems affecting the children of the school, as well as seeing to the welfare of teachers.

Parents who attended the emergency meeting pleaded with the PTA executives to find a lasting solution to the impasse, by engaging the management and teachers of the school in a dialogue in the interest of their children.

Job creation still number one priority of Government of Ghana

2011-01-19T11:08:00.001-08:00

Job creation still remains the number one priority of the Government of Ghana (GoG) in the pursuit of her “Better Ghana” agenda.
To help realize her dream, the GoG through the National Youth Employment Program (NYEP) and the National Youth Council (NYC) has partnered with the Youth Enterprise and Skills Development (YESDEC) in an ambitious project aimed at engaging scores of unemployment youth in job creation.
The focus of the project is in Agro-processing, Manufacturing, Services and Environmental Sanitation sectors.
Employment in the public sector is already overstretched and the Government of Ghana therefore sees this initiative as an avenue to cut the ever increasing unemployment rate down.
“Recruiting young people and putting them on payroll was going to be unsustainable in the near future” remarked Abuga Pele, Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Program at the program’s launch in Accra on Wednesday.
The NYEP Coordinator sees the public-private initiative as one that would encourage and afford the youth of Ghana an opportunity to create wealth and participate in the development of the nation.
“This is a legacy we can leave as a nation for our young and up-coming youth,” he noted.
Initiators of the project say over forty thousand unemployment youth including beneficiaries of the NYEP who are exiting after their tenure are expected to benefit from the program.
However, a target of one thousand youth, according the NYEP Coordinator, is expected to be engaged by November 2011.
Madam Akua Sena Dansua, out-going Minister of Youth and Sports under whose jurisdiction falls the NYEP said over ninety seven thousand youth are currently engaged in various programs in the areas of Youth in Film production, Grass cutter rearing, Airport Assistants, Community Police among many others.
She expressed the hope that the YESDEC-NYEP module would compliment the Government of Ghana’s effort aimed at creating direct employment for over seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) youth through a four-year period, beginning in 2010-2013.
The Coordinator of YESDEC, Mavis Yamoah told The Chronicle in an interview that her outfit’s partnership with the NYEP is targeting the setup of micro businesses for one thousand youth in the ten regions of the country by the end of 2011.
So far, the YESDEC project has till date trained and assisted over two hundred youth in business to successfully set up new businesses.
Key areas that YESDEC has provided training and simple logistics include Transportation of food stuff from farm gates to commercial or market centres, agro-processing and packaging, water tanker delivery services in water deprived communities, machine shop enterprise, ICT support centres, block construction, catering services and garment and beauty care enterprises.
The beneficiaries, according to initiators of the project would have the opportunity to own the equipments and supported to payback through the various banks by installment over a two-year period.

Yara injects $20m into Tanzania’s economy

2011-01-13T08:06:00.001-08:00

Yara International ASA, a leading global fertilizer company is injecting US$20m into Tanzania’s economy to fuel the country’s agricultural growth.
The amount according to company officials would be invested into a new fertilizer terminal by the port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial city.
Announcing the feat on Thursday in Dar es Salaam, CEO of Yara, Joergen Haslestad said “This strengthens Yara’s long term commitment to development of Tanzania’s agricultural sector. In the years to come the agricultural sector has the potential to be a key driver of economic growth, providing business opportunities. Tanzania stands out as a natural hub for regional growth.”
Yara believes that investing in increased port capacity is a strategic step that would position the company for the growth it has long been yearning for whilst providing a boost in the value chain.
Yara presently supplies 120,000 tons of fertilizer annually to the region. The new terminal will have a revolving storage capacity of 45,000 tons of fertilizer, which will be sufficient for the medium term requirement, and the location allows for new capacity to be added for long term requirements.
Sustainable growth
The initiative raises a promise of sustainable growth, aiming at reducing rural poverty both through providing opportunities for smallholder farmers and creating new jobs, says Mr. Haslestad.
Officials of the company estimate that the US$20million investment in Tanzania would lift two million people out of poverty, and bring in annual revenues of US$1.4billion.
Yara has been a partner in the Tanzania Agriculture Partnership since 2006 and was also instrumental to the process leading to the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT).
The SAGCOT is driven by a unique partnership of public, private and donor companies and organizations.
In the recently released ‘Blueprint for Investment’, the SAGCOT outlines how a shared value creation approach can be used to tackle some of the key constraints to development. The result, over a 20 year period, would be over 350,000 hectares under commercial production, much of it farmed by emergent and smallholder farmers.
Yara International ASA is the world’s leading chemical company that converts energy, natural minerals and nitrogen from the air into essential products for farmers and industrial customers.

