The National House of Chiefs (NHC) has denounced what it saw as distasteful on-line publication by the New Free Press, linking the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, with alleged bribery payment to swing the Supreme Court’s verdict on the presidential election petition in favour of President John Dramani Mahama.
It said it “takes exception to the attack on the dignity and integrity of the chieftaincy institution and for that matter the Manhyia Palace”.
A statement signed by Awulae Attibrukusu III, Vice President of the NHC, cautioned journalists to avoid reportage and discussions that tend to denigrate chiefs, particularly prominent chiefs in the country.
It said it found the said September 4 publication by the newspaper “very unfortunate, not only did it tend to bring into disrepute the Asantehene, but also the President of the Republic, as well as the Supreme Court of the land.”
The statement said the chiefs “are most unhappy about this and accordingly condemns it”. GNA

From Sebastian R. Freiku,

Sixty persons, comprising 57 females and three males, have undergone four weeks training in entrepreneurial skills development at Effiduase in the Sekyere East District.

Mr. Nii Abaitey, acting Manager of World Vision Sekyere East ADP, organisers of the programme, said his outfit was pursing programmes in a manner that empowers communities.

He stated that World Vision Ghana was dedicated to working to transform the lives of children, families, and their communities to enable the beneficiaries to reach their full potentials in life.

The graduands were trained by facilitators from Christian Line Entrepreneurial Development, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Accra.

Madam Baaba Appiah Mends, leader of the facilitators, enumerated a number of skills taught during the four week training period as batik, tie & dye, screen printing, cosmetics like body cream, and hair food, as well as powdered soap, cake soap, medicated soap and alata liquid soap, and making of cake, chips, pie and bread.

Madam Mends was hopeful that the graduands would put to good use the skills acquired to help them generate income to support themselves and their families.

Mr. Charles Ofori Nyarko, Accounts Officer of WV Sekyere East ADP, indicated that his outfit would organise another training session early next year, following the success of the programme this year.

The course prefect, Miss Benedicta Opong, on behalf of her colleagues thanked WV Sekyere East ADP for sponsoring them to acquire employable skills, and appealed to individuals and other organisations to complement the efforts of WV towards setting up their own businesses.

Nana Sefa Kanto, Nifahene of the Asokore Traditional Area, who presided over the graduation ceremony, appreciated the tremendous intervention of the NGO in the areas of health and education since it assumed operations in the area.

By Bernice Bessey

The Overseer of the International Bishops Conference United States, Africa and the Caribbean Regions, Archbishop Leroy Bailey Junior, has called on church leaders and pastors to, first seek to fulfill the commandments assigned to them by Christ Jesus, than pursue their personal gains.

He said although every individual in the world is tied to his or her personal goals, visions and aspirations, it was more appropriate to connect it to the Divine Salvation works of the Almighty God.

Speaking at a Conference under the theme “Living Your Life’s Mission” held at the Cathedral Kingdom Power Family International at Odorkor-Tipper location, last Saturday, the Overseer noted that Church leadership was about winning souls and spreading the salvation message of Christ Jesus, which is good news unto the world.

This, he said, would be meaningful to lost souls, and would also bring glory to God on earth. Adding, “Church leadership is to live to do everything the Lord has commanded you to do. Thus, living your life’s mission.”

He explained that the significance of life was to affect other lives positively by supporting them spiritually and physically, which example, Jesus Christ had set the world to follow, saying, “So one must define, firstly, his role in the Church, before he can correctly set his goals in life.”

On Sunday, the climax of the conference ordained Mrs. Pearl Bentil into full ministry, and the unveiling of the Shepherd Cathedral formerly Bishop Dominion.

Archbishop Leroy Bailey Junior, who was visiting the country for second time with his wife to foster the growth of the church, reiterated that the Body of Christ was to preach nothing but the totality gospel of our Jesus Christ, who, himself, lived a commissioned life.

Archbishop Leroy Bailey Jnr. and his wife met with Apostle General Sam Korankye-Ankrah of Royal House Chapel, and Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams of Action Chapel International.

Archbishop Leroy Bailey Junior unveiling the the Shepherd Cathedral

Congregation in the atmosphere of praises and worship

From Sebastian R. Freiku

A medical revolution has been launched under County Group of Hospitals of Kumasi and Apollo Group of Hospitals in India, following the launching of telemedicine in Ghana at the Abenkyiman Hospital at Anhwiankwanta in the Bekwai Municipality.

Apollo Hospitals, founded by Dr. Prathap C. Reddy in 1983, is a major hospital chain based in Chennai, India, as the largest telemedicine provider in India with 71 centres, and has a series of firsts to its credit in medicine generally.

County Hospitals, namely County (Abrepo), Abenkyiman (Anhwiankwanta), Evant Clinic (Bantama) and Washie (Ahodwo), were founded by Dr. Kwame Antwi.

Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technology in order to provide clinical health care from a distance.

