African Aurora, a non-governmental organisation engaged in building the capacity of women entrepreneurs, is training 20 Women Entrepreneurs Associations (WEA) to be self- employed.
The aim of African Aurora is to train three million small-scale entrepreneurs with skills in wealth creation.
This was announced by the National Programme Co-ordinator of African Aurora, Ms Maureen Erekua Odoi, at a capacity building workshop for 30 women entrepreneurs associations in Accra.
Some of the associations which attended the workshop included Path Finder Women Entrepreneurs Association, Christian Mothers Association, Development Action Association and Leading Ladies Network.
Ms Odoi said the participants were executives of women entrepreneurs associations who had been equipped with knowledge in the formation, management and sustenance of their enterprises.
The workshop had also assisted them to improve their organisational, technical and financial capabilities to operate new and existing associations.
The women entrepreneurs had learnt to advocate and lobby for policies and decisions that concerned women entrepreneurs in the country.
She said the workshop, which attracted eight national WEAs throughout the country, had equipped the participants to reach out to more women entrepreneurs.
Mrs Celena Green, Programme Officer of Africa for Vital Voice Global Partnership, said her outfit was collaborating with Africa Businesswomen Network (ABWN) to upgrade the capacity of women associations, as well as improve economic prosperity.
She announced that a unit of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) had developed eight training curricula and tools to support various aspects of women entrepreneurial development, and that the WEA capacity building was one such tool.
Mrs Green said Vital Voices and African Aurora were privileged to share these tools with women entrepreneurs in the country and was looking forward to working a lot more with ILO and ExxonMobil Foundation to raise the standard of living, especially of women who were the engine of growth of the African economy.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
ACCIDENT VICTIMS TOP ORTHOPAEDIC CASES (BACK PAGE, AUGUST 26, 2010)
Victims of road accidents formed the majority of the 6,500 orthopaedic cases which were recorded in 2009 at the Orthopaedic Training Centre at Nsawam.
Sister Elizabeth Newman, a director of the centre, made that known when the Kaneshie Area Witness Movement of the Apostolic Church, Ghana interacted with the patients of the centre and presented food items to the inmates as part of its 75th anniversary celebration.
Sister Newman urged drivers to be extra careful on the roads, since accidents on the road resulted in many people losing their limbs.
She said the orthopaedic workshop, the mobile clinic and the children’s department had all been overwhelmed with work as a result of road accidents in the country.
Sister Newman urged corporate institutions, especially the mobile telephony companies, not to concentrate their social responsibility effort in the cities alone but to spread it to cover institutions such as the centre for the rehabilitation of the physically-challenged in the country.
She said the orthopaedic centre spent GH¢10,000 a year to operate the mobile clinic which toured the countryside to handle cases of birth deformities and road accident victims.
The Head Pastor of the Kaneshie branch of the Apostolic Church, Ghana, Pastor Andy Nortey, who presented the items, described the work of the centre as a great service to humanity and said without it many people would have been languishing with disability for the rest of their lives.
Sister Elizabeth Newman, a director of the centre, made that known when the Kaneshie Area Witness Movement of the Apostolic Church, Ghana interacted with the patients of the centre and presented food items to the inmates as part of its 75th anniversary celebration.
Sister Newman urged drivers to be extra careful on the roads, since accidents on the road resulted in many people losing their limbs.
She said the orthopaedic workshop, the mobile clinic and the children’s department had all been overwhelmed with work as a result of road accidents in the country.
Sister Newman urged corporate institutions, especially the mobile telephony companies, not to concentrate their social responsibility effort in the cities alone but to spread it to cover institutions such as the centre for the rehabilitation of the physically-challenged in the country.
She said the orthopaedic centre spent GH¢10,000 a year to operate the mobile clinic which toured the countryside to handle cases of birth deformities and road accident victims.
The Head Pastor of the Kaneshie branch of the Apostolic Church, Ghana, Pastor Andy Nortey, who presented the items, described the work of the centre as a great service to humanity and said without it many people would have been languishing with disability for the rest of their lives.
Friday, August 13, 2010
EFFORTS AT ACHIEVING GENDER PARITY RATIO...Legon enrols more females (PAGE 11, AUGUST 13, 2010)
THE University of Ghana, Legon is enrolling more female students to enable the University to achieve its gender parity policy of 50—50 ratio.
Currently the student population of the University is 35,000 with males constituting 57 per cent while females make up 43 per cent.
