From Joyce Addae

The National Youth Authority (NYA) has held a Youth Dialogue at Tepa for five schools in the Ahafo Ano North District.

It was aimed at presenting one platform to the identifiable youth groups to exchange ideas on the attempts to develop polices and interventions that are geared towards addressing their problems.

The forum formed part of this year’s African Day, under the theme: “Harnessing the potentials in the Youth for Total Development.”

The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, Mr. Opoku Fofie Apraku, noted that Africa was rich with vast resources, yet the Africa states wallow in dire poverty, which he explained in the fact that Africa was inflicted with disease, conflict-prone, low industrialisation, hunger in the midst of plenty, and loose neighborhood relationships (divided by artificial boundaries that favoured colonisation and manipulation).

He noted that member states of the Africa Union (AU) and ECOWAS lack commitment, as they are bonded more to their former colonial masters.

“It is common fact that in Africa today, some government fiscal policies like the budget remain mere paper work if it is not scrutinised and sanctioned by the Western powers. Our over-dependency on foreign inputs to all our critical and major programmes stare us in the face,” he said, adding that “under this circumstance, Africa cannot afford to move forward if its youth is ignorant and unaware of the happenings around him.”

He explained that African Youth Day, therefore, seeks to re-awaken the youth to re-discover and assert themselves as Africans, and rise up for the freedom, independence, total liberation and unity of Africa.

The Ahafo Ano North District Officer of National Youth Authority, Mr. Orwell Amponsah, said a significant number of Ghana’s youth population lived in rural and disadvantaged areas, with poor access to basic social amenities and services, including access to quality and affordable education and healthcare.

Mr. Amponsah hoped that African Youth Day would be one giant step in engaging and equipping the youth on various social topics that confront them.

On her part, the District Director of Education for Ahafo Ano North, Mrs. Victoria Achiaah Osei, used the occasion to asked school children to study hard to enable them become very useful citizens of the country.

She cautioned school children against attending wake-keepings, concerts and video shows, or face drastic sanctions.

By Sebastian R. Freiku

A new chief has been installed and en-stooled for the community of Breman in the Kumasi Metropolis.

The new Bremanhene, who answers to Nana Kotei Kutin Sraman II, has since been out-doored at the colourful ceremony at the public park in the community.

Known in his private life as Stephen Kwaku Boateng, the new chief pledged to champion the accelerated development of the town to befit its status as the resting home for royals of the Ashanti Kingdom.

He mentioned the construction of a new palace, expansion of the Breman Hospital to include accommodation for doctors and nurses, rehabilitation of the road network in the community, clean environment and education as the topmost priority among the projects lined up for the development of the community.

Stressing the importance of education, Nana Sraman II noted that Breman had produced notable personalities nationwide, and called upon the youth to follow their footsteps and stay away from fraudulent acts which would drag the name of the town in the mud.

“I seek love, peace and unity among you to exploit the opportunities available for the development of Breman, and to adequately address the enormous challenges facing us all,” Nana emphasised.

He used the occasion to thank his sub-chiefs, commended them for their hard work, and called for their co-operation.

Nana Kotei Kutin Sraman II, born 60 years to Sam Boateng and Josephine Afia Mintah, was elevated as Bremanhene on July 11, 2013.

Nana Sraman served as a translator and interpreter at USAID of Africa Development Bank to herald his career as a Consultant Assistant in Abidjan, from 1991 to 1998, when he returned to Ghana.

Back home, Nana Sraman ventured in construction, and later in the retailing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas as Bomeng Energy Limited.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, who deputised for the President, John Dramani Mahama, at the out-dooring ceremony, donated an amount of GH¢2,000, and further pledged support and assistance for the completion of the proposed palace project.

Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency where Breman is located, also promised 300 bags of cement towards the Breman palace project.

From Ernest Best Anane

Nana Brefo-Boateng, Executive Secretary of the Otumfuo Education Fund, has disclosed that the Fund has, since its inception in 1999, awarded over 4,000 scholarships to brilliant but needy students to pursue education at the basic, second cycle, and tertiary institutions in Ghana.

He also revealed that eight scholarships had been awarded to individuals to pursue under-graduate and master’s degrees in the United States of America, and that some of the beneficiaries had completed their master’s degrees, while others had acquired doctoral degrees, and were currently contributing to the advancement of education and development of Asanteman and Ghana.

Nana Brefo made the disclosure at the Second Career Guidance and Counseling ceremony for selected Senior High Schools at the Center for National Culture in Kumasi.

He said the fund had also offered assistance for educational and infrastructural development, through the renovation of dormitories, provision of computers, library books, dual desks and chairs, school uniforms, and water tanks among others to over 150 schools.

Under the programme, the Fund adopts and renovates schools, including the former Trabuom Secondary, now transformed into a model girls school, known as Afua Kobi Senior High School, to promote female education,.

He said the fund sometimes provided money to selected schools for the purchasing of educational facilities, and has also provided or renovated school blocks, as well as provided funds to organise best teacher awards to recognise the selfless services of deserving teachers.

The Executive Director said, last year, the fund organised the first edition of a career guidance and counseling programme for 5,000 students selected from schools in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions.

Dr. Edward Brenya, Administrative Manager, said 14 years down the line, the Fund had done a lot in terms of education, as the number of beneficiaries would increase to 9,000 this year.

He said the guidance and counseling aspect of the Fund would help students to identify the subjects they can perform well in, so as not to be stranded after their second cycle education.

He hinted the establishment of an Asanteman University, through the Otumfuo Education Fund in the near future, and that the Fund aspires to extend its benevolence to students from all ten regions in Ghana.

By Daniel Nonor – Back From Afram Plains

Access to Free Compulsory Basic Education is a requirement enshrined in the 1992 Constitution and of the basic rights of every child in Ghana.