Yesdec/CHF to empower youth into waste management

2010-12-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

About 400 youth in the Alajo community have been targeted to go into waste management business, courtesy Yesdec and the Corporative Housing Foundation (CHF).

Dubbed 'Yes Project', the program seeks to focus on four value chain modules in the areas of organic compost plant, tin-film, e-waste and ferrous metals in a six months pilot phase.

About 100 youth would be directly employed in the project that would in turn encourage their peers to venture into the waste management business.

'With this four value chain, we want to create sustainable employment opportunities for the youth within this sub-metro,' said Eugene Pwawole, Value Chain and Business Development Officer of CHF, an American non-governmental organisation (NGO) with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The project, which was recently launched in Alajo, a suburb of Accra, would see the youth being trained in the production and marketing of compost, in order to reduce the volume of waste in that community.

'When you look at our solid waste, about 65% of what goes into our landfill are organic, and we have a problem with finding landfill sites. And so, we want to pilot this project in what we call community level compost plant, to reduce the level of volume that goes into the landfill,' noted Pwawole in an interview with The Chronicle.

About 300 houses in the Alajo community are going to be selected for the source separation, according to Ebenezer Adu Appiah, Yesdec Project Coordinator.

The project, he said, would also involve the collection of waste plastic bags, including sachet water bags, and the collection of ferrous metal.

According to Appiah, his outfit, together with Yesdec, a subsidiary of ZoomLion Ghana Limited, would have in place a buy-back center, where the collected waste plastic bags would be bought and sold to recycling companies.

On the issue of ferrous metal, he said the joint venture identified some inefficiencies in the collection of metals, hence their decision to engage the youth in that business.

The project, according to Appiah, was also being implemented in Ga-Mashie in the Asiedu Keteke sub-metro, Nima in the Ayawaso East sub-metro and Avenor in the Okaikoi sub-metro.

Ecobank introduces mobile banking with Zap

2010-11-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

Ecobank Ghana, a subsidiary of Ecobank Transnational Incorporation (ETI) on Wednesday introduced another innovative product dubbed ‘Ecobank mobile banking’ onto the Ghanaian market.
The product works in partnership with Zap, a mobile commerce service that allows Zain, now Bharti Airtel, customers to use their mobile phones like a mobile wallet to pay for utility bills and goods and services.
“For the first time in Ghana, mobile phone customers can manage their bank accounts using their mobile phone. They can transfer funds from their Ecobank account to their phones, transfer funds between Ecobank accounts and check their account balances at their own convenience anywhere and at any time. The Zap service continues to bring safety and convenience to the everyday lives of our customers with this new service”, said Philip Sowah, Managing Director of Zain Ghana at the launch of the product in Accra in a statement read on his behalf.
He added “We strongly believe innovative products like Zap is a strong contributor to this occurrence”.
The new product is, however, expected to provide faster banking service whilst expanding the customer base of both Ecobank and Zain through the provision of easy access to funds using the mobile phone.
The product allows customers of Ecobank with Zain’s Zap service account to use their mobile phones to; send money to Ecobank accounts, receive money from Ecobank accounts, transfer money between two Ecobank accounts, check bank balance, check bank statements.
Furthermore, they could also use the product to pay bills and also pay for goods and services, receive and send money to friends and family, withdraw or receive funds from accredited agents across the country and top up their own airtime or someone else.
“This is real banking in your palm and something that we are bringing to the door step of our customers”, recounts Owureku Asare, Head, Transaction Banking, Ecobank.
Customers of Ecobank, according to Owureku Asare could transact business with any of Zap’s 600 agents countrywide.
Commenting on the new product, the Managing Director of Ecobank who doubles as the Cluster Head of Ecobank West Africa Monetary Zone (WAMZ), Samuel Ashitey Adjei said the introduction of the ‘Ecobank mobile banking’ product is “an exciting new way of doing financial transactions at your finger tips”.
He believes that the new product will help attract the under-banked and unbanked population into banking in the country.
The Head of the Banking Supervision Department of the Bank of Ghana, Nicholas Okoe Sai commenting on the product said “This is an evolution of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System” and however, entrusted stakeholders in the banking industry to ensure that certain fundamental systems are in place for the smooth operations of electronic banking in the country.
“The Payment System needs to be highly secured and occasionally reliable. The System should be transparent and easily accessible to users. Rules relating to accountability and responsibility of stakeholders should clearly be spelt out. Participants should be committed to responsible banking in practice as far as disclosure of information is concerned”, he noted.
Mr. Sai, however, advised players in the banking industry to effectively manage the risk associated with such electronic products so as to sustain public confidence in the system.