Professor Kwesi Yankah, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana who was speaking at the orientation course for 80 professionals admitted by the University for the Economic Policy Management (EPM) programme, said the ratio of the girl-child and that of the boy in the University showed a marked improvement from the mid 1990s when the University was dominated by male students.
He explained that at the undergraduate level, female enrolment had risen from 28 per cent in the mid 1990s to 43 per cent in 2009/2010 academic year.
Prof. Yankah also said that female enrolment in graduate schools which was 30 per cent last year hit 35 per cent this year through the enrolment of the EPM programme.
The Pro- Vice Chancellor of the University, therefore, gave the assurance that the University would continue to pursue its gender policy of aiming at a 50-50 ratio.’’
He said the EPM programme had assisted professionals from the sub region to bring their practical experience from the workplace to link the theory of the University to produce all round knowledge for the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the programme was unique which equipped practitioners to draw on a wider pool of policy experience and best practices both within and outside their own regions to develop a sustainable policy framework and implement plans for economic management.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor said unlike the standard master’s programme in Economics, the EPM was designed exclusively for practitioners in governmemt, ministries, departments, agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector.
He commended the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the joint Japan World Bank Graduate Fellowship Programme for sponsoring the 12-month master’s programme in EPM.
He said the admission of practitioners from Sierra-Leone, Nigeria , Liberia and Gambia would amount to strengthening the already existing bonds of friendship not only at the national level, but also at the University level.
Prof. Yankah said over the years, the University had stretched its arms to help rebuild human resources of neighbouring countries, especially when war and other catastrophes had shattered economies and human resource bases.
Currently the student population of the University is 35,000 with males constituting 57 per cent while females make up 43 per cent.
Professor Kwesi Yankah, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana who was speaking at the orientation course for 80 professionals admitted by the University for the Economic Policy Management (EPM) programme, said the ratio of the girl-child and that of the boy in the University showed a marked improvement from the mid 1990s when the University was dominated by male students.
He explained that at the undergraduate level, female enrolment had risen from 28 per cent in the mid 1990s to 43 per cent in 2009/2010 academic year.
Prof. Yankah also said that female enrolment in graduate schools which was 30 per cent last year hit 35 per cent this year through the enrolment of the EPM programme.
The Pro- Vice Chancellor of the University, therefore, gave the assurance that the University would continue to pursue its gender policy of aiming at a 50-50 ratio.’’
He said the EPM programme had assisted professionals from the sub region to bring their practical experience from the workplace to link the theory of the University to produce all round knowledge for the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the programme was unique which equipped practitioners to draw on a wider pool of policy experience and best practices both within and outside their own regions to develop a sustainable policy framework and implement plans for economic management.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor said unlike the standard master’s programme in Economics, the EPM was designed exclusively for practitioners in governmemt, ministries, departments, agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector.
He commended the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the joint Japan World Bank Graduate Fellowship Programme for sponsoring the 12-month master’s programme in EPM.
He said the admission of practitioners from Sierra-Leone, Nigeria , Liberia and Gambia would amount to strengthening the already existing bonds of friendship not only at the national level, but also at the University level.
Prof. Yankah said over the years, the University had stretched its arms to help rebuild human resources of neighbouring countries, especially when war and other catastrophes had shattered economies and human resource bases.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
VDTE PEOPLE WITH SELFLESS SPIRIT INTO POWER (PAGE 14, JULY 28, 2010)
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills has reminded chief executives, chief directors and chairmen of governing boards and councils of their appointments as opportunities for service to the nation.
Professor Mills said Ghanaians expected that their actions and decisions would be guided by that maxim and that the common good of the country would reign supreme.
In a statement read on his behalf by Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, Presidential Advisor, at the Fourth Conference of the Public Service Chief Executives, Chief Directors and Chairmen of Governing Boards and Councils at Elimina, President Mills asked them to work as a team, pay attention to the processes, policies, customs and laws laid down and designed for the proper functioning of their organisations.
He said it should not be difficult to build consensus at all times.
The President reminded them to use the platform to understand their roles and responsibilities between the governing boards and the chief executives and management.
President Mills asked them not to depart from laid down principles and practices that would create crisis between boards or councils and their chief executives.
He tasked them to update their strategic and corporate plan, embark on robust internal audit reporting system with strengthened internal control mechanisms, effective scheme of service and complying with citizen/service charters which specify the services being provided and effective performance management reporting system.
The Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, who chaired the function, tasked them not to shy away from discussing the difficulties they faced in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Professor Awonor also reminded them of the need for the protection of trust, national interest, discipline, integrity, among others.
Earlier in his welcoming address, Professor S. N. Woode, Chairman of the Public Services Commission, admonished participants to take advantage of the conference to break the cycle of bureaucracy and to see how they relate to each other for the better Ghana agenda.
Professor Mills said Ghanaians expected that their actions and decisions would be guided by that maxim and that the common good of the country would reign supreme.
In a statement read on his behalf by Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, Presidential Advisor, at the Fourth Conference of the Public Service Chief Executives, Chief Directors and Chairmen of Governing Boards and Councils at Elimina, President Mills asked them to work as a team, pay attention to the processes, policies, customs and laws laid down and designed for the proper functioning of their organisations.
He said it should not be difficult to build consensus at all times.
The President reminded them to use the platform to understand their roles and responsibilities between the governing boards and the chief executives and management.
President Mills asked them not to depart from laid down principles and practices that would create crisis between boards or councils and their chief executives.
He tasked them to update their strategic and corporate plan, embark on robust internal audit reporting system with strengthened internal control mechanisms, effective scheme of service and complying with citizen/service charters which specify the services being provided and effective performance management reporting system.
The Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, who chaired the function, tasked them not to shy away from discussing the difficulties they faced in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Professor Awonor also reminded them of the need for the protection of trust, national interest, discipline, integrity, among others.
Earlier in his welcoming address, Professor S. N. Woode, Chairman of the Public Services Commission, admonished participants to take advantage of the conference to break the cycle of bureaucracy and to see how they relate to each other for the better Ghana agenda.
Friday, July 9, 2010
ENTERPRISE LIFE GROWTH RATE SURGES (PAGE 29, JULY 9, 2010)
Despite the worldwide economic conditions, the total assets of Enterprise Life Assurance Company (ELAC) experienced a high growth rate of GH¢33.3 million in 2009 as against GH¢22.8 in 2008 representing 46 per cent growth rate.
The gross premium income of the company also grew by 51 per cent from GH¢15.4 in 2008 to GH¢23.3 in 2009.
Mr C. C. Bruce Jnr, Executive Director of ELAC made this known at the presentation of the company’s accounts for 2009 to the public in Accra.
He said apart from the life insurance policy which still remained the flagship of the company, two other products had been introduced into the market.
He said the new products included risk, funeral and education products since Ghanaians were eager to educate their children, as well as provide dignified burial for their departed relatives.
The executive director said the Educare policy fared better than the family income protection plan which this year would be repackaged and re-introduced to the public.
He said the company had plans to expand its businesses to the rural sectors, as well as to the northern parts of the country where many people could be assisted to take insurance as savings for any eventualities.
Mr Bruce said ELAC had already opened an office in Tamale and when the operations were stabilised, new offices would be opened at Bawku and Bolga next year.
He said the company was also studying the pension opportunities under the pension reforms in the country to come out with products that would serve the need of the aged in the country to assist in making life bearable for them while on retirement.
Mr Bruce said the company had also designed macro insurance policy to suit the financial needs of people in the informal sectors of the economy who had been marginalised for a long time even though they produced the bulk of the nation's wealth.
Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ELAC, said the hosting of public accounts hearing for the company was a testament to the culture of transparency and openness in the conduct of business by ELAC.
Mr Ofori Atta appealed to the Commissioner of Insurance to have a second look at the new solvency regime which would make it difficult for insurance companies to pay dividends to shareholders since profits had to be ploughed back in order to meet the 50 per cent solvency threshold.
The gross premium income of the company also grew by 51 per cent from GH¢15.4 in 2008 to GH¢23.3 in 2009.
Mr C. C. Bruce Jnr, Executive Director of ELAC made this known at the presentation of the company’s accounts for 2009 to the public in Accra.
He said apart from the life insurance policy which still remained the flagship of the company, two other products had been introduced into the market.
He said the new products included risk, funeral and education products since Ghanaians were eager to educate their children, as well as provide dignified burial for their departed relatives.
The executive director said the Educare policy fared better than the family income protection plan which this year would be repackaged and re-introduced to the public.
He said the company had plans to expand its businesses to the rural sectors, as well as to the northern parts of the country where many people could be assisted to take insurance as savings for any eventualities.