But, it is the situation, as witnessed at Wawase, a fishing community in the Kwahu Afram Plains District in the Eastern Region of Ghana, that questions the constitutional provision that makes basic education a right, and not a privilege, for children in this part of the country.

A young lad sat on one of the frameless windows of the three room structure built with clay, resting his chin on his knee and gazing into the empty air.

Not even the visit of the Minister of Agriculture and the District Chief Executive which had drawn all the village folk under the shady trees behind the structure where he sat, and the ongoing funfair, was of any attraction to him.

It was the two broken desks lying on the dusty floor from where he sat, and the black painted areas in each room with faded chalk marks, that gave the slightest clue that the structure could be a school block.

The lad nodded in confirmation, yes, they are classrooms; but why classes were not ongoing on that Thursday morning, led to an investigation that revealed the pathetic story of education in the that community.

The three-unit classroom block houses pupils from primary 1 to 6, with each classroom accommodating two sets of year groups; but while basic schools across the country are rounding up academic activities for the year, no serious  teaching and learning activity has taken place in this school since the beginning of the term.

The teachers who serve this community school had not shown up since the beginning of the term, and attempts by the community to save the school from total collapse, had yielded very little result, as the pupils gradually lost interest in education.

Miss Sarah Kisseh Korantemaa, a Junior High School graduate, told The Chronicle that she was approached by the community to take up the position of the absentee teachers, which she accepted, but said the gradual apathy of the pupils to school, and the community’s inability to raise her subvention, made her abandon the job.

“I initially accepted the request from the community members to teach the children because the school was collapsing, and I had very bad feeling for the many children here who were losing interest in the school.”

She said the two community members who joined her to teach the pupils withdrew their services along the way, because the community was not able to pay them, as promised.

“I was left alone here to teach the whole school, so the children also stopped coming.”

Asked if she ever used the basic schools’ syllabus in teaching the pupils, she responded in the negative.

 “I only teach them what I was taught while in was here,” she said.

Mr/ Amenyedzi Husunu, a peasant farmer and a parent, told The Chronicle the financial hustle he had to go through to get his three children educated in another community because of the collapse of the school.

He said he had to rent a room at a cost of GH¢160 a year for his children access basic education.

“They come home every weekend for foodstuff and pocket money for their upkeep there,” he said.

Accommodation for pupils in that community is not only hard to come by, but is one that many parents cannot afford.

A thatch roofed single room accommodation for a pupil cost GH¢120 a year, while an iron sheet roofed house cost GH¢160 a year.

David, the Primary 4 young lad’s dream of becoming a teacher in future looks bleak, because his parents cannot afford renting a room for him to continue his education elsewhere.

Rita, a teenage mother, told this paper she ended her education in the second year in the Junior High School, because her parents could not afford the cost of educating her.

It was observed that like Rita, many of the girls, as young as fifteen years, had their babies strapped on their back at the grounds where the community had assembled.

It was, however, revealed that the issue of teacher absenteeism at Wawase was not something the authorities in the District were oblivious of.

The District Chief Executive of the area, Ibrahim Issaka, told The Chronicle that he had, at point in time, drawn the attention of the District Director of Education to the problem in that community, but was surprised that the situation had further deteriorated ever since.

“When I first witnessed the situation, I was told that for almost a week after re-opening of the school, no teacher had reported, so I informed the Education Director in Donkorkrom. He summoned the Headmaster to explain why he was not in school after a week after reopening, and I was told it was because he was ill, that was why he had not reported.” the DCE said.

This situation is not peculiar to Wawase, but many other places in the District.

“We have a major problem getting trained teachers to come to these remote places in the district, so we normally fall on these community teaching assistants, under the youth and employment programme.”

He, however, noted that these teaching assistants often abandon the classrooms due to delays in paying their salaries.

He also blamed the situation on the phenomenon, where each community wants to have a school, despite the fact that there are not enough teachers to teach in these schools.

The District Director of Education in the Kwahu Afram Plains District told The Chronicle that when his attention was drawn to the situation at Wawase, he sent a Circuit Supervisor to the area to assess the situation.

He said the report he had was that the two teachers sent to the school were a man and his son, but due to the numerous complaints from the community members of their absenteeism, he decided to transfer the son to another place and replace him with a pupil teacher.

He said unfortunately, the person who was posted there, refused to report at the school, leaving only the one teacher to handle the whole school.

“So, for some time, the man was the only person that was handling the school until early this term, when the community came and complained that they did not want that teacher, because they did not like his performance.”  

He said he pleaded with the community to allow his office find a replacement before his transfer, “but they would not agree.”

He also emphasised the difficulties the directorate faced in finding teachers for such remote communities in the district.

“Getting teachers to such deprived communities is a big challenge,” he said

To help solve the situation, the District Chief Executive said they were considering merging some of the schools in the area, so proper attention can be given to them.

a pupil of the school looks into  the future of what is in store for him in education

the abandoned classroom with broken furniture at Wawase

Sarah Korantemaa Kisseh, the only community teacher left in the School

From Ernest Best Anane

The Sekyere South District Assembly has realised GH¢365,240.45, representing 88% of the expected collection of GH¢44.89.88, as at October 31, 2013.

Mr. Edward Kusi Ayarkwa, District Chief Executive for the area, announced this at the 3^rd Ordinary Meeting of the 3^rd Session of the Assembly.

He said, as at the end of October, 2013, the external grants received totaled GH¢929,277.03, which include the District Assembly Common Fund and District Development Fund.

According to him, the Assembly estimated to spend a total of GH¢327,098.78 from the Internal Generated Fund (IGF) for the year 2013.

The Assembly, he said, spent a total of GH¢302,168.84, representing 92% of the total expenditure, adding that the Assembly was likely to exceed its recurrent expenditure as a result of the increase in utility charges and fuel.

