The Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has fully automated its core functions of classification and valuation of imported goods.
Until the automation, the core functions were being carried out by foreign Destination Inspection Companies, which was a drain on the scarce foreign exchange of the country.
Mr Paul Osei-Kwabena, Chairman of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board (RAGB), said the automation was a manifestation of the government's commitment to carry through its objective of building the capacity of CEPS to resume its core functions ceded to the Destination Inspection Companies.
Mr Osei Kwabena, who inaugurated a new automated business premises designed to house the classification and valuation processes, said the initiative was a collaboration among the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, RAGB, CEPS and Bankwitch, an Information Technology (IT) solution firm.
He said the provision of IT facilities had provided CEPS the foundation to function effectively and productively in an ambience conducive to a job such as classification and valuation
The board chairman expressed the hope that the facility would be put to use in a manner that would compensate those whose vision, toil and resource had helped to build the service.
Mr Emmanuel Doku, commissioner of CEPS, who received the keys to the furnished building, said this was the first phase of a major project that would enhance the ability of CEPS to manage electronic information from importers and exporters without passing it through intermediaries who charge for their services.
He said the new innovative IT solution would be integrated into the Ghana Community Net Work (GCNet) to add value to the current system operated by CEPS.
Mr Doku said the aim of the integration was to offer importers and declarants an enhanced single window for clearing their goods from the ports in the country.
He said acquisition of the facilities represented a further step in the modernisation of CEPS’ procedures and work practices.
The commissioner noted that the IT solution would enable CEPS to continue to improve its services to the general public and further secure revenue for national development.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENTS' CONFAB ENDS (PAGE 15)
THE Seventh annual general conference of Medical Superintendents has opened in Accra with a call on members to ensure best practices in the management of hospitals in the country, especially during national disasters.
The best practices required of medical superintendents include the skills to deal with emergencies, promptness to serve, as well as their attitude towards patients and their relatives.
The Deputy Director of Quality Assurance of the Ministry of Health, Dr Cynthia Bannerman, explained that more often relatives of patients were maltreated by not giving them the needed attention during visits to hospitals.
She explained that the practice was against international standards, which required that hospital staff show compassion and love towards patients and their relatives, since that was part of quality care.
She noted that international standards required that in time of disasters and emergencies, relatives were assembled in one room at the hospital and updated on the condition of their relatives on admission by hospital authorities periodically to allay their anxiety.
Speaking on the theme “Disasters Here, Disasters There, How Prepared Are We? Dr Bannerman said linkages among health facilities had to be strengthened to ensure that patients could be referred from one facility to another without much delay and loss of life.
For his part, the General Secretary of the Medical Superintendents Group, Dr Kofi G. Normanyo, said there had been floods in the north, south and even in Accra and seismologists had warned of an imminent earthquake.
He said in all these situations, there was the need to plan ahead just in case an event with the scale of a disaster occurred.
Dr Normanyo said the Ghana Medical Superintendents, numbering more than 300, would converge in Tamale in the first week of October to adopt strategies and draw plans to deal with disasters whenever they occurred in the country.
The best practices required of medical superintendents include the skills to deal with emergencies, promptness to serve, as well as their attitude towards patients and their relatives.
The Deputy Director of Quality Assurance of the Ministry of Health, Dr Cynthia Bannerman, explained that more often relatives of patients were maltreated by not giving them the needed attention during visits to hospitals.
She explained that the practice was against international standards, which required that hospital staff show compassion and love towards patients and their relatives, since that was part of quality care.
She noted that international standards required that in time of disasters and emergencies, relatives were assembled in one room at the hospital and updated on the condition of their relatives on admission by hospital authorities periodically to allay their anxiety.
Speaking on the theme “Disasters Here, Disasters There, How Prepared Are We? Dr Bannerman said linkages among health facilities had to be strengthened to ensure that patients could be referred from one facility to another without much delay and loss of life.
For his part, the General Secretary of the Medical Superintendents Group, Dr Kofi G. Normanyo, said there had been floods in the north, south and even in Accra and seismologists had warned of an imminent earthquake.
He said in all these situations, there was the need to plan ahead just in case an event with the scale of a disaster occurred.
Dr Normanyo said the Ghana Medical Superintendents, numbering more than 300, would converge in Tamale in the first week of October to adopt strategies and draw plans to deal with disasters whenever they occurred in the country.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
ENSURE CREDIBLE ELECTION RESULTS — GYIMAH-BOADI (PAGE 33)
THE Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Professor E. Gyimah-Boadi, has called on Ghanaians to endeavour to make the December elections peaceful and clean with credible outcomes.