Mr Bruce said ELAC had already opened an office in Tamale and when the operations were stabilised, new offices would be opened at Bawku and Bolga next year.
He said the company was also studying the pension opportunities under the pension reforms in the country to come out with products that would serve the need of the aged in the country to assist in making life bearable for them while on retirement.
Mr Bruce said the company had also designed macro insurance policy to suit the financial needs of people in the informal sectors of the economy who had been marginalised for a long time even though they produced the bulk of the nation's wealth.
Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ELAC, said the hosting of public accounts hearing for the company was a testament to the culture of transparency and openness in the conduct of business by ELAC.
Mr Ofori Atta appealed to the Commissioner of Insurance to have a second look at the new solvency regime which would make it difficult for insurance companies to pay dividends to shareholders since profits had to be ploughed back in order to meet the 50 per cent solvency threshold.
Monday, June 28, 2010
FORUM CAUTIONS AGAINST REMOVING INDENMITY CLAUSE (PAGE 13, JUNE 26, 2010)
THE issue of the Indemnity Clause and the role of chiefs in party politics keeps coming up at the district and community level consultations of the Constitution Review Commission.
All the contributors on the Indemnity Clause were of the view that the Indemnity Clause should be left as it is in the Constitution.
Mr Olabode Williams of the Ayawaso East Constituency in the Greater Accra Region said any attempt to remove it from the Constitution would open the floodgates of retribution and chaos in the country.
He said the peace prevailing in the country should not be taken for granted and that well- meaning Ghanaians had not forgotten the bloodshed in sister African countries such as Liberia, Cote ‘d’Ivoire and Kenya.
Mr Williams said Ghanaians were witnesses to the day when the former President, J J Rawlings was invited to the National Reconciliation sitting which attracted a lot of Ghanaians from the political divide in the country.
He explained that the presence of the thick crowd showed how Ghanaians could be passionate about the Indemnity Clause when expunged from the Constitution.
Ms Josephine Ameseya, a public servant in her contribution said chiefs in the country had people under them whom they controlled.
She said any attempt to involve chiefs in politics would lead to the polarisation of the people along political lines, which could lead to serious conflicts at the community level since all the people in the community, would not toe the line of their chiefs when it came to politics, and could lead to clashes between those who supported the chief and those against his party.
All contributors to these two issues expressed the same view that chaos and violence would ensue when the Indemnity Clause was removed from the Constitution and chiefs were allowed to participate actively in politics.
On the assemblies concept, contributors, however, differed in their opinions with some stating that the assembly concept had outlived its usefulness and ought to be scraped from the Constitution since most assembly members were not performing their roles as agents of development.
Other contributors, however, said the assembly members were working with scarce resources and that the Constitution should recognise the important roles they play and pay them salaries commensurate with Members of Parliament for them to deliver effectively.
Alhaji Abdul Aziz, a counsellor at Accra Metropolitan Assembly said the Constitution should place more emphasis on gender issues since in Ghana many inequality existed not only between men and women but between the disabled and abled bodies.
Mr Archibold Cabbina of Kokomlemle said the Constitution should be reviewed to limit the powers of the President to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and other military chiefs to ensure that they worked without partiality.
Other consultative meetings on the Constitution were held in parts of Mamprobi and Ablekuma all in the Greater Accra Region.
All the contributors on the Indemnity Clause were of the view that the Indemnity Clause should be left as it is in the Constitution.
Mr Olabode Williams of the Ayawaso East Constituency in the Greater Accra Region said any attempt to remove it from the Constitution would open the floodgates of retribution and chaos in the country.
He said the peace prevailing in the country should not be taken for granted and that well- meaning Ghanaians had not forgotten the bloodshed in sister African countries such as Liberia, Cote ‘d’Ivoire and Kenya.
Mr Williams said Ghanaians were witnesses to the day when the former President, J J Rawlings was invited to the National Reconciliation sitting which attracted a lot of Ghanaians from the political divide in the country.
He explained that the presence of the thick crowd showed how Ghanaians could be passionate about the Indemnity Clause when expunged from the Constitution.
Ms Josephine Ameseya, a public servant in her contribution said chiefs in the country had people under them whom they controlled.
She said any attempt to involve chiefs in politics would lead to the polarisation of the people along political lines, which could lead to serious conflicts at the community level since all the people in the community, would not toe the line of their chiefs when it came to politics, and could lead to clashes between those who supported the chief and those against his party.