He said the Assembly’s tipper truck, which performs commercial work, was able to accrue an income of GH¢47,950 from the beginning of the year, with an expenditure of GH¢20,171, and that the wheel loader and grader, mostly used for commercial work, were able to bring in

GH¢69,850 and GH¢10,190 respectively from the commercial work they embarked on, and indicated that the expenditure made on them was GH¢7,333 and GH¢3,999 respectively.

Mr. Ayarkwa said steps were being taken and consultants contacted to provide appropriate structural designs which would be presented to the house for approval, in order to ease the office accommodation challenges facing the departments, while a facelift and refurbishment of the administration building have commenced in phases.

The entire office would be refurbished as funds become available, as adequate provision has been made in the 2014 budget estimates to cater for residential accommodation for the staff in the district.

He said education continued to receive the needed attention from both central government and the Assembly, adding that a total number of 2,800 mono desks had been distributed to schools in the district, while additional laptops had been distributed to the second cycle schools, and a total number of 135,506 exercise books also distributed to basic schools in the district.

He disclosed that with the growth of population and expansion of the communities in the district, there was the need to plan ahead in the distribution of educational facilities, and therefore, proposed for the consideration of the house, the establishment of a Senior High School at Bipoa.

He suggested the need for the District to move higher up in education, by having a university, for which he urged the Assembly to support individuals, groups or organisation that intend to establish a university in the district.

According to him, discussions were being held with the Presbyterian and Pentecost churches on the establishment of the university in the district, and announced a favourable response regarding negotiations with the said churches.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw

The Asafo-UTC Interchange, constructed at a cost of GH¢16.5 million, as one major project for the people of Kumasi, and which is being constructed by the Italian contractor, Messrs Sarroch Granulati-Gelfi J.V., since 2007, is steadily deteriorating.

For some time now, some of the crash metal barriers along the pavements have been removed, with others completely rusted, and the bolts and nuts being unable to hold the metals together.

Some drivers told the paper that a vehicle run into the metal rails sometime ago, and has remained unattended to for a long time.

Vehicles which might accidentally lose control and veer off the road might plunge headlong into the valley without any protection.

Mr. Theophilus Quaye, Metro Director of Department of Urban Roads, last Friday told the Ashanti File that he was not aware of the state of the metal rails, and that he would deploy personnel to fix the problem as soon as he returns to base in Kumasi.

Pix:

A former Assembly Member for Krisan-Eikwe in the Elembelle District is raising the consciousness of the Ghana Navy, Western Naval Command, and the recently formed Marine Police, in protecting Ghana’s territorial waters from pirates and other forms of attacks.

His comment follows the discovery of an abandoned ship on the shores of the area for a couple of days without the notice of the security agencies.

Anxiety is reported to have gripped the people of the Krisan Community and its surroundings last Friday, when a ship harmlessly sailed to the shore.

This, Sylvester Nkrumah, the Assembly Member, pointed out, raised lots of security concerns, considering the nearness of the community to Ghana’s oil rig, which is some nautical miles away.

Meanwhile, the crew, including the captain of the ship, are said to be in the grips of the police for questioning.

Head of National Security in the Western Region Col. Kaku Korsah (rtd) told a local radio station’s programme, Morning Show, that there was no cause for alarm, as the security of the region had not been compromised.

“Sometimes, when such events occur, it will appropriate we don’t over heighten things, that all is not well, but I can assure you the region is safe,” he said.

He also added that a team of police personnel was guarding the ship as those arrested were being questioned.

Stories from Alfred Adams

After years of working without electricity, staff of the Tarkwa Ghana Education Service (GES) can heave a sigh of relief, after the management of Goldfields Ghana Limited, a mining company operating in Tarkwa, connected the beautiful storey building office complex to the national grid at the weekend, at a cost of GH¢125,012.

The completion and imminent inauguration of the electricity connection to the office complex, according to the management of the company, symbolizes what it stands for – caring for the communities in which it operates.

That apart, the management of GGL also made a donation of educational materials such as books, pencils, and bags among others, to cushion the plight of parents in its catchment areas.

The materials were distributed to schools such as the Goldfields School Complex, Brahabobom Primary, Atuabo Primary and Ackon M/A Primary.

The rest are the John Taylor Primary, Samanhu Richard Graham Primary, and Pepessa Primary School.

The distribution of the school materials is estimated to have cost GH¢44,136.

The company also presented two motorcycles to the staff of the Hunniso Clinic to facilitate the transportation of the staff.

It was more of a jamboree for the staff of the GES, who have been working in the beautiful edifice without electricity, since the structure was put up some three years ago.

In fact, it was not only the staff of the GES who were delighted about the development, but the chiefs and management of the mining company as well.

This development moved the General Manager of GGL, Mr. Michiel Van der Merwe, who put it bluntly; “Permit me to say that I am highly elated to be standing here today to say few words during the inauguration of the linkage of the GES office accommodation to the national grid.”

According to him, the GGL is well recognised by it host communities for the immense contributions it has been making towards socio-economic development.

He added that studies had shown that the GGL was the national leader in corporate social responsibility through its flagship foundation established some ten years ago.

The General Manager further added that as a result of the company’s contribution towards the overall development of its host communities, it had received awards from the Ghana Investment Promotional Council.

He said, over the last ten years, the GGL Foundation had expended over $25 million in it host communities towards programmes and projects that were meant to bring about significant development.

In 2013, for example, according to the General Manager, the company was poised to spend over $3 million in that direction.

General Manager Merwe said the GGL Foundation, in the year 2005, decided to intervene in the socio-economic development of its host communities in a more formal and structured manner, and tapped into the Medium Term Development Plans of the Municipal and District Assemblies to fashion its developmental agenda for the host communities in areas such as agriculture, education, health and capacity building among others.

In the area of education, the General Manager pointed out that a lot of inroads had been made in the provision of educational infrastructure, with all communities having schools constructed by the Foundation up to the Junior High School level.