He says the Ghanaian culture is full of symbols, which, when reflected on, would enable stakeholders in the elections to consolidate democracy in the country.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi was speaking in Accra at the unveiling of a sculpture to mark the 10th anniversary of CDD.
He said the government, opposition parties, constitutional bodies, civil society and the media had a role to play to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
He said the sculpture was intended to serve as a three-dimensional reference point for CDD staff, associates of the centre, as well as stakeholders in nurturing democracy and good governance.
He explained that the sculpture captured the ideals and guiding principles of democratic governance to which the Fourth Republic had committed itself.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi further said the sculpture sought to capture the ‘Kronto ne Akwamu’ symbols of ‘Adinkra’ (Akan symbols) representing the concept of democratic governance and constitutionalism.
He said CDD, as a non-partisan and non-governmental organisation, was committed to promoting democracy, good governance and economic openness.
The executive director expressed the hope that the ideals expressed in the beautiful sculpture would serve as an encouragement for all to keep the flame of democracy burning in the country, as well as the rest of Africa.
The ceremony for unveiling the sculpture was also used to honour some past members of the board of governors of CDD, as well as some outstanding workers of the centre.
The sculpture was carved by Nana Anoff, a renowned Ghanaian sculptor.
Among the past board members who received awards were Dr Angela Ofori Atta, Prof. Kwesi Yankah and Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang.
He says the Ghanaian culture is full of symbols, which, when reflected on, would enable stakeholders in the elections to consolidate democracy in the country.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi was speaking in Accra at the unveiling of a sculpture to mark the 10th anniversary of CDD.
He said the government, opposition parties, constitutional bodies, civil society and the media had a role to play to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
He said the sculpture was intended to serve as a three-dimensional reference point for CDD staff, associates of the centre, as well as stakeholders in nurturing democracy and good governance.
He explained that the sculpture captured the ideals and guiding principles of democratic governance to which the Fourth Republic had committed itself.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi further said the sculpture sought to capture the ‘Kronto ne Akwamu’ symbols of ‘Adinkra’ (Akan symbols) representing the concept of democratic governance and constitutionalism.
He said CDD, as a non-partisan and non-governmental organisation, was committed to promoting democracy, good governance and economic openness.
The executive director expressed the hope that the ideals expressed in the beautiful sculpture would serve as an encouragement for all to keep the flame of democracy burning in the country, as well as the rest of Africa.
The ceremony for unveiling the sculpture was also used to honour some past members of the board of governors of CDD, as well as some outstanding workers of the centre.
The sculpture was carved by Nana Anoff, a renowned Ghanaian sculptor.
Among the past board members who received awards were Dr Angela Ofori Atta, Prof. Kwesi Yankah and Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang.
EPA BANS 25 DANGEROUS AGRO-CHEMICALS (BACK PAGE)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned the importation of 25 agro-chemicals because of their toxicological risks to people, animals, crops and the environment.
Mr John A. Pwamang, Director of EPA in charge of Pesticides, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said the agency was in the process of reviewing the list of registered agro chemicals allowed into the country.
He said those given provisional certificates were being tested and if found not to be suitable for local conditions would be included in the ban.
He, however, explained that some chemicals had been placed under restricted use and were only applied on selected crops by competent pesticide experts and were being sold by dealers licensed to handle restricted pesticides.
Mr Pwamang said some of the banned chemicals that were being used in the agricultural and mining sectors included Toxaphene, Aldrin, Enderin, Chordane, Captafol and DDT.
He said even though DDT was a potent force in the control and eradication of mosquitoes and many countries were lifting the ban on the chemical, it was still a banned substance in the country.
He said, however, that 118 chemicals had been fully registered for importation into the country after undergoing testing for efficacy and safety under local conditions.
He said the category of the licensed chemical that could be imported included insecticides, fungicides and herbicides that had been used in the agricultural sector without any adverse effects.
The Director of Pesticides said the EPA was working closely with the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service and other stakeholders to prevent the country from being turned into a dumping ground for chemicals that were harmful to human beings, animals, crops and the environment.
He said the EPA was also encouraging scientists in the country to put more emphasis on biological control methods to reduce the over-reliance on chemicals, which sometimes contaminated water bodies.