It helps eliminate distance barriers, and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities. It is also used to save lives in critical care and emergency situations.

Early forms of telemedicine achieved with telephone and radio have been supplemented with video telephony, advanced diagnostic methods, supported by distributed client/server applications, and additionally, with telemedical devices to support in-home care.

Telemedicine, by which the best healthcare is brought to everybody through the expertise of highly qualified doctors through technology, was successfully launched at the Abenkyiman Hospital last Friday.

The partnership, initiated by Dr. Kwame Antwi, Chief Executive Officer of County Hospitals, is to exploit the clinical excellence of the Indian counterparts.

A group of medical experts from India are currently doing feasibility studies towards establishing a referral centre in telemedicine in the next years.

Dr. K. Hari Prasad, Chief Executive of Apollo Hospitals, an expert in acute stroke treatment, who is leading a group of nine medical experts, said the team would also launch a “medical camp”, where specialists would avail their expertise and services to clients in the treatment and management of kidney, liver and stroke, among other ailments, at Abenkyiman.

The Apollo Chief Executive gave the assurance that about 85,000 medical experts involved in Apollo would support Dr. Antwi to realise his vision of making Abenkyiman a destination of excellence in telemedicine in Ghana.

Dr. Kwame Antwi said services at the centre were affordable, and that it would cost between GH¢50 and GH¢100 to access telemedicine, through which patients would be connected to the best doctors around the globe.

Dr. Antwi said in furtherance of his vision of excellence in healthcare, an additional 75-acre piece of land had been acquired for the purposes of building a Medical City for West Africa.

Under the project, hotels, nursing school, X-ray laboratory, shopping mall and other facilities would be built as an expansion of the existing facility.

The intention, he said, was to create a correct environment to attract human resources abroad back home to deliver quality healthcare to the people.

The Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who witnessed the launching of the technology, commended Dr. Antwi for the foresight and championing the introduction of telemedicine in Ghana, and hoped Ghanaians would take advantage of the facility, which is intended to further enhance quality healthcare delivery.

From Issah Alhassan, Kumasi

The Dwantoahene of the Wiamoase Traditional Area, Nana Oppong Ababio II, has donated 40 bags of cement and a cash sum of GH¢500 towards the construction of the Wiamoase Presbyterian Church.

His gesture follows his realisation that the traditional authorities and religious bodies can effectively co-exist to ensure the socio-economic development of the people, and improve their lives.

He said there was no need for the occasional conflicts and clash of ideas between the churches and traditional authorities, which, he said, does not augur well for the development of society.

According to him, churches and religious institutions were part and parcel of any society, stressing that there was the need for constant collaboration to ensure, not only the spiritual needs of its congregation, but also the material requirements that make life comfortable and worth living.

Nana Ababio II, who is also a staff of the Achimota School in Accra, said the gesture was part of his personal contribution towards the development of the church.

He noted that the Wiamoase community was bedevilled with lots of development challenges, including lack of proper roads, schools and health infrastructure, and therefore, made a passionate appeal to the government, through the media, to come to the aid of the community.

Rev. Alexander Ofori, Head Pastor of the Wiamoase Presby Church, commended the chief for the kind gesture, stressing that it would go a long way to help in the construction of the church building.

Stories from Sebastian R. Freiku

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have celebrated the gains of the Rice Promotional Event of the Sustainable Rain-Fed Low Land Rice production project, introduced in the Ahafo Ano North District in 2009.

It is aimed at promoting rice cultivation towards increased production through the adoption of technologies.

The District Director of Agriculture, Mr. Samuel Ankomah, said the sustainable rain-fed low land rice production project was being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and JICA in nine districts in Ghana, four districts in the Northern Region, and five, including the Ahafo Ano North district in the Ashanti Region.

According to the Agric Director, the project which started with 47 farmers, two model sites, and 6 trail plots in two communities, boasts of 308 farmers in 41 communities, and that the farmers’ capacity had been enhanced in terms of training in rice cultivation, thus improving the farmers’ perception in land development.

Director Ankomah disclosed that the yield per hectare increased from 2 tonnes per hectare in 2009, to 5.5 tonnes per hectare in 2012, adding that rice quality was improving as a result of the rice quality improvement promotion forum.

More than 300 rice farmers were given a T-shirts, cups and certificates of appreciation as part of the celebration.

The District Chief Executive for Ahafo Ano North, Mr. David Addai Amankwah, said the agricultural sector is the dominant sector in the Ghanaian economy, in terms of its share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Employment and Foreign Exchange earnings.

He said the sector employs about 70% of the labour force in the sector, and contributes about 40% to the Gross Domestic Product, while accounting for 50% of foreign exchange earnings.

The DCE said one of the goals of the government is to increase agricultural productivity and production, so as to achieve and maintain food security for all households.

In view of this, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), with the help of a number of development partners and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), had provided funding and technical support to revitalise agricultural production.