That apart, the company has also contributed in significant terms to ensure quality education for the youth of the host communities.

He added: “All these have been done to enable our host communities reap the maximum of educational benefits, as a result, I was, therefore, not the least surprised when a teacher at the Nana Amoakwaw School at Damang was adjudged the National Best Teacher this year. I am hoping that all our efforts in the educational field will continue to yield more results, culminating in more awards being won.”

Touching on health, he said, health facilities formed a key linkage in their host communities’ health delivery strategy. “We have provided two clinics for our host communities.”

He added that the Huniso Clinic had an outreach programme to the other outlying rural communities. “We, being aware of the struggles that the staff of the clinic go through in trying to reach these outlying communities, decided to provide them with two motorcycles to assist in their work.”

The Community Affairs Manager of GGL, Mr. Mubashir Tahiru Dari, told the gathering that his company had good relationships with it host communities, and expressed the hope that the relationship would grow from strength to strength.

The Chairman of the occasion, Nana Ansah, who is also the Chairman of the Catchments Communities, lauded the socio-economic contributions of the GGL, adding that the company was truly in to help its host communities.

Pix- The GGL General Manager, Van Merewe

A chief turns on electricity for the office

Traditional rulers at the ceremony

From Issah Alhassan

Residents of Apramang community in the Nhyiaeso Constituency, now have something to cheer about, after waiting for almost 32 years to acquire a decent sanitary facility.

Residents of the community had to cope with a dilapidated toilet facility constructed way back in 1981, before the management of the Atasemanso Hospital, a private medical centre, came to their rescue.

A 24-seater modern toilet facility, funded by the management of the hospital, was last Sunday commissioned and formally handed for use by the community.

The project, valued at GH¢300,000, was solely funded by the hospital, as part of its corporate social responsibility, aimed at addressing the numerous sanitary challenges within and around the community.

The Apramang community is located in the catchment areas of the hospital, and following persistent appeals from the chiefs and people of the area, the hospital agreed to embark on the project.

The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. John Boateng, stated at a colourful opening ceremony that the hospital was not only concerned about providing services to people when they fall sick, but also wants to ensure the prevention of diseases.

He indicated that sanitary conditions in the area were so deplorable. A situation, he said, contributed to lots of environmental borne diseases.

According to him, similar facilities had been undertaken in Atasemanso, and expressed optimism that the project would go a long way to help reduce the challenges associated with sanitation in the community and its environs.

Dr. Boateng, however, expressed regret about stiff opposition from the Assembly Member of the area, Linda Karikari, who almost prevented the commissioning ceremony from coming on.

Linda Karikari caused a stir when she prevented the project from being commissioned, insisting that she wanted a similar facility to be constructed for kids in the community.

From Joyce Addai

Three Senior High schools in the Amansie West District have received laptops from the government to enhance the teaching and learning of ICT.

The schools are the Mansoman Senior High School – 50, Manso-Adubia Senior High School – 50, and Esaase Bontefufuo Senior High School – 40.

The District Chief Executive for Amansie West, Mr. Alex Kwame Bonsu, who presented the laptops to the schools, said the gesture was part of the government’s policy to improve ICT in schools.

He warned that the computers were not personal assets, and that they were also not meant for office for administrative work, for which reason he cautioned the management against such practices.

The DCE emphasised that the computers were primarily to facilitate teaching and learning by students and teachers.

He said the government regarded the move as imperative for future capacity development through ICT at the grassroots level.

The District Assembly also pledged to supply 50 bags of cement to the Manso-Adubia Senior High School to enable it continue with development projects.

From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor

Members of the Ghana Aquaculture Association (GAA) have called on the government to immediately fashion out measures to stop the importation of fish into the country, which has had a negative impact on local production.

According to the GAA members, despite the high demand for tilapia, the farmers were facing huge challenges selling their fish as a result of the importation of fish, with its corresponding low prices, into the country.

Buttressing their claim, the group mentioned that regardless of falling below the target of the Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan (GNADP) to produce 100,000 metric tonnes of farmed fish per annum, selling has become a major headache to them.

They have further urged the ministry to expedite action on the introduction of Ghana’s version of GIFT tilapia, to make the businesses of players in the sector profitable, since it defies logic that they would use seven months, instead of having the opportunity to use less than five months, to develop the fish.

The GAA also called on the government, particularly the Ministry for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, to institute an aquaculture development fund to sustain aquaculture in Ghana.

The call on the government to institute the fund is against the background that most of the players in the sector lack knowledge, technical and managerial skills, funding and markets to operate successfully.

Addressing the members at a day general meeting of the GAA, which was organised in collaboration with Raanan Fish Feed Limited at Akosombo on Wednesday, the Chairman of the GAA, Mr. Jacob Ainoo-Ansah, contended that the fund, if when established, would go a long way to support the operations of players.

The meeting, which was themed, “Sustaining the Aquaculture Industry in Ghana,” was attended by members from across the country.

According to him, the fund would support among other things quality extension services provided by both the public and private sector, leading to the provision of extension personnel who are equipped to undertake on-the-spot measurement and advise farmers.

The GAA Chairman further disclosed that the fund would help develop physical infrastructure that would open up high priority areas for fish farming operations, as well as identifying farmers with potential and supporting them financially.

Responding to the call of the GAA, the Head of In-land Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of the Ministry, Mr. Emmanuel Aryee, said the first measure to ensure the sustainability of aquaculture in Ghana was to set minimum standards as regulators.

He explained that the conditions on the lake were not homogeneous, hence the haphazardly displacement of cages on the lake would have a negative contribution on production, which in the long extent would affect aquaculture.

The head of In-land and Aquaculture urged players to invest into the sector by training staff, through the provision of technical and managerial skills, as well as ensuring proper the siting of cages.