Mr Pwamang said, however, that the EPA only allowed the importation of some unregistered chemical if the pesticides were imported for experimental and research purposes.
He said 24 agro-chemicals had been given provisional clearance because most of the information required had been provided and the chemical did not pose any risk to human beings and the environment.
He said the clearance was temporary for one year pending the testing and registration.
Mr Pwamang said during the review if those given provisional certificates were found not to be effective for the use for which they were intended, the EPA would have no option but to ban them.
Mr John A. Pwamang, Director of EPA in charge of Pesticides, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said the agency was in the process of reviewing the list of registered agro chemicals allowed into the country.
He said those given provisional certificates were being tested and if found not to be suitable for local conditions would be included in the ban.
He, however, explained that some chemicals had been placed under restricted use and were only applied on selected crops by competent pesticide experts and were being sold by dealers licensed to handle restricted pesticides.
Mr Pwamang said some of the banned chemicals that were being used in the agricultural and mining sectors included Toxaphene, Aldrin, Enderin, Chordane, Captafol and DDT.
He said even though DDT was a potent force in the control and eradication of mosquitoes and many countries were lifting the ban on the chemical, it was still a banned substance in the country.
He said, however, that 118 chemicals had been fully registered for importation into the country after undergoing testing for efficacy and safety under local conditions.
He said the category of the licensed chemical that could be imported included insecticides, fungicides and herbicides that had been used in the agricultural sector without any adverse effects.
The Director of Pesticides said the EPA was working closely with the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service and other stakeholders to prevent the country from being turned into a dumping ground for chemicals that were harmful to human beings, animals, crops and the environment.
He said the EPA was also encouraging scientists in the country to put more emphasis on biological control methods to reduce the over-reliance on chemicals, which sometimes contaminated water bodies.
Mr Pwamang said, however, that the EPA only allowed the importation of some unregistered chemical if the pesticides were imported for experimental and research purposes.
He said 24 agro-chemicals had been given provisional clearance because most of the information required had been provided and the chemical did not pose any risk to human beings and the environment.
He said the clearance was temporary for one year pending the testing and registration.
Mr Pwamang said during the review if those given provisional certificates were found not to be effective for the use for which they were intended, the EPA would have no option but to ban them.
Monday, August 25, 2008
2 POOL RESOURCES TO CHECK CRIME IN MINISTRIES AREA (PAGE 49)
THE Ministries of the Interior and of Public Sector Reforms are pooling resources to flush out criminals in the Ministries area.
The Ministries area has of late experienced an escalating crime wave, with criminals snatching handbags and mobile phones from people who go there for official business.
Mr Samuel Owusu Agyei Minister for Public Sector Reforms, who announced this, said the criminals had been extending their activities to the offices, leading to break-ins in which computers and other government property had been stolen.
Mr Owusu Agyei said this when he took delivery of a Toyota double cabin pick-up from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He said the vehicle would be placed in the pool for the Ministries of the Interior and of Public Sector Reforms for use by the police to patrol the Ministries day and night to ward off miscreants who might want to use the Ministries and their environs as a safe haven.
He said sometimes, the criminals disguised themselves as hawkers.
The Minister said the criminals engaging in these activities had gone scot-free because the security forces were unable to trace those involved.
He said this state of affairs would not be allowed to continue and the two Ministries had pooled resources to enhance security and improve on the safety of civil servants working there.
Mr Dauda Toure, UNDP Resident Representative for Ghana, said any successful public sector reform hinged on the welfare and conditions of service of the public and civil servants.
He commended the two Ministries for working to ensure the safety and welfare of civil servants.
He said further that the UNDP was therefore willing to be associated with activities that would enhance the efficiency of the service for it to contribute to the development of the country.
He added that the donation of the vehicle was part of the public sector reform seeking to improve working conditions of the people.
He said the support formed part of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations encouraging an interface between the public and the government for economic development.
The Ministries area has of late experienced an escalating crime wave, with criminals snatching handbags and mobile phones from people who go there for official business.
Mr Samuel Owusu Agyei Minister for Public Sector Reforms, who announced this, said the criminals had been extending their activities to the offices, leading to break-ins in which computers and other government property had been stolen.
Mr Owusu Agyei said this when he took delivery of a Toyota double cabin pick-up from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He said the vehicle would be placed in the pool for the Ministries of the Interior and of Public Sector Reforms for use by the police to patrol the Ministries day and night to ward off miscreants who might want to use the Ministries and their environs as a safe haven.