He noted that the projects would bring development to the doorsteps of the rural communities, and make the over 60% of the populace who live in the rural areas part of mainstream economic activity.

The project, he said, was, therefore, meant to help bring these citizens into the mainstream of the economic agenda.

As a result, DCE Amankwah said the government and District Assembly had put in place measures for the rice farmers, including the streamlining of their activities, and rehabilitation of the roads leading to the farms.

The Assembly has also collaborated with a rice mill in Tepa to offer the farmers the best services and help to create awareness on the consumption of the local rice.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw

The Martyrs of Uganda Roman Catholic Junior High School, last Saturday, marked its Silver Jubilee in Kumasi with a call on the government and stakeholders to come to its aid, in terms of infrastructural development.

Activities that marked the 25^th milestone of the school were climaxed last Saturday with a durbar of chiefs, stakeholders and past students.

The Martyrs R/C JHS was established on October 4, 1988, with a student population of 43 to take in pupils from the Martyrs Preparatory School. Its motto is: “Veritus Vincit”, meaning ‘Truth Conquers.’

Mr. Anthony K. Akansisi, Headmaster of the school, indicated that Martyrs R/C JHS had attained 100 percent in all examinations, saying the school had never recorded failure in any Basic Education Certificate Examination since its establishment in 1998, making it the great school it is.

He noted indicated out of 224 candidates who sat for the just-ended examination, 202 candidates got their first choice, and ten were placed in their second choice, whilst eight got their third placement.

Mr. Akansisi said, in line with the mission and vision of the school, the pupils are subject to strict discipline, having put together a booklet on the code of conduct for the school for each student to serve as a guide, something, he said, had encouraged parents to send their wards to Martyrs of Uganda.

Headmaster Akansisi urged the students to study hard, since education was the best and finest legacy their parents or guardians could bequeath them.

The Headmaster called on stakeholders, philanthropists and old students, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), and all well-wishers to come to the aid of the school.

“The school does not have a library, assembly hall, a canteen, and that the dusty compound needs landscaping.” he complained.

The Boys’ Prefect of the school, Oduro Kusi Anthony, thanked the staff for the fatherly care.

Nana Boakye Dankwa, Chief of Odeneho Kwadaso, who presided over the function, appealed to the government and stakeholders to come to aid of the school to complete the multi-purpose PTA block.

Ashanti Home Touch, a once popular eating place for local dishes in Kumasi, has upgraded and moved to another level of the hospitality industry.

It has been transformed into a 56 air-conditioned bedroom hotel and modern restaurant to serve visitors and travelers to Kumasi.

Located near the Neoplan Station, the three-storey project, which started three years ago, is to be officially commissioned on November 30, this year, according to the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Baah Achamfour.

When it becomes operational, Ashanti Home Touch would serve local and continental dishes, and provide accommodation to travelers. The edifice has a spacious conference hall and car park.

Mr. Baah Achamfour has called on the well-to-do in society to help open up job opportunities for the youth to earn a decent living as their contribution towards nation building.

Stories from Albert Nana Asante

The Vice President of AngloGold Ashanti – Sustainable Development, Mr. Fred Attakumah, has reiterated the company’s commitment towards the development of education in the areas within which it operates.

He made the commitment when he cut the sod for the construction of a three-unit Junior High School (JHS) classroom block at Jimisokakraba, a three-unit JHS classroom block at Nyame Bekyere, teachers’ quarters at Ayease, and the rehabilitation of a local primary and JHS classroom blocks at Ahasoyewodea.

The four projects, with funding from the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Community Trust Fund (AGAOTF), are estimated to cost about GH¢600,000.

He maintained that the company recognised education as the key to the growth and development of every nation, hence, its continuous support to the growth of the sector.

“AngloGold Ashanti sees education as a critical vehicle that could be deployed to create opportunities for individuals, families and communities at large, hence, the focus on that sector since the launch of the Trust Fund in 2012, at which event eight fully air-conditioned 15-seater Toyota mini-buses, and 110 desktop computers were donated to public senior and junior high schools respectively.”

The AngloGold Ashanti Trust Fund was inaugurated last year at Obuasi with seed money of $2.7 million, provided by AngloGold Ashanti. It has its own Board of Directors and Steering Committee, with most of the membership of the two bodies being non-AngloGold Ashanti employees.

The Vice President of AngloGold Ashanti – Sustainable Development was optimistic that the various infrastructure projects being initiated would enable better access to schools for young people in the communities, some of whom had to currently travel long distances to access education.

Giving the background of the projects, Nana Ampofo-Bekoe, AngloGold Ashanti’s Community Relations Manager, said, a rigorous process was put in place, where community projects were solicited from all communities within the company’s engagement enclave.

The projects, he added, were submitted to the Steering Committee of the Trust Fund, which reviewed, adjudicated, and recommended a number of projects to the Trust Fund Board for approval.