From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor

At the regional celebration of Farmers’ Day, which took place at Osiem in the East Akyem Municipality, Emmanuel Takyi Appiah of Teko Farms in the Fanteakwa District was crowned the Regional Best Framer.

He took home items such as a complete corn mill, 2 pair of wellington boots, 2 knapsack sprayer, 3 bags of fertilizer, motor bike, and certificate among others as his prize.

Addressing the media shortly after the ceremony, the Eastern Regional Best Farmer called on the government to fashion out measures to help facilitate loans, in order to improve and adopt day-to-day farming techniques.

Mr. Appiah further charged the government to help improve on the various road networks that connect the farms to the central business district, since agriculture was a main business.

Also 33 year old George Apotogra of Asrebuso in the Fanteakwa District was adjudged the overall District Best Farmer during a celebration, which took place at Oboho.

The young man has 20 acres of cocoa, 100 acres of plantain, 16 acres beans, 2 acres cabbage, 5 acres of cassava, 20 acres of cocoyam, 4 acres of groundnuts, 5 acres of tomatoes, and 4 acres of pepper.

The rest are 47 sheep, 30 goats, 200 local birds, 9 ducks, and he is assisted by 6 labourers.

In all, 26 farmers were awarded, with Mary Padi and Emmanuel Kofi Adema adjudged Best Woman Farmer and Most Enterprising fFarmer respectively.

Addressing the gathering, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Fanteakwa, Abass Fusieni Sbaabe, said with regards to the negative activities of Fulani herdsmen, the District Security Committee (DISEC) had put in place prudent measures which were being implemented to address the problem.

“Registration of cattle owners, and the number of cattle and herdsmen, as well as the landlords who have given out parcels of land to them is going on,” he said.

He said identification numbers on cattle would be unique to each cattle owner for ease of identification, saying the horns of cattle unique to each cattle owner were also being painted for purposes of identification.

He said reflective jackets had been procured by the assembly for cattle owners, with identification numbers embossed at the back of the jackets.

One person whose efforts and enthusiasm towards farming was appreciated was the national Coordinator for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr. Kofi Porturphy, who was awarded.

Prior to the presentation, the Eastern Regional Minister, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, said under the Afram Plains Districts Agriculture Development Project, a holistic programme was underway for the development of agriculture.

According to her, some of the interventions include the construction of 15 lots of feeder roads, four fodder banks, three grain warehouses, four crop markets, slaughter houses, the rehabilitation of cashew farms, introduction of cage culture and stocking of the Afram Lake with fingerlings.

The Eastern Regional Minister acknowledged that in these days of rapidly enlarging populations in most sub-Saharan countries whose food is already short, there was an increasing urgency to do a better job of conserving food supply.

This, she explained, if done, would go a long way to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in those countries

The DCE and other dignitiries appreciating some of the farm produce

The District Best Farmer recieving his certificate from the DCE

Hon. Abass making a point to one of the sub-chief of Begoro

By William N-lanjerborr Jalulah

Teachers and pupils of St. Charles Primary School in the Bolgatanga Municipality have become the latest beneficiaries of the MTN Foundation’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre project for selected communities and institutions in the country.

The managers of the MTN Foundation, in December 2011, joined hands with then Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni, to cut the sod for the construction of the facility which was then estimated at GH¢148,640.

It was expected to be completed and commissioned in the second quarter of 2012, but this deadline was not met. It was also announced that the facility would have 25-seater capacity, but after completion, it turned out to be a 20-seater capacity facility, at the cost of GH¢128,000.

The facility will, no doubt, facilitate teaching and learning of ICT, as the course has been included in the Ghana Education School curriculum at the basic level of education.

Mr. Robert Kuzoe, Executive Secretary and Senior Manager, MTN Ghana Foundation, said in its sixth year of existence, the foundation had spent about GH¢13 million on projects that have touched the lives of many people in every region, making a difference through education, health, and economic empowerment projects.

In the Upper East Region, he said GH¢848,873.37 had been spent in interventions such as the ITC centre, donation of an incubator to the Bawku West District Hospital, construction of the Azuribisi CHPS compound, which is ongoing, refurbishment of the Zuarungu Health Centre, and sponsorship of 20 schools to participate in the national “Spelling Bee” competition for the past three years.

The Head teacher of the St. Charles Primary School, Madam Binina Weye, was full of excitement for the fact that, at long last, her school was now fully connected to the rest of the world, with the commissioning of the centre.

She observed that today’s world is ICT-driven, and the intervention by the MTN Foundation-Ghana to provide an ICT Centre for her school was a timely gesture, which would equip the pupils with ICT knowledge before they progress into the Junior and Senior High schools.

Madam Weye lamented over the negative impact of the late arrival of teaching and learning materials in the Bolgatanga Municipality. This, she said, did not promote effective teaching and learning.

She called for the inclusion of her school in the Ghana School Feeding Programme to help reduce the dropout rate of the pupils.

By William N-lanjerborr Jalulah

The Overall Best Farmer award of the 29^th Farmers’ Day celebration 2013 in the Upper East Region went to Mr. Daniel Duut from the Garu-Tempane District, while Mr. Yusif Asurikabiya from the Gowrie Abaabisi community in the Bongo District was adjudged the Overall District Best Farmer.

For his prize, Mr. Duut took home one grinding mill, one water pump, one knapsack sprayer, one set of wellington boots, a cutlass, two bags of fertiliser and a half piece of cloth, while Mr. Asuribkabiya received a donkey plough, a live donkey fixed to a cart, two pieces of cloth, a radio set, three bags of fertiliser, two cutlasses, a pair of wellington boots and a certificate as a prize package.

At Bongo, where the regional event was held, a total of 22 farmers received regional awards, while 16 received district awards.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, stated that the region had had its fair share of the government’s programmes and projects geared at improving the region’s food security.