All contributors to these two issues expressed the same view that chaos and violence would ensue when the Indemnity Clause was removed from the Constitution and chiefs were allowed to participate actively in politics.
On the assemblies concept, contributors, however, differed in their opinions with some stating that the assembly concept had outlived its usefulness and ought to be scraped from the Constitution since most assembly members were not performing their roles as agents of development.
Other contributors, however, said the assembly members were working with scarce resources and that the Constitution should recognise the important roles they play and pay them salaries commensurate with Members of Parliament for them to deliver effectively.
Alhaji Abdul Aziz, a counsellor at Accra Metropolitan Assembly said the Constitution should place more emphasis on gender issues since in Ghana many inequality existed not only between men and women but between the disabled and abled bodies.
Mr Archibold Cabbina of Kokomlemle said the Constitution should be reviewed to limit the powers of the President to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and other military chiefs to ensure that they worked without partiality.
Other consultative meetings on the Constitution were held in parts of Mamprobi and Ablekuma all in the Greater Accra Region.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
INVASION OF ALIEN PLANTS (SPREAD, JUNE 24, 2010)
THE Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), says 30 alien plants have found their way into the eco-system and are destroying the country’s biodiversity.
The alien species, according to the CSIR were replacing indigenous plants that were useful to the ecosystem at a very fast rate.
The council, which is spearheading a four-year project to remove barriers hindering the management of exotic plants, has, therefore, appealed to the security agencies and personnel of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) at the country's borders to be vigilant by preventing travellers from bringing alien species into the country.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology Ms Sherry Ayittey, who launched four booklets on exotic plants, said the alien plants were causing devastation to crops and forest lands in areas such as the River Afram Headwaters Forest Reserves.
Ms Ayittey whose speech was read on her behalf said these alien plant species were also causing irreparable damage to socio-economic development and posed as health hazards to the people in the areas they were found.
She, therefore, urged agencies such as the CSIR to team up with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to successfully implement the four year project to remove barriers for the management of the exotic plants.
Dr Abdulai Baba Salifu, Director-General of CSIR, who chaired the function, said some biological methods had been introduced by CSIR to control the weeds.
He said one of the methods was the introduction of some species of grasshoppers to feed on the leaves of the exotic plants.
He, however, said such biological control had its limits since the CSIR could not nurture a vast quantity of those grasshoppers to deal with the ever-spreading exotic weeds that were increasing in the country.
Dr Salifu appealed to the government to increase its component of funding the project to eliminate the alien plant species before they took over the ecosystem and destroyed the agricultural sector.
Some of the alien plants included Jatropha curcas (Adadze), Lantana camara (Ananse dokuno), Striga (Wumlim) Cecropia peltata (French Adwuma) Siam Weed (Acheapong).
The alien species, according to the CSIR were replacing indigenous plants that were useful to the ecosystem at a very fast rate.
The council, which is spearheading a four-year project to remove barriers hindering the management of exotic plants, has, therefore, appealed to the security agencies and personnel of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) at the country's borders to be vigilant by preventing travellers from bringing alien species into the country.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology Ms Sherry Ayittey, who launched four booklets on exotic plants, said the alien plants were causing devastation to crops and forest lands in areas such as the River Afram Headwaters Forest Reserves.
Ms Ayittey whose speech was read on her behalf said these alien plant species were also causing irreparable damage to socio-economic development and posed as health hazards to the people in the areas they were found.
She, therefore, urged agencies such as the CSIR to team up with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to successfully implement the four year project to remove barriers for the management of the exotic plants.
Dr Abdulai Baba Salifu, Director-General of CSIR, who chaired the function, said some biological methods had been introduced by CSIR to control the weeds.
He said one of the methods was the introduction of some species of grasshoppers to feed on the leaves of the exotic plants.
He, however, said such biological control had its limits since the CSIR could not nurture a vast quantity of those grasshoppers to deal with the ever-spreading exotic weeds that were increasing in the country.
Dr Salifu appealed to the government to increase its component of funding the project to eliminate the alien plant species before they took over the ecosystem and destroyed the agricultural sector.
Some of the alien plants included Jatropha curcas (Adadze), Lantana camara (Ananse dokuno), Striga (Wumlim) Cecropia peltata (French Adwuma) Siam Weed (Acheapong).
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