“The Board, following exhaustive deliberations, decided to focus on education development projects for the year 2013, which led to [the] selection of the four education infrastructure projects in the said communities,” he added.

The Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Mr. Kwaku Kwarteng, commended AngloGold Ashanti for its social investments, and asked the company to convert its engineering and management training center to a technical university to train more artisans and engineers to support the development of the country.

A member of the Board of the Trust Fund and Adontenhene of the Bekwai Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Ababio, was full of praise for the company for making education a priority, and cautioned against the misuse of materials meant for the projects

Stories from Albert Nana Asante

The Obuasi sector of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) has announced plans by the mother church to establish a Senior High School (SHS) at Obuasi.

Pastor Andrews K. Fosu, Sector Chairman of the church, announced this at a ceremony to mark the 125^th Anniversary of the SDA church in Ghana.

While expressing his outfit’s readiness and commitment toward the school project, he added, however, that acquisition of land for the project remained a challenge.

He, therefore, appealed to the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Richard Ofori Boadi, to assist the church in procuring the needed land to enable it realise its dream.

Mr. Richard Ofori Boadi, on his part, promised to liaise with the Adansi Traditional Council in ensuring that land was allocated for the project.

He disclosed that the assembly had made significant progress in its quest to get a tertiary educational institution established in the municipality.

Meanwhile, the church, as part of activities marking the anniversary, embarked on massive clean-up exercises at key health facilities within the municipality.

The over two hours exercise saw members of the church de-silting gutters, clearing weeds, and scrubbing among others.

The facilities included the Bryant Mission Hospital and Eye Clinic, St Jude Hospital, and the Obuasi Government Hospital.

The Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Obuasi anniversary, Elder James Adjei Mensah, explained that they were motivated by the Church’s mission of ensuring healthy environments at all times, and hoped other churches would emulate their example.

Mrs. Alice Kwarteng, a midwife at the St. Jude Hospital, on behalf of the medical institutions, thanked the church for factoring the well-being of the people of Obuasi in its anniversary celebration.

The 125^th Anniversary was under the theme; ‘Proclaiming the coming King.’

“But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” – Jude 20-21 (NIV)

LIFE IS A GIFT

This article has been published before but we find it so relevant today.  Please enjoy! 

God, through various means, has made Himself known to us reminding us of His love, goodness, provision, protection, mercy, faithfulness and His abundant grace.

We should therefore continue to thank God for the gift of life.  We normally take being alive for granted but we should constantly remember that it is God who holds our lives.  The thought that should keep recurring to us is how finite and how helpless we are as human beings. No matter how powerful we are; no matter how wealthy; no matter how intelligent; no matter how great and no matter how many people are under our control, there is One who is greater and more powerful than us.  He is the eternal God and He has revealed Himself to us through His Son Jesus Christ.

TRUST IN THE LORD

When we entrust ourselves to God through Christ then even though we die physically we will be eternally alive spiritually.  It is good to entrust our lives to the One who alone can keep us from falling and to present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy as we read in Jude 24.  For the word of God says that man is destined to die once and then to face judgement – Heb.9:27.  The dead cannot praise God nor can there be salvation after death.  It is the living that ought to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation.  We ought to praise Him for His bountiful care and plenteous grace.  As we think about our own mortality let us remember that God through Christ offers us eternal life before His presence.

BEARING FRUIT

God’s Word helps us to daily grow and bear fruit as Jesus Christ has assured us in John 15:16.  We know God more through His Word, to love and obey Him and to live lives that are abundant, productive and effective – lives that impact our generation for good, bringing glory to God our Father.

 As we read in Luke 12, there is no doubt that there is a day of judgement which we must prepare for. God does not want us to be taken unawares because it gives Him no pleasure to see people perish. So God in His wisdom has shown us the way of truth – the salvation that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  God gives us His Spirit after we are saved – the Holy Spirit who dwells in us to help us to live the right way fulfilling our life’s responsibilities to God and to our fellow human beings. When Christ returns, we will have to give account of our stewardship. This parable is about how faithfully we discharge these responsibilities.  It is also about our preparedness to face the day of the Lord.

BE WATCHFUL

In Jesus’ day they wore long robes, much like those still worn in the Middle East today. Because these were long flowing robes and so if you want to work, you gather the robes and tuck them in your belt or sash worn in the middle.

In Luke 12:35 Jesus calls all of us who believe to really be dressed for serious work. The life of a Christian is not that of laziness and ease – just sitting and expecting honey to drip onto our tongues. We are servants of our Master and we must be ready for service – burning lamps carry the same kind of preparedness.  The lamps used at that time were a bit like the Soon but a little different. The case of Jesus time the king was a like a deep saucer filled with oil with a piece of cotton cloth or thick thread servicing as the wick. This wick needed to be trimmed all the time to keep it effective. Again this required diligence and watchfulness. Jesus calls us to be watchful and expectant of His coming – the time of which we do not know.