He cited the Block Farm Programme as critical among the interventions, under which 3,054 unemployed youth benefited, as they were supported with subsidised fertilisers, herbicides and seeds to cultivate 2,265 hectares of maize, rice and soya beans in 2013 alone.

He noted that post-harvest losses constitute about 30 per cent or more of harvested farm produce. He added that the huge percentage loss of produce could be attributed to losses in quantity, quality or nutritional value, wastage and low pricing as a result of glut.

Consequently, farmers are unable to recoup their investments and unable to feed their families, thus making farming unattractive to, especially, the youth.

The Regional Minister said to help reduce these losses, the government had over the past five years supplied the Upper East Region with 26 combine harvesters for sale at subsidised prices on a hire purchase deal to farmer groups, while early yielding varieties of maize, rice and other crops had been distributed to farmers to enable them plant and harvest early before bushfires set in.

Also, the government had supported the Northern Star Tomato factory with funds to rehabilitate its machines and ready itself to purchase tomato from farmers in the Tono and Vea irrigation sites, as well as those at Pwalugu and other areas.

According Alhaji Limuna, over 50 aluminum silos had been brought into the country through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), and the cost subsidised for sale to peasant farmers to store their produce after harvest.

He tasked MoFA staff to assess the impact of this initiative for its possible scaling up.

The government, through the MoFA, had built the capacity of extension staff and given them over 100 motorbikes to enable them reach far-off farming communities to educate farmers on best farming practices, new agro-technologies and proper post-harvest methods.

The Bongo District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Ayamdor Alexis Adugdaa, said the District Agriculture Development Unit had linked about 12 farmer-based organisations to the Bongo Rural Bank, which have accessed loans to increase their yields, and appealed to them repay the loans quickly, in order for their colleagues to also benefit.

He disclosed that 4,534 bags of fertiliser were sold to the district’s farmers under the Fertiliser Subsidy scheme.

Mr. Adugdaa said in 2012, the Bongo District sponsored 376 farmers under the Block Farm Programme to crop a total of 376 acres of maize, but due to low loan recovery, the assembly in 2013, sponsored only 148 farmers to crop 162 acres of maize under the same programme. Meanwhile, through the assembly’s collaboration with the Northern Rural Growth Programme and the Ghana Social Opportunities Programme (GSOP), a number of roads and dams in the district have been rehabilitated to aid farming and transportation of farm produce to market centres.

The DCE said under the Climate Change Component of the GSOP, the assembly invested lots of funds, culminating in the cultivation of 21 acres of mango plantation in seven communities, and commended non-governmental organisations, including World Vision, ACDEP, World Food Programme, Savannah Agricultural Research Institute among others, for their interventions in the district over the years.

The Upper East Regional Director of the MoFA, Mr. Cletus Achab, in a statement, observed that the smuggling of subsidised fertiliser reduced drastically in 2013, as compared to 2012, due to stringent measures adopted by the Ministry and other stakeholders such as the Ghana Police Service.

Stories from Alfred Adams

In order to boost production of food and food security in the country, the nation set aside the first Friday in December to award our gallant and hardworking farmers. The celebration takes place at the national, regional and district levels.

As this year national celebration was held at Sogakope in the Volta Region, the Aowin district also held its celebration in Abochia, with 24 different awards given to some selected and deserving farmers.

The category of awards include oil palm, cassava, plantain, maize, tomato, cocoyam, cowpea, pepper, rice, citrus, agro-forestry, acqua-culture, grasscutter, poultry, cattle, piggery and sheep.

The rest are beekeeping, vegetable, best radio presenter on agriculture programmes, best cocoa farmer, best agriculture extension officer and overall best farmer.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, the District Chief Executive for Aowin, Oscar Ofori Larbi, said feeding the world in 2050, when global population is expected to reach 9.6 billion, presents one of the most daunting challenges of our time.

In the face of climate change, and with limited land and water resources, the private sector, government and civil society must immediately set in motion policies and investments that will increase productivity and reduce waste and loss throughout the agriculture value chain.

This should be carried out by boosting agricultural output, while conserving resources and improving people’s lives. Together, we must identify and implement sustainable pathways to sufficient, nutritious, affordable food and water.

It was in this light that the theme for this year’s celebration ‘Reducing post-harvest loses for sustainable food security and nutrition’ is very crucial.

Mr. Larbi said improving the productivity of agriculture and food systems was an integral part of achieving global food and nutrition security.

It is a tool against poverty and hunger, as well as an antidote to the growing unemployment in the country and worldwide.

It is time to create a favourable businesses, legal, policy and social climates in which our beloved and cherished farmers can thrive.

He said the government would continue to roll out food security and emergency preparedness programmes to reduce food and nutrition insecurity, through modernised agriculture, management of national strategic stocks for emergencies, and the establishment of effective early warning systems.

This would be achieved by constructing and rehabilitating new and existing irrigation fields.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture would continue to implement the youth in agriculture programme.

A total of 45,000 youth will benefit from the block farm initiative, about 50,000 hectares of land is targeted for the production of maize, rice, cassava, sorghum and cowpea, whilst under livestock and poultry, a total of 2,500 guinea fowl keets and 5,000 broiler day-old chicks would be produced to support and increase the capacity of local poultry farmers to produce enough for local consumption.

More cocoa housing would be rolled out next year. A total of GH¢838,000 has already been released by the government to the Department of Rural Housing for houses for farmers, including farmers in Aowin.

The government has demonstrated to the farmers that in challenging circumstances, their interests would always be considered first, he added.

The western-south regional chief farmer for cocoa and shea nut, Mr. Johnson Mensah, hailed the Ghana Cocoa Board and government for putting in measures to improve the lives of cocoa farmers most especially.

Mr. Mensah lauded the government for continuing the mass cocoa spraying programme, despite the challenges, but appealed to it to start the exercise on time to prevent the swollen shoot disease from attacking and destroying their cocoa.