He said sometimes, the criminals disguised themselves as hawkers.
The Minister said the criminals engaging in these activities had gone scot-free because the security forces were unable to trace those involved.
He said this state of affairs would not be allowed to continue and the two Ministries had pooled resources to enhance security and improve on the safety of civil servants working there.
Mr Dauda Toure, UNDP Resident Representative for Ghana, said any successful public sector reform hinged on the welfare and conditions of service of the public and civil servants.
He commended the two Ministries for working to ensure the safety and welfare of civil servants.
He said further that the UNDP was therefore willing to be associated with activities that would enhance the efficiency of the service for it to contribute to the development of the country.
He added that the donation of the vehicle was part of the public sector reform seeking to improve working conditions of the people.
He said the support formed part of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations encouraging an interface between the public and the government for economic development.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
CHALK FACTORY WORKERS GRATEFUL TO MINISTRY (PAGE 43)
WORKERS at the Society for the Physically Challenged Chalk Factory in Accra have expressed their gratitude to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for continuing to award the factory contracts on a regular basis and appealed to the service to increase the size.
The workers also appealed for an extension of the contract between the GES and the society to keep them in employment.
They explained that the present contract for the supply of chalk lasted only from January to August while for the rest of the year the workers and factory remained idle.
Mr Elvis Kosi Atipui, Production Manager of the factory, said this year, the GES awarded the factory a contract of GH¢25,000 for the supply of 50,000 boxes of chalk, which the factory accomplished before August. He said as a result, the 19 workers were to be sent home to report again in January, 2009.
He said because of the lack of full-time employment for the workers, they tended to go stale.
The Production Manager appealed to the business community and proprietors of educational institutions, as well as private retailers, to patronise the chalk manufactured by the society as a means of discharging their social responsibility, as well as assisting the society to grow.
He said the factory had acquired new machines and assured their potential customers of quality products.
Mr Atipui said the packaging of the chalk had also undergone considerable improvement and could withstand the rough handling when being transported from one destination to another.
He said plans were also far advanced to diversify the products of the factory to find a lasting solution to the periodic closure of the factory.
He mentioned some of the items to be produced by the factory as tooth picks, which he said were being imported into Ghana from China and Europe.
The Production Manager described some of the physically challenged workers of the factory as highly talented who, when supported, could help produce artefacts and other goods for the local and sub-regional markets.
He, however, lamented that so far the society had to rely on philanthropy to pursue its aspirations and appealed for a comprehensive and sustainable programme for the disabled to enable the nation to tap every talent in the country for accelerated development.
The workers also appealed for an extension of the contract between the GES and the society to keep them in employment.
They explained that the present contract for the supply of chalk lasted only from January to August while for the rest of the year the workers and factory remained idle.
Mr Elvis Kosi Atipui, Production Manager of the factory, said this year, the GES awarded the factory a contract of GH¢25,000 for the supply of 50,000 boxes of chalk, which the factory accomplished before August. He said as a result, the 19 workers were to be sent home to report again in January, 2009.
He said because of the lack of full-time employment for the workers, they tended to go stale.
The Production Manager appealed to the business community and proprietors of educational institutions, as well as private retailers, to patronise the chalk manufactured by the society as a means of discharging their social responsibility, as well as assisting the society to grow.
He said the factory had acquired new machines and assured their potential customers of quality products.
Mr Atipui said the packaging of the chalk had also undergone considerable improvement and could withstand the rough handling when being transported from one destination to another.
He said plans were also far advanced to diversify the products of the factory to find a lasting solution to the periodic closure of the factory.
He mentioned some of the items to be produced by the factory as tooth picks, which he said were being imported into Ghana from China and Europe.
The Production Manager described some of the physically challenged workers of the factory as highly talented who, when supported, could help produce artefacts and other goods for the local and sub-regional markets.
He, however, lamented that so far the society had to rely on philanthropy to pursue its aspirations and appealed for a comprehensive and sustainable programme for the disabled to enable the nation to tap every talent in the country for accelerated development.
YETRON DONATES TO ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION (PAGE 19)
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has reminded drivers that it is against the Road Traffic Act and Regulation to travel continuously for more than four hours without rest, since that leads to fatigue and accidents.
The commission has therefore stated that it is in the interest of drivers and the travelling public to insist on stopping and resting to avoid fatigue.