CAPS:Nicholas Okoe Sai officially launching the Ecobank Mobile Banking product in Accra

Welfare of veteran soldiers must be improved -MPs declare

2010-11-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Members of parliament (MPs) yesterday paid glowing tribute to the country’s gallant soldiers who fought for peace and human rights in the world Wars I and II.

However, the MPs expressed worry over the continuous deteriorating welfare of the veteran soldiers, a situation, they said, needed immediate attention.

“One thing that we fail to note is that some of these veterans are now facing the brunt of their occupational hazards. These are former para-jumpers, who now have knee and stability problems and are wheelchair bound; there are also the bombardiers and artillery personnel who have hearing problems and permanent headaches,” recounts the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Ho Central, Capt. G. K. Nfojoh (rtd), in a statement read on the floor of the House to honour the veteran soldiers.

He argued that ever since the introduction of the Veterans Association of Ghana (VAG) lottery to cater for the veteran soldiers, the Association of Physically and Mentally Challenged, Association of the Aged, and the Association of the Orphans and Destitute Children, “nothing has happened in that respect.”

“Considering the meritorious service rendered by these gallant men and women to the nation, the meager pension pay given them is woefully inadequate to sustain them. It is important for the government to consider instituting a Special Fund for the Retired Officers and Ex-servicemen and Women, in order to address their plight,” noted the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Nkoranza North, Major Derek Oduro (rtd), in joint statement to honour the veterans.

Contributing to the statements, the NPP MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, said the welfare of the veteran soldiers should be of national concern, and however, called on the Ministry of Sports to organise matches so that the proceeds would be used in taking care of them (veterans).

The NDC MP for Ablekuma South, Frederic Fritz Baffour, also added his voice to the call for improving the welfare of the veteran soldiers, by calling on the government to put structures in place to help rectify the issue.

The NPP MP for Akropong, William Ofori Boafo, contributing the statement, said the occasion should be extended nationally, to enable all the people to participate.

Yesterday, November 11, 2010 was ‘Remembrance Day’. It is an occasion celebrated on November 11 each year to remember those who were killed in World Wars I and II.

Formerly known as Armistice Day, the day became effective at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, when the guns fell silent on the Western front in France and Belgium, thus ending four years of hostilities. Ghana, then the Gold Coast, being part of the British Empire, also sent her sons overseas to fight in this war, and some lost their lives in action.

The day also underscores the paramount need, not only to stop wars, but also to pursue the idea of peace at all costs and at all times, as the only condition for the survival of the human race.

Time to embrace paper bags is now!

2010-11-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

A Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim North, Kwame Anyimadu-Adu, has expressed concern over the level of aquatic pollution in the country.

According to him, the situation, if not checked immediately, would have a rippling effect on aquatic life and fishing activities, a phenomenon, he said, would have a heavy toll on the country’s scarce resources.

His concern was born out of the continuous littering of plastic bags and other materials into the sea and waterbodies across the country.

Anyimadu-Antwi was speaking in an interview with The Chronicle, after a delegation of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing, led by David Tetteh Assumeng, recently visited Ada to familiarise itself with the ongoing ‘Ada Coastal Protection Urgent Measures’, a project aimed at reclaiming lost lands, whilst protecting lives and properties from the devastating sea erosion.

“Something needs to be done to protect aquatic life in the country. Everywhere along the coast is polluted. There is so much plastic bags in the sea, and this should tell you the level at which it has been polluted. As a country, we need to sit up and address this issue. We have to re-examine the laws governing waterbodies, and see if we can do something to reduce this level of pollution,” he noted.

He added: “Maybe it is time we start introducing paper bags in the country. Another school of thought is the introduction of a levy on the producers of plastic bags, to raise revenue to address the problem. We can employ people to start picking these plastic bags along the coastal communities, and that is another way of creating employment.”

Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi said protecting aquatic life should be the number priority of the country, and called for all hands on deck in addressing the issue.

Welcome on board: Construction of €67m Ada sea defense wall to start...

2010-11-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome on board: Construction of €67m Ada sea defense wall to start...: "The people along the coastal line of Ada in the Dangbe East District of the Greater Accra Region would from January 2011 begin counting th..."

Construction of €67m Ada sea defense wall to start in January

2010-11-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

The people along the coastal line of Ada in the Dangbe East District of the Greater Accra Region would from January 2011 begin counting the days when they would finally be relieved from the threats of sea erosion when construction of the €67m sea defense wall in the area begins.
The project being undertaken by Dredging International Service from Cyprus, experts in marine and waterways construction is expected to be completed in 2013 bearing any unforeseeable challenges.
This came to light when a delegation from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing led by its Chairman, David Tetteh Assumeng visited Ada on Thursday to familiarize itself with the ‘Ada Coastal Protection Urgent Measures’; a project aimed at reclaiming about 5,000 meters of lost land whilst saving lives and properties from the destructive effect of the sea along the coastal line of Ada.
Briefing the delegation on the project, Deputy Director (Hydro), Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hubert Osei-Wusuansa said plans are far advanced to begin construction of the project in January, 2011.
According to him, design of the project is at its final stage and would be completed in December to pave way for construction of the sea defense.
“Work is on schedule and the contractor is ready and waiting for the final design to begin construction of the project”, he said.
He said consultancy by the contractor had been done including measurement of the site and the acquisition of data for the construction works. Other activities which have been completed according to Osei-Wusuansa include; preliminary construction of site offices, general construction works and the preparation of quarries for the supply of amour rocks had been competed.
The amour rocks are expected to be laid into the sea at a distance similar (200m) to that of the Keta sea defense wall, said Osei-Wusuansa. Additional rocks are to be laid at desire distances where the groins are expected to be filled with sand dredged from the estuary, thus where the Lake Volta meets the sea.
However, Osei-Wusuansa was quick to add that the dimensions of the groins will be determined by the final design for the project.
David Tetteh Assumeng who doubles as the NDC MP Shai Osudoku expressed the hope that work would begin as planned in order to save lives and properties along the coastline of Ada.
“The whole coastal stretch is under threat now and work must soon commence to save the people from further harm”, noted David Tetteh Assumeng.
The delegation was also taken round to inspect the preliminary construction of site offices of the project contractor, Dredging International.
The devastating sea erosion has been a threat to the coastal line of Ada for about five decades now claiming lands and destroying properties.
Forts, prisons and other monuments constructed by the colonial government have already been engulfed by the sea.
The Chief fisherman of Azizanya, Torgbui Akrofi Kabu recently told nyu.edu that ten miles into the sea used to be dry land and that was where they lived but today, the story is different as there are no lands on which farm anymore.
Also, Minister for Education, Alex Tettey Enyo in a recent GNA publication said over 5,000 metres of land have been sub-merged and that if the remaining land, which is a little bit above sea level is washed away, in a matter of days, the whole Ada land would be submerged.
The Director of Radio Ada, Kofi Larweh also told nyu.edu that research conducted in area revealed that at least two meters of land is lost to the sea every week, at certain times of the year. “If this phenomenon continues, very soon the whole of Ada will be washed away”, he argued.
However, nyu.edu in a recent publication said the threat is not only from the sea but also ejection from land owners who find the site more appropriate for the hospitality industry, hotels and chalets.

Welcome on board: Ghana's vice president cited in £40K ‘Chocfinger’ ...

2010-11-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome on board: Ghana's vice president cited in £40K ‘Chocfinger’ ...: "Vice President John Dramani Mahama has allegedly been cited by UK media reports for being lobbied to help Armajaro Holdings’ trading ban li..."

Ghana's vice president cited in £40K ‘Chocfinger’ lobbying saga

2010-11-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Vice President John Dramani Mahama has allegedly been cited by UK media reports for being lobbied to help Armajaro Holdings’ trading ban lifted in Ghana.
Conservative cabinet minister, Andrew Mitchell was reported to have intervened on behalf of the owner of Armajaro Holdings, Mr. Ward, nicknamed ‘Chocfinger’ after £40,000 donations were made to his parliamentary office between August 2006 and December 2009, according to the UK Sunday Times in its October 31 publication captioned ‘Chocfinger’s Tory donation pays off’.
The company also gave £50,000 to the Conservative Party in May 2004.