The District Director of Agriculture for Aowin, Mr. YawAdu, commended farmers for contributing immensely towards the development of the country by providing food, raw material for some of our industries, and foreign exchange from the export of agriculture produce, particularly cocoa.

He said as farmers produce more, there was the need to prevent losses from rot and insect infestation during storage, so that we can keep some of our harvested produce for a period of time.

The 53 year old farmer, Mr. Nicholas Wireku, was adjudged overall district best farmer.

He has 80 acres of cocoa, 4 acres of citrus, 4 acres of cassava, 2 acres of maize, 2 acres of plantain, 4 acres of oil palm, 2 acres of pepper, 102 sheep, 90 poultry, 7 fish ponds and the following farm machines, 10 motorised spraying machines, 8 hand sprayers, 5 farm houses and 12 labourers.

He took away with a motorcycle, one motorised spraying machine, 2 hand spraying machines, one carton of Akate Master, 20 cutlasses, a radio, a piece of GTP wax print, 4 sets of mosquito net and 4 pairs wellington boots.

Some Of  The Prizes

The DCE Presenting The Award To The District Best Farmer

Stories From Richard Attenkah

Alhaji Osuman Issah, a 62 year old farmer who resides at Adjei-Kojo, has been crowned Overall Best Farmer in the Tema Metropolis, at the 2013 annual ceremony organised by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to honour farmers.

The 62 year old farmer, who has two wives with 12 children, was adjudged the Overall Best Farmer for Tema, because he had a five acre onion farm, five acre maize farm, sweet pepper farm, tomato farm, 30 cattle and rearing of other ruminants.

Other award winners and the categories in which they received their awards are as follows; Gabriel Amegbetor (best maize farmer), John Ayiku Bosompra (best pepper farmer), Mustapha Mawuzu (best onion farmer) and Comfort Nsor (best exotic vegetable farmer).

The rest are Mohammed Alhassan (best small ruminant farmer), Abdulai Mohammed (best cattle farmer), Daniel Kwao (best inshore fisher), Kotei Mensah (best canoe fisher) and Beauty Awia (best fish processor).

Speaking under the theme; “Reducing Post Harvest Losses for Sustainable Food Security and Nutrition,” Mr. Isaac Ashai Odamtten, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, commended the enormous contribution and efforts of our hard working farmers, fishers and agro processors, who produce food to feed us, and raw material for the industries.

He hinted that the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Clement Kofi Humado, has called on all stakeholders to join forces with the government to tackle post-harvest issues in the country.

“Plans are underway to develop a comprehensive post-harvest strategy that will address specific commodity challenges and emerging issues confronting the growth of agriculture,” he added.

Emmanuel Adjei Annan, a member of the Council of State, who was Chairman for the occasion, encouraged the youth to go into farming, because it was a lucrative venture, saying since one source of income was not enough to financially cushion them, farming was another area where financial satisfaction could be realised.

He further urged Ghanaians to plan for themselves backyard farms on which they can fall on for fresh pepper, onions and other food stuffs for domestic upkeep, and commended ex-Head of State Ignatius Kutu Acheampong for introducing “Operation Feed Yourself,” which inculcated the backyard farming spirit into Ghanaians many years ago.

Stories From Richard Attenkah

Ibrahim Baidoo, Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive, has stated that it is not impossible for Ghana, as a nation, to produce more food and export the surplus to other countries to enable it generate the needed foreign exchange for its economic activities.

Unfortunately, post-harvest losses across the length and breadth of the country have deprived Ghana, especially its farmers, from deriving the full benefits of their toil, thus rendering our farmers poor, and not helping the nation to feed its people, he noted.

He has, therefore, challenged researchers in the agricultural sector to delve into what can be done to ensure that post-harvest losses in the country are minimised, if not eradicated completely.

“I want to throw the challenge to our researchers to assist our poor farmers, and even the market women, through Agricultural Extension Officers to minimise, if not eliminate, agricultural post-harvest losses,” he stated.

Mr. Baidoo was speaking at the 29^th Farmers’ Day celebration, organised by the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA), to honour farmers in the municipality, under the theme “Reducing Post-Harvest Losses for Sustainable Food Security and Nutrition.”

Touching on efforts the government was putting in place to improve upon the agric sector, the ASHMA boss said it introduced the block farm concept and the pig-in-kind project to empower many young Ghanaians to sustain the meat production capacity of the nation, and to generate enough income for our farmers.

Mr. Samuel Kwasi Afari was adjudged the Overall Best Farmer for the Ashaiman Municipality, out of the 12 persons who were pronounced best farmers in the following categories, rice, onion, pepper, maize, cattle, alternate livelihood, small ruminants, piggery, poultry, grass-cutter and best agric extension officer.

For his prize, he took home five cutlasses, one pair of wellington boots, a brand new television set, one piece of GTP wax print, one wheelbarrow, one double-decker fridge, water pumping machine, Tuna flakes (Starkist), assorted agro chemicals and a set of aluminium pans.

The other award winners each received two cutlasses, one pair wellington boots, four bags of fertiliser, one knapsack sprayer, one bicycle, Tuna flakes (Starkist) and assorted agro chemicals.

Mr.-Samuel-Kwasi-Afari-receiving-the-certificate-for-the-overall-best-farmer-for-the-Ashaiman-Municipal-area-from-Hon-Ibrahim-Baidoo-Ashaiman-Municipal-Chief-Executive-2nd-from-right.

Stories From Richard Attenkah

Mr. Michael Abgeko, the 2002 Best Maize Farmer in the Tema Metropolis, on Friday was adjudged the 2013 Overall Best Farmer in the Kpone-Katamanso District at the 29^th Farmers’ Day, organised by the Kpone-Katamanso District Assembly (KKDA).

He, therefore, becomes the first Overall Best Farmer in the whole of the district, because this is the first time the Assembly, which was carved out of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), is organising this event.