Mr Osafo Adonteng, Deputy Director of the commission in charge of Research and Monitoring, who made the call, said driving under fatigue had become a critical issue for the commission and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), since most drivers drive for more than eight to 16 hours without rest which is against the law.
He said the commission was mounting an exercise in connection with this year’s elections to educate political parties and drivers on the slogan “don’t drive when fatigued’’.
Mr Adonteng said the campaign would also be used to sensitise the private sector to invest in the erection of rest stops where drivers and passengers on long journeys could stop to stretch and rest before continuing their journey.
He said these rest stops, especially the one at Bunso serving Kumasi-bound vehicles, was a perfect example of private and public partnership to help generate revenue for economic development.
Mr Adonteng therefore called on the GPRTU and the Private Haulage Transport Services to lead the campaign to reduce road accidents through fatigue by investing in rest stops as business to help create awareness in the public.
Mr Adonteng, who received 1000 copies of posters and forty billboards in connection with the campaign, from Yetron Services Ltd, a road safety company, commended the company for showing concern especially during an election year when road accidents are on the increase.
Mr Teete Owusu-Nortey, Chief Executive of Yetron Services, said road accidents had claimed a lot of lives in the country and as the company’s contribution towards minimising the accidents, his company had decided to contribute the 1000 copies of posters on fatigue driving to the NRSC.
Mr Owusu-Nortey said the company also had donated 40 billboards to be erected in accident-prone areas throughout the country to help make the country’s roads accident-free especially during the electioneering this year.
The commission has therefore stated that it is in the interest of drivers and the travelling public to insist on stopping and resting to avoid fatigue.
Mr Osafo Adonteng, Deputy Director of the commission in charge of Research and Monitoring, who made the call, said driving under fatigue had become a critical issue for the commission and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), since most drivers drive for more than eight to 16 hours without rest which is against the law.
He said the commission was mounting an exercise in connection with this year’s elections to educate political parties and drivers on the slogan “don’t drive when fatigued’’.
Mr Adonteng said the campaign would also be used to sensitise the private sector to invest in the erection of rest stops where drivers and passengers on long journeys could stop to stretch and rest before continuing their journey.
He said these rest stops, especially the one at Bunso serving Kumasi-bound vehicles, was a perfect example of private and public partnership to help generate revenue for economic development.
Mr Adonteng therefore called on the GPRTU and the Private Haulage Transport Services to lead the campaign to reduce road accidents through fatigue by investing in rest stops as business to help create awareness in the public.
Mr Adonteng, who received 1000 copies of posters and forty billboards in connection with the campaign, from Yetron Services Ltd, a road safety company, commended the company for showing concern especially during an election year when road accidents are on the increase.
Mr Teete Owusu-Nortey, Chief Executive of Yetron Services, said road accidents had claimed a lot of lives in the country and as the company’s contribution towards minimising the accidents, his company had decided to contribute the 1000 copies of posters on fatigue driving to the NRSC.
Mr Owusu-Nortey said the company also had donated 40 billboards to be erected in accident-prone areas throughout the country to help make the country’s roads accident-free especially during the electioneering this year.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
NADMO, VRA ON THE MOVE...To prevent disaster in 3 northern regions (LEAD STORY)
THE National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Volta River Authority (VRA) have moved personnel and logistics to the three northern regions to help evacuate residents who have ignored warnings of imminent danger of the opening of the floodgates of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso on Thursday.
This follows confirmation from the authorities in Burkina Faso that the Bagre Dam will be opened on Thursday, to spill water that threatens to collapse the dam.
It is predicted that the opening of the floodgates will lead to heavy floods that could endanger the lives and property of people living around the White and Black Volta rivers in the northern parts of Ghana.
Some of the high risk areas are Binduri, Sapelliga, Nafgolika Vakop, Gogo, Saaka, Bazua and Pwalugu.
In separate endeavours over the weekend, officials of the VRA toured some of the communities to impress upon those living along the White Volta to vacate the place due to the imminent floods, while NADMO deployed 5,000 volunteers to evacuate recalcitrant farmers along the disaster-prone zone.
The disaster volunteers groups, together with other stakeholders, are also to effect programmes aimed at stopping agricultural practices along the catchment areas of the Black and White Volta rivers.
The Deputy National Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in charge of relief and reconstruction, Alhaji Sulemana Yirimea, said the international community would not forgive the country, especially NADMO, if it remained aloof in spite of the timely warning from Burkina Faso.