Armajaro Holdings was among several other cocoa buying companies banned in Ghana following their alleged involvement in the smuggling of cocoa beans to neighbouring Cote d’ Ivoir.
Their under dealings were uncovered by investigative reporter, Anas Aremeyaw Anas in an extensive clampdown on smuggled cocoa beans in the western corridors of Ghana recently.
‘No wrong doing’
However, Vice President John Mahama has denied any wrong doing for his involvement in helping Armajaro Holdings gets its trade ban lifted.
His (Vice President John Mahama) speaking on Joy news said “we remember meeting with the British Minister in charge of African Affairs and he raised an issue with Armajaro and their concern was that if an employee of the company is caught committing an offence, you don’t embark on a collective punishment of the entire company and this is normal”.
According to him, the Vice President directed the affected company to petition the Ghana Cocoa Board on the concerns raised for redress.
According to the UK dailymail, Mr Ward had approached Vice President Mahama over a ban that had been imposed on his firm in Ghana, and asked him to lobby against the restriction ‘at a presidential level’.
Mr Mitchell, a Tory, apparently phoned the British High Commissioner in the West African state over the matter, even though it was strictly outside his department’s remit.
His officials also contacted the Foreign Office to say that the partial ban on Armajaro Holdings – imposed amid allegations that one of its contractors had been smuggling cocoa – required ‘urgent attention’.
Foreign Office minister Henry Bellingham then lobbied Ghana’s vice-president on behalf of Mr Ward’s company. The ban is said to have been lifted in all but one of the country’s districts – the one where the smuggling allegations occurred – in August.
The ministerial code according to the UK dailymail states: ‘Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.’
Internal government documents disclosed under freedom of information laws suggest Foreign Office civil servants raised questions as to why the Government should intervene to help Mr Ward’s company.
However, a spokesman for the Foreign Office has also denied any wrongdoing in their intervention to help Armajaro Holdings gets its trade ban lifted.
Mr. Mitchell’s office according to the SundayTimes also insists of doing no wrong since laid down ministerial procedures were followed in addressing the issue.
Andrew Mitchell faces questions over ‘chocfinger’
Meanwhile, the UK Independent reports that cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell faces a parliamentary inquiry into his links with Mr. Ward, the cocoa magnate who donated £40,000 to his political office.
Sources close to the minister insisted that proper procedures were followed. But a Labour MP last night referred the case to the Commons standards watchdog, claiming the contacts between the two men raised serious questions about the minister's conduct, report The Independent.

Caption: John Dramani Mahama, Vice President of Ghana.

Nakpanduri now a ghost town in the Northern Region of Ghana

2010-10-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

Nakpanduri, a town in the Bunkpurugu Yunyoo District of the Northern Region is now a ghost town. This was when a team of military and police personnel, numbering about 100, drawn from Accra and the three northern regions, allegedly went on rampage at the town on Wednesday, beating and burning the houses of inhabitants of the area.

The security personnel, according to the Assembly Member of the area, Alhassan Moferi, went on a shooting spree.

According to him, some people had been hurt as a result of the indiscriminate firing of guns by the security men, whilst others had also fled the town for fear of their lives.

“Nakpanduri is now a ghost town,” said the Alhassan Moferi in an interview with The Chronicle.

About 19 houses, including a number of stores, are said to have been burnt as a result of the operations of the security men.

One Lafitie, a banker at the Bessfa Rural Bank, is said to be in critical condition, after sustaining various degrees of injuries, when the police fired at the building in which the bank was operating.

One Madam Yenu also sustained a head injury from a gun butt by one of the security personnel deployed the area to hunt for the notorious armed robber, Johnson Kombian.

Another man, Elija Sillim, had his house razed to the ground. Alhassan Moferi described the operations of the security personnel as highly unprofessional, since their actions have rather helped the notorious criminal to go deep into hiding.

About 20 people, including a teacher at the Assemblies of God Junior High School, one Bubik, have been arrested.

The joint security team was deployed to the area in search of the Johnson Kombian, who recently, fired gun shots at three police officers on patrol duty, killing two.

Attempts by The Chronicle to contact the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer proved unsuccessful, as he had switched off his mobile phone, after promising to speak to the paper on the matter.