WAITING IN THE WINGS

I like the analogy of the servant waiting for a master returning from a wedding banquet. It makes me think of waiting in anticipation of a Master returning from a place of joy and blessing. The sense of expectancy is great because in a sense, the servants will be expecting some good things from the Master on His return.  Jesus goes further to say that when the servants please their master by their watchfulness and preparedness, He does the very surprising and usual thing of serving them. What a joy to know that God will treat us with deference on His return because of our diligence, faithfulness and preparedness.

The message is clear in Luke 12:38.   We do not know when our Lord will return but when He does He should find us ready.

-                      We must live our lives with the intention of completing whatever assignment God has for us, and waiting to give an account of our stewardship. Too many of us Christians of today are living as if eternity belongs to us – we are waiting for some great things to do for God and so we are not diligent where He has placed us. For this reason, most of us are discontented and without focus.  We move from place to place expecting the big splash of revelation and miracle when everyday God gives us His miracles through a deeper knowledge of Himself.

-                      When we live in expectancy, our lives will be filled with excitement as we go about witnessing for Christ through our daily lives transformed by His power and manifesting in our relationships with one another.  We will not be so earthbound as to be filled with envy, greed and divisiveness.  Our lives must be filled with God’s peace giving us wisdom to live peaceably with one another. We will be characterised by submissiveness, humility, mercy, good fruit and consideration for the well being of one another – James 3:13-17.  Such a life will make us look forward to meeting the Lord.  As it is, most of us are so fearful of the day of the Lord, that we even forget God’s promise never to leave us nor forsake us.  We also forget that God says He has good plans for us and that His protection is assured because underneath us are His everlasting arms.  We forget that Jesus has prayed that God should protect us form the evil one – John 17:15.  Let us expectantly look for the return of our Lord, living in triumph each day as if it is the last day because of the power that God through Christ has given us; guarding our lives so that we will present it to Him in love.

The second part of the parable talks about two possible ways of living open to all of us who believe in Him and see ourselves committed to Him as His disciples.

-                      We ought to be faithful, obedient and watchful – sharing His Word and making disciples of others.  Indeed we ought to see ourselves as being put in charge of His world and His people and here I would like to speak to our church leaders particularly.  Let us remember that God’s household – the church is in our care.  We are to feed the members of the household with choice food left by the master – His revealed word; the Bible is the food that the church needs.  We must also do everything to ensure that God’s household is always kept aware of the need to wait the master’s return.

-                      The good servant also knows that he is a slave like the others though he has been taking care of the others. The good servant does not therefore exalt himself over the others or indulge himself by living in excess and in luxury.  As pastors and church leaders we must see ourselves as humble servants and not feel that we are exactly like our Master because He has put us in charge of His household.

The good servant does not grow careless and worldly-minded.  If we do so then as Jesus says in verse 45-46 we will receive God’s commendation and inherit everlasting shame and ruin.    

Stay blessed!

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Stories by Alfred Adams

In not too long a time, the contractor working to put the Kwame Nkrumah roundabout road in Takoradi should put it into shape and open the road to motorists.

The said road, which has been closed to motorists as a result of shaping, has led to traffic congestion in the whole of the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.

This is because most motorists use the said Kwame Nkrumah roundabout to their respective destinations. Putting it bluntly that the Kwame Nkrumah roundabout is a one way and there is no other alternative route for motorists to use.

As a result, the closure of the road has led to an astronomical piling up of vehicular traffic to the annoyance of many of its users.

What was more annoying was that the contractor working on the said road seemed not to attach much importance in completing the work on time. This is because, sometimes, the workers were just seen idling about, or doing no work at all.

What was worse was that the contractor was not working on weekends, a situation which had led to many users of the road wondering if the city authorities attached importance to alleviating the serious traffic congestion motorists and pedestrians have found themselves in over the last month.

But, for now, there seems to be good news as the contractor working has commenced laying the pavement bricks. This tells a story that in not too a long time, the work on the roundabout would come to an end.

Stories by Alfred Adams

At a time many tertiary institutions are battling with the problem of admission, perhaps, because of infrastructural constraints, the Enchi College of Education (ENCHICO) in the Aowin District has, on the other hand, increased its admission intake.

The admission intake has led to many students who applied to the College gaining admission to pursue their careers.

This development was disclosed by the Principal of the College, Madam Victoria Aidoo, at the matriculation ceremony for the 2013/2014 academic year group.

Madam Aidoo said the admission board of the college received over 1,600 applications, of which 370 applicants were offered admission, comprising 240 males and 130 females.

This development, according to the Principal, was encouraging, as compared to the previous quota of 170, of both males and females. 

She continued that this had led to an astronomical increase in the intake, and assured the matriculants that their tutors were more than ready to inculcate into them the beauty of teacher training education successfully.

She advised the fresh men and women to count themselves blessed and very fortunate, because many were out there who had wanted this golden opportunity, but never had it.