He said there had been meetings at high governmental level between Ghana and Burkina Faso to control the spillage by opening the dams on gradual basis.
Alhaji Yirimea, however, said that should not form the basis for complacency on the part of NADMO and other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He said the sensitisation programme was under way in communities that were likely to be affected most in the Wa East, especially the district capital Funsi and its environs.
He said disaster volunteer groups formed in those communities could also be found in such communities as Wechiau, Kubori, Sapelliga, Tanga, Nabugu and Nasia, where commercial rice farmers were concentrated.
The other communities likely to be affected by the floods of White Volta included Kalbeo, Dacheo, Bolgatanga, Navrongo, Bawku, Binduri and Sandema, where most of the road networks were washed away by the floods, rendering the roads impassable.
The deputy co-ordinator said some of the settler farmers also engaged in onion, tobacco and water melon cultivation, which thrive along river banks because of the humidity.
He said the settler farmers were so recalcitrant that sometimes NADMO personnel would have to move in with security agencies in order for them to comply to leave farming along the rivers banks.
He said NADMO was educating people in the flood-prone areas to change the traditional building code and build houses that could withstand the impact of flood waters.
Alhaji Yirimea said the disaster volunteer groups were also enjoying the co-operation of other volunteer groups such as the fire-fighting volunteers at the local level in sensitising the local people to the dangers and damage their activities had on socio-economic development of the country.
He said the education of the farmers had been extended to the Kassena Nankana and Builsa districts, where the spillage from the Tono Dam, due to heavy rains in the Kasena Nankana District, had serious repercussions for farmers in the area, resulting in post-harvest losses.
Alhaji Yirimea said NADMO was shifting emphasis from waiting for the disaster to strike before rushing with relief items to proactive activities to prevent disasters from taking a great toll on lives and property.
Last year, in August, when the country was given 24 hours before the dam was spilled, five people lost their lives in the Bolgatanga municipality and Bawku West District, when their rooms which got filled to window level collapsed on them.
The floods also caused damage to the Bawku-Kulungungu road, destroying the bridge spanning over the White Volta.
The roads destroyed by the floods also included the Bawku-Binduri; Bolga-Nyariga-Dacheo and the Navrongo-Sandema road networks.
The agricultural output was also affected when over 40,000 hectares of farmlands were submerged under water, destroying crops which were ready for harvest.
According to the Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Roy Ayariga, a total of 13,880 metric tonnes of foodstuffs went to waste as a result of the floods that submerged farms.
Similar to that of the NADMO, the aim of the VRA sensitisation visit was to educate the residents on the need to evacuate to higher grounds to avert the loss of lives and property.
Members of the VRA team who toured the flood prone areas were Alhaji Mohammed Erzuah Siam, Senior Community Relations Officer, Alhaji Ben Bukari Salifu, Deputy Upper East Regional Human Resource Manager, Mr Osei Kofi, Customer Relations Officer and Mr John Tayari, Assistant Customer Relations Officer.
Speaking to some opinion leaders at Binduri and Bazua, the leader of the team, Alhaji Mohammed Erzuah Siam, said due to the extent of the damage caused by last year's floods, the VRA has decided to embark on an exercise to sensitise the people, especially those living along the White Volta River, to the dangers that comes with the floods.
Alhaji Siam also warmed those who had farmed close to the river banks to harvest their crops and evacuate to higher grounds to avoid any danger.
He cautioned the community members against crossing the river on Thursday, August 21, 2008 and a few days thereafter.
Alhaji Siam said the VRA, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (UERCC), Regional Secretariat of NADMO, as well as the municipal and district assemblies in the region, would continue to sensitise the people living along the flood-prone areas to avoid casualties.
It would be recalled that almost all the districts in the Upper East Region were hit by a flood disaster as a result of torrential rains from August 24 to August 29, 2007.
The situation was aggravated by the opening of the spillway of the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Consequently, more than 3000 houses in the Talensi-Nabdam, Bongo, Builsa, Bawku West and Bawku districts were destroyed, while almost 8000 inhabitants were left homeless. Also destroyed were several hundreds of hectares of farmland, roads and bridges.
Prominent among the collapsed bridges were the Kulungugu Bridge that links Ghana and her neighbouring Sahelian countries like Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali and the Tamne Bridge on the Garu-Zabugu-Bawku road.