Pix: Paul Tawiah Quaye, Inspector General of Police

Ghana receives $4.2bn in remittances

2010-09-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Ghanaian economy is fast enjoying an economic rebound after experiencing some shocks from the financial meltdown that plunged many markets around the globe in 2008/09.
According to balance of payments data, total private inward transfers to the Ghanaian economy for January – May, 2010, amounted to US$4.2 billion, representing a 22.2 per cent increase over the corresponding period in 2009.
Of the total transfers, US$626.2 million accrued to individuals, compared with US$604.8 million during the same period in 2009.
First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. H. A. K. Wampah disclosed this at the launch of the Ecobank’s ‘Rapid Transfer’ in Accra on Wednesday. The ‘Rapid Transfer’ an instant money transfer product which provides a fast, convenient and reliable way to transfer across and within countries where Ecobank operates.
Global remittances average about US$300 billion per year, with Africa getting about US$400 million, according to a 2009 report on remittances by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) titled ‘Sending Money Home to Africa’.
Due to the economic crises, remittances for the year 2009 decreased by 6 per cent but were expected to increase at 6.2 per cent in 2010 and 7.1 per cent in 2011, according to report on migration and remittances trends 2010 by Dilip Ratha, lead economist at the World Bank.
The strategic importance of the remittance business to the Ghanaian banking sector is underpinned by the fact that all the banks in the country serve either as agents or sub agents to giants in the remittance business, such as Western Union, Moneygram and Vigo.
However, Dr. Wampah said with the introduction of Ecobank’s ‘Rapid Transfer’ product, “a new dimension has been added onto the financial market, especially, as it focuses solely on Africa”. He described the new product as one of the manifestation of Ecobank’s vision of building a Pan African Bank focused on facilitating the economic integration of Africa.
“It is a clear indication of Ecobank’s commitment to contribute to the development of Africa using its platform to facilitate the transfer of funds within and across African countries where the bank has a presence”.
The Ecobank Rapid Transfer comes across as a fast and reliable means of money transfer through which one can send or receive money at all 750 branches of Ecobank in more than 30 African countries. Also, payments of receipts are in the Ecobank affiliate’s local currency, subject to local exchange control regulations. Above all, the risk of carrying money across borders is eliminated.
Commenting on the new product, the Managing Director of Ecobank Ghana, Mr. Samuel Ashitey Adjei said “the Ecobank Rapid Transfer is aimed at making the transfer of money simple and fast. Sending and receiving money across Africa has been made easier”.
The Board Chair of Ecobank Ghana, Mr. Lionel Van Lare Dosoo said the Ecobank Rapid Transfer product will serve as one stop solution to the transfer of money in the African continent. Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana, Jean Pierre Gbikpi also commenting on the product said “the Pan-African idea of the Ecobank Rapid Transfer product is moral boosting in the African continent”.

Ban ‘disappointed’ at Israel’s move not to extend settlements moratorium

2010-09-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced disappointment at Israel’s move to not extend the moratorium on the building of Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, and expressed concern over provocative actions taking place on the ground.

He recalled last week’s statement by the of Middle East Quartet – the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States – which he said reflected the united call of the international community urging Israel to extend the settlement restraint policy.

Mr. Ban reiterated that settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, is illegal under international law. He urged Israel to fulfil its obligation under the Roadmap obligation to freeze settlement activity.

“The Secretary-General supports ongoing efforts to find a way to continue peace talks in an environment conducive to progress. This is the only route to a viable Palestinian State living in peace with a secure Israel,” a statement issued by his spokesperson said.

Last Tuesday, the Quartet – UN, European Union (EU), Russia and the United States – urged Israel to continue its settlement moratorium in the occupied Palestinian territory in the interests of resumed negotiations between the sides and called on Arab States to support the talks.

Voicing support for the first face-to-face talks in 19 months, a statement issued after a high-level meeting of the Quartet reiterated the goal of ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and creating “an independent, democratic, contiguous, and viable Palestinian State” living side by side in peace and security with Israel.

“Noting that mutual trust and confidence are critical to successful negotiations, the Quartet reiterated its call on Israel and the Palestinians to promote an environment conducive to progress, including by refraining from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric,” the statement said.

“The Quartet noted that the commendable Israeli settlement moratorium instituted last November has had a positive impact and urged its continuation. The Quartet recalled that unilateral actions by either party, including settlement activity, cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community,” it added. Credit: UN.