“Your prime objective at the college is to pursue a programme of study, and nothing should derail you from this track. You must set yourselves very high academic and moral standards, remain focused, and let there be no limit to your dreams,” she admonished the students.

Madam Aidoo, however, reminded the matriculants that the transition of colleges of education into tertiary status carried with itself a lot of challenges and opportunities, as well as tendencies of deviant practices as they commence their journey of studentship.

To this end, she further admonished and reminded the matriculants that “our tertiary set up is a tertiary with difference, so do not be swayed by other tertiary institutions, but manage and operate within the confines and structures on campus, avoid truancy and bounds-breaking, and rather take your studies, quizzes, assignments and examinations seriously, in order to attain the desired positive results.”

She continued and counselled the students to take advantage of the serene atmosphere and achieve their objective of being at the college, adding, “In all your pursuits as students, keep the words of the matriculation oath you declare as a guiding principle.”

Mr. Abdul Gafaru Yahaya, Deputy District Coordinating Director of the Assembly, who delivered a speech on behalf of the District Chief Executive for Aowin, Oscar Ofori Larbi, said matriculation ceremonies in tertiary institutions had become an essential activity that dignified fresh students to attain full studentship status and reposition themselves.

“It is, therefore, prudent that, as teacher trainees, you go through this exercise to regularise your stay on campus to pursue your academic work.” 

He added that teacher education in Ghana seeks to ensure the training and development of competent, committed and dedicated teachers, who will then prepare the younger ones to become productive and responsible citizens, capable of pursuing lifelong learning.

It is against this background, according to the DCE, that all stakeholders, especially tutors and students in colleges of education, were being called upon to operate diligently in the pursuit of this development agenda of our dear nation.

He added that in light of the above, the government had re-affirmed its commitment to ensure that quality teacher education in Ghana was given a boost.

This affirmation, according to him, had led to the government to resourcing all the 38 colleges of education in the country, of which the Enchi College of Education was no exception.

DCE Oscar Larbi, whose speech was read on his behalf, however, confessed that it was an undeniable fact that the nation was constrained with an inadequate human resource base in the educational enterprise, and the College of Education must never relent in its efforts in order to constitute a formidable resource for the nation.  

In an acceptance speech on behalf of his colleague matriculants, Mr. Daniel Abiaw Brentu also advised his colleague fresh men and women to pursue their prime goal, which was academic excellence with discipline and diligence.

He assured the management and tutors that they would abide by all rules and regulations in order to uphold the good image of the college.

From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor

Contributors of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in the country, particularly the Koforidua area, have lauded a Customer Care Clinic, an initiative deploy by the organisation to bring the operations of the trust to the doorsteps of customers.

The initiative, which takes place in the third and 10^th month every year, has received positive responses and is gradually registering in the targeted audience, as it receives a high turn-out whenever organised, since its establishment some years ago.

Pouring out the excitement associated with the Customer Care Clinic in an interview, the contributors intimated that the initiative had reduced the margin of time used to travel to one office or the other to transact business.

Notwithstanding their position on the initiative, they were quick to urge the management of the scheme to improve on issues bordering pensioners and workers, and further go the extra mile to make information more accessible.

The Area Manager of Koforidua, Mr. Sylvester Anko-Bil, reiterated that the Customer Care Clinic was one medium to sensitise the general public, particularly, contributors to the scheme, on its operations and information accessibility.

According to Mr. Anko-Bil, the Customer Care Clinic is a one-stop shop that offers customers the opportunity to update their records, replace missing cards, and make enquiries on the progress of their contributions.

The clinic also offers SSNIT the opportunity to source data to update its database, regarding its clients, as most of their customers normally do not have the adequate time to visit the various offices across the country to update their data.

The Mobile Customer Clinic, which has been described by contributors and participants as successful and worth organising, took place in some selected towns and district within Koforidua.

He has, therefore, called on all contributors of the SSNIT pension scheme to take advantage of the initiative and get involved anytime it is organised, because it had the key to solve all their challenges related to the operations of the trust.

From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor

The All Nations International Development Centre of the All Nations International Development Agency (ANIDA) has organised a graduation ceremony for 78 young men and women, who took part in the Women’s Development Centre (WDC) project.

The Women Development Centre (WDC) was established as a component of ANIDA by Rev. Dr. Samuel Donkor, President of the All Nations University College (ANUC), and wife, Mrs. Rose Donkor, to provide education and entrepreneurial skills to women, leading to improving their economic positions in society.

It has currently trained over 1,500 women and men free of charge in various aspects of socio-economic areas, leading to some registering for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and SSSCE.

According to records, many of those who took part in both the BECE and SSSCE have, either gained admission into the Senior High Schools (SHS), polytechnics and universities to pursue their education.