Mr. Agbeko took home a set of furniture, a brand new 29 inches Sanyo television set, one bicycle, one knapsack sprayer, wellington boots, and four cutlasses as his prize.

He stood tall among his peers, and was adjudged the overall best, because he cultivated nine acres of maize, three acres of cowpea and 20 acres of pepper. He also had 40 cockerels, 80 local fowls, 20 goats, and 30 cattle, aside a fish pond and a sugar cane farm in the Volta Region.

Eighteen other persons were adjudged best farmers in the various categories, namely, maize, pepper, tomato, okro, water melon, onion, cassava, exotic vegetables, small ruminants, poultry, cattle, piggery, fish processing, agro processing, canoe fishing (Nifanifa), anchovy fishing and non-traditional.

Each of the best farmers under the above categories received a bicycle, one knapsack sprayer, a pair of Wellington boots, and four cutlasses.

Mr. Agbeko appealed to the authorities to endeavour to find a lasting solution to sand and gravel winning in the district, and further ensure that farmers in the area have access to more land so that they can grow more food and rear more animals for the greater good of Ghanaians.

Addressing the farmers, Alhaji Anteaye Tetteh, Kpone-Katamanso District Chief Executive, appealed to Ghanaians to pray for our farmers, as they had taken the responsibility of feeding the entire nation on their shoulders.

He said the need to ensure food security had become a modern mantra, because our population was growing and we need more food, adding it was, therefore, unacceptable that food can go waste when we most needed them.

He said food insecurity in Ghana should not be politicised in any way, as it was the collective responsibility of all Ghanaians to ensure that we produce enough food to take care of ourselves as a people.

Mr.-Michael-Abgeko-2nd-from-left-receiving-his-sword-of-honour-from-Alhaji-Anteaye-Tetteh-Kpone-Katamanso-District-Chief-Executive

From Ernest Best Anane

A police post, donated by the authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has been commissioned to beef up security for residents and students of the university community and its surrounding environment.

The facility is expected to serve the institution and communities like Ayeduase, Bomsu and Kotei, where most of the students have rented apartments and hostels.

DCOP Augustine Gyenin, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, pleaded with the public to assist the police with accurate information that will enable them give effective protection.

He observed that criminals were not strangers, but people living within the various communities with us, and for that matter, it was important that the citizens also help the police to able to give protection to life and property, as security was a shared responsibility.

He also pleaded with Nananom and land owners to make provision for police stations, by making land available.

The Police Commander noted: “Every community is supposed to have a police station, so that the police can respond to distress calls immediately, when criminals attack.”

He appealed to hostel owners to provide measures that would ensure 24-hour protection for their occupants.

Professor Ellis Otoo, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, commended the Police Service for being supportive to the university community in diverse ways, and gave assurance of a continuous committed and working relationship with the institution.

He noted that the police post would be a relief to residents and students by ensuring full security.

The Vice Chancellor also commended the chiefs in the communities for giving land for the post, and appealed to the communities to assist the police to protect them at all times, by reporting who harass them for the benefit of the community and the students.

Prof. Otoo pledged on behalf of his administration to provide two motorbikes for post, for effective patrolling of the vicinity towards a crime-free society.

 Chief of Ayeduase, Nana Opoku Agyemang III, cutting the tape to commission the police post

From Sebastian R. Freiku

The Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) has constructed and commissioned a GH¢60,000 building for the Fowaman Kindergarten Basic School in the Ahafo Ano North district.

The building, constructed in two phases, comprises two classrooms, an office, kitchen, apartment, bathroom and a place of convenience, with the community providing labour.

The Managing Director of GCB, Mr. Simon Dornoo, said the building was the bank’s 60^th Anniversary gift to the 110 pupils who studied under were previously studying under disaster-prone structures.

He hoped the building would enhance opportunities for the children to become professionals in the future.

Commissioning the classroom block last week Wednesday, MD Dornoo indicated that the GCB saw growth and development as an integral part of its operations, hence the commitment of GH¢2.6 million in corporate social responsibilities, of which GH¢2 million went into education.

He said, as part of the bank’s 60^th Anniversary, it was constructing boreholes for communities across the country.

The GCB head hinted that the bank was seeking opportunities to collaborate with financial institutions on the ground to provide adequate banking services in areas besides its 158 branches.

Mr. Dornoo commended the chiefs of the area for allowing GCB, which has no branch in the Ahafo Ano North district, to become a social partner.

Ms. Susana Mensah, a teacher at the school, explained that the 70 pupils were displaced when the old block collapsed some years back.

She said following an appeal by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) through a media report, the GCB inspected the structure and made provisions for the construction of the block in October 2012.

The District Director of Education, Mr. John Oscar Kintor, commended the GCB for the good intention of ensuring a solid foundation for education for the pupils.

He appealed to benevolent societies to emulate the gesture of GCB to support the infrastructural development of the district.

The Chief of Fowaman, Nana Boakye Ampofo, thanked GCB for the assistance in putting up the block to rescue the pupils.

He appealed to the GCB to consider scholarship packages for brilliant but needy pupils in the area to further their studies, and a health centre.

Nana Kwabena Acheampong Tia, Chief of Abernyase and Overlord of Fawoman stool lands, presided over the commissioning ceremony.

The commissioning of the block was graced by the District Chief Executive, Gabriel Barimah, Nana Kwabena Bonsu, Odikro of Bentinko, Nana Kwaku Barnie II, Odikro of Nsuta, Nana Ama Konadu, Nsutahemaa, Nana Amankwa Pipim, Gyasehene of Hia, Obaapanin Abena

Serwaa Adumaddze I, Queenmother of Fawoman, and Nana Pokuaa of Fawoman.

 The kindergarten block

 Dr. Fritz Gockel cutting the tape to open the kindergarten block

MD Simon Dornoo