This follows confirmation from the authorities in Burkina Faso that the Bagre Dam will be opened on Thursday, to spill water that threatens to collapse the dam.
It is predicted that the opening of the floodgates will lead to heavy floods that could endanger the lives and property of people living around the White and Black Volta rivers in the northern parts of Ghana.
Some of the high risk areas are Binduri, Sapelliga, Nafgolika Vakop, Gogo, Saaka, Bazua and Pwalugu.
In separate endeavours over the weekend, officials of the VRA toured some of the communities to impress upon those living along the White Volta to vacate the place due to the imminent floods, while NADMO deployed 5,000 volunteers to evacuate recalcitrant farmers along the disaster-prone zone.
The disaster volunteers groups, together with other stakeholders, are also to effect programmes aimed at stopping agricultural practices along the catchment areas of the Black and White Volta rivers.
The Deputy National Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in charge of relief and reconstruction, Alhaji Sulemana Yirimea, said the international community would not forgive the country, especially NADMO, if it remained aloof in spite of the timely warning from Burkina Faso.
He said there had been meetings at high governmental level between Ghana and Burkina Faso to control the spillage by opening the dams on gradual basis.
Alhaji Yirimea, however, said that should not form the basis for complacency on the part of NADMO and other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He said the sensitisation programme was under way in communities that were likely to be affected most in the Wa East, especially the district capital Funsi and its environs.
He said disaster volunteer groups formed in those communities could also be found in such communities as Wechiau, Kubori, Sapelliga, Tanga, Nabugu and Nasia, where commercial rice farmers were concentrated.
The other communities likely to be affected by the floods of White Volta included Kalbeo, Dacheo, Bolgatanga, Navrongo, Bawku, Binduri and Sandema, where most of the road networks were washed away by the floods, rendering the roads impassable.
The deputy co-ordinator said some of the settler farmers also engaged in onion, tobacco and water melon cultivation, which thrive along river banks because of the humidity.
He said the settler farmers were so recalcitrant that sometimes NADMO personnel would have to move in with security agencies in order for them to comply to leave farming along the rivers banks.
He said NADMO was educating people in the flood-prone areas to change the traditional building code and build houses that could withstand the impact of flood waters.
Alhaji Yirimea said the disaster volunteer groups were also enjoying the co-operation of other volunteer groups such as the fire-fighting volunteers at the local level in sensitising the local people to the dangers and damage their activities had on socio-economic development of the country.
He said the education of the farmers had been extended to the Kassena Nankana and Builsa districts, where the spillage from the Tono Dam, due to heavy rains in the Kasena Nankana District, had serious repercussions for farmers in the area, resulting in post-harvest losses.
Alhaji Yirimea said NADMO was shifting emphasis from waiting for the disaster to strike before rushing with relief items to proactive activities to prevent disasters from taking a great toll on lives and property.
Last year, in August, when the country was given 24 hours before the dam was spilled, five people lost their lives in the Bolgatanga municipality and Bawku West District, when their rooms which got filled to window level collapsed on them.
The floods also caused damage to the Bawku-Kulungungu road, destroying the bridge spanning over the White Volta.
The roads destroyed by the floods also included the Bawku-Binduri; Bolga-Nyariga-Dacheo and the Navrongo-Sandema road networks.
The agricultural output was also affected when over 40,000 hectares of farmlands were submerged under water, destroying crops which were ready for harvest.
According to the Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Roy Ayariga, a total of 13,880 metric tonnes of foodstuffs went to waste as a result of the floods that submerged farms.
Similar to that of the NADMO, the aim of the VRA sensitisation visit was to educate the residents on the need to evacuate to higher grounds to avert the loss of lives and property.
Members of the VRA team who toured the flood prone areas were Alhaji Mohammed Erzuah Siam, Senior Community Relations Officer, Alhaji Ben Bukari Salifu, Deputy Upper East Regional Human Resource Manager, Mr Osei Kofi, Customer Relations Officer and Mr John Tayari, Assistant Customer Relations Officer.
Speaking to some opinion leaders at Binduri and Bazua, the leader of the team, Alhaji Mohammed Erzuah Siam, said due to the extent of the damage caused by last year's floods, the VRA has decided to embark on an exercise to sensitise the people, especially those living along the White Volta River, to the dangers that comes with the floods.
Alhaji Siam also warmed those who had farmed close to the river banks to harvest their crops and evacuate to higher grounds to avoid any danger.
He cautioned the community members