The graduants, during their stay in the school, developed “liberating” skills in the areas of grammar, reading, writing, computer literacy, communication and business operations, with much emphasis on marketing, accounting and small business tools.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, which was under the theme “ANIDA, The Future of Global Change”, the Founder, Rev. Mrs. Rose Donkor, disclosed that the centre, since its establishment, had empowered women to make them contribute significantly towards national development.

She called on the graduants to put the acquisition of the skills to better use, and work hard, in spite of the societal and cultural opposition, to improve on their living standards, as well making the their respective communities a place to live.

The wife of the Founder and President of the ANUC continued that the training had further helped the graduants, particularly, the women, to discover their identity, as well as making them different among their peers, because they had been equipped to bring about change.

She, therefore, expressed the hope that the graduantes would follow their predecessors who graduated from the centre and were now working in some government institutions, with others in the university, as well as business owners.

Mrs. Donkor further said global change begins at the individual’s level through education one has acquired, and that these individuals would then influence their families, which affects the community, followed by society and the world at large.

She again used the occasion to urge the graduants to become an inspiration to other young girls who would be watching them, and how they handled their successes and respond to trials the world would present to them.

Stories From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor

Properties worth over thousands of Ghana cedis were last Friday “consumed” to ashes in a fierce fire that razed down 20 houses at Somanya Adjikpo in the Yilo Krobo Municipality.

The fire, which, according to an eyewitness, started at about 8:00 a.m. that fateful day, and consumed items including household appliances such as television sets, fridges, sets of CD players, and furniture among other valuables.

Speaking to the paper on arrival at the scene, Mr. Frank Annor, an eyewitness, said the fire, which started from one of the rooms of the compound house, spread to the other rooms like bushfire.

According to him, the level of destruction would have been minimal if the Municipal Fire Service had responded in time, as well as having the necessary tools to fight the fire, even when they arrived late.

He explained that tenants and sympathisers who besieged the place in an attempt to put out the fire, took some respite despite the late arrival of personnel from the Municipal Fire Service, only to realise that the fire tender, with over 2,000 gallon capacity of water, was not functioning.

The presence of the fire personnel was practically useless, as their efforts to control the fire proved futile, and had to look on helplessly.

Even though the root cause of the fire had not been identified as at the time of filing this report, the landlord to the burnt compound house, Mr. Tetteh Akutteh, suspected it to be an electrical fault.

Stories By Richard Attenkah

Mr. Eliesar Nyawunu, Tema Regional Officer of the Industrial and Commercial Union of Ghana (ICU), on Sunday inaugurated eight executive officers to manage affairs of the National Union of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (NUPTD) for the next four years.

The NUPTD was formed about a year ago as a rival union to the Ghana Tanker Drivers Association, which is based here in Tema, to help streamline activities of tanker drivers in the country.

The eight executive members are Victor Agyimaku – National Chairman, Adarkwa William – National Secretary, Godfred Frimpong-Hansen – National Treasurer, and Mossi Mohammed – National Organiser.

The rest are Awuni Fuseini – Assistant National Organiser, Mr. Danqua – Assistant National Treasurer, Abdul Rahman – Branch Chairman (Kumasi), and Isaac Agyekum – Branch Vice Chairman (Kumasi).

Inaugurating the eight executive members, Mr. Nyawunu called on them to sacrifice their time and energy to serve members of the union.

According to him, they must respect their members at all times, and should not complain about the tedious nature of the job, adding, “As leaders, people would complain about your attitude, actions and inactions, and therefore, you need to control yourself to be able to deliver.”

Mr. Nyawunu advised the eight executive members to, first and foremost, unite their front, so that they would be able to move the union forward to serve as a true competitor to the existing tanker drivers union.

Mr. Victor Agyimaku, Chairman of the committee, pledged on behalf of his colleagues to work very hard to ensure that the interest of all members of the union are protected.

The executive members of the ICU, which the new union is affiliated to, took members of the new tanker drivers’ union through the activities of the ICU, including the benefits they stand to derive from their association with the workers’ union.

The Tema Regional branch of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, from the first quarter to the third quarter of this year, recorded 1,247 road accidents.

Out of the number, 341 were very serious, and 863 minor accidents like scratches among others.

Sixty persons died as a result, and 244 people got injured in the accidents, which involved 825 bicycles, 942 motorbikes, and 101 vehicles within Tema.

Speaking in an interview with the Tema File, Supt. Oduro Amaning, Tema Regional MTTU Commander, assured residents of Tema and its environs of his outfit’s preparedness to ensure an accident-free Christmas, this year.

Supt. Oduro Amaning, said his outfit had put in place mechanisms to ensure that motor accidents before, during, and after the Christmas festivities in the region are minimised, if not completely eradicated.

He said his outfit had decided to approach the drivers, this time round, at their various stations to educate them on road safety regulations, so that they can also educate their colleagues who do not have stations of their own, saying, “If Mohammed refuses to go to the mountain, the mountain will go to Mohammed.”

On drivers who drink and drive, Supt. Oduro Amaning hinted that his outfit would ensure that those who indulge in such activities are not allowed to drive.

“We would also ensure that we eliminate all those drivers who do not have driver’s licenses from the system. I know that we may not be able to flush all such drivers out of the system, but one thing is certain, and that is if we work hard, we would be able to reduce the numbers drastically,” he noted.

According to him, “it is stated in our insurance laws that insured vehicles must be driven by drivers with proper driver’s license; otherwise, when there is an accident, all passengers on board the vehicle would die or sustain injuries for nothing.

“Therefore, we must do whatever it takes to get all those who have no licenses, but are driving on our roads, out of the system.”

Supt. Oduro Amaning furthermore, touched on incidents involving boys who work at the various vehicle washing bays dotted across the country.

He explained that when they learn how to move a vehicle front and back within the precincts of the washing bay, “They think they know how to drive, and before you know, they have become taxi drivers carting people left, right, center.

“We have also decided to liaise with the Ashaiman and Community Two branches of the MTTU to make certain that we make our presence [is] highly felt periodically across the Tema region, especially at the accident prone zones, to help us establish the causes of accidents in these areas.”

Responding to accusations that some police officers had been arresting drivers who stop and pick passenger at bus stops, the MTTU Commander said they were arrested because they flout road safety regulations.

Explaining the laws governing bus stops, he observed that there are some bus stops which a driver can only drop or stop and pick a passenger, but such bus stops are not meant for drivers to go and park there and load their vehicles.

“What happens is that a driver would come and park and start calling for passengers. Then another driver would park behind him waiting for his turn, before you realise, a lot of vehicles have lined up completely taking over the stop.

“When this happens, other vehicles are left with no other option, than to park in the road to off-load their passengers, and in the process, create huge vehicular traffic along the stretch. For example, there is a bus stop in-front of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA). Now when a driver coming from Ashaiman gets there, he may be inclined to stop there, because there may be passengers who would be going to the Assembly, others going to the courts, and others who would be entering the market.

“But, if a driver on reaching there, decides to stop and load, obviously, he would be creating an obstruction for other road users, especially, private cars and others who are in a hurry to go to work,” he concluded.

From Sebastian R. Freiku

Consar Ghana Limited, an Italian construction firm headquartered in Kumasi, has donated quarry chippings costing GH¢2,200 to support the on-going multi-purpose entertainment centre at Bekwai.

The Bekwai Traditional Council, in conjunction with the Bekwaiman Development Committee, has embarked on the construction of a GH¢400,000 modern multi-purpose community centre complex at Bekwai.

The Administrative Manager of Consar Ghana Limited, Mr. John Abgesi, presented the chippings to the Bekwaiman Development Committee, on behalf of the company at a ceremony last week, as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Consar Company Limited is currently executing the $16 million Bekwai Government Hospital project, funded by the ECOWAS Bank for International Development, African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Ghana, and which facility would be equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment to address the health needs of the people.

The materials were received by Mr. Sampson Ofori, Secretary of the committee, on behalf of Nana Karikari Appau II, Omanhene of the Bekwai Traditional Area.

Mr. Ofori thanked the company for the support, and hoped other corporate organisations, individuals and members of the general public would contribute towards the completion of the project.

From Ernest Best Anane

Mr. Lloy Alexander Djangmah, Principal of the Offinso College of Education, has pleaded with the government, through the Ministry of Education (MoE), Ghana Education Service (GES), and the Offinso Traditional Council to help give the institution a facelift by way of expanding the infrastructural facilities.

The move, he said, would help make teaching and learning interactive to students and lectures in providing good teachers for the country.

According to him, the challenges the institution might be facing may not be different from any public institution, but as an education institution which trains quality and competent teachers to train the up and coming teachers for the country, there was the need for the school to have the requisite infrastructures and the basic needs to ensure that it achieved its goal.

Mr. Djangmah made the appeal when Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Omanhene of the Offinso Traditional Area, visited the management and staff and non-teaching staff of the institution to acquaint himself with the challenges facing the school, which attained first class in the last examinations.

The college, according to the Principal, lacked a good road network lead to the institution, lecturer theatre, a spacious ICT Laboratory, and a modern dining hall to replace the existing one, which was built to accommodate 150 students, against the current 500.

Nana Wiafe Akenten III promised that the council would always support the school in their own small way they could to help produce good teachers for the country.

The Omanhene commended the Principal for raising the school to a greater height, and lauded management and staff of the institution for their selfless sacrifice for all this while, which had made the school one of the best in the country.

He entreated them to always remain united, adding that the Principal alone could not manage the school without the cooperation of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

The Chief promised to establish fund to help motivate the tutors and students, saying teachers deserved good salaries.

He also promised to provide 100 pieces of furniture, 12-seater water closet toilet facility for the institution to replace the old ones which had never seen any maintenance works for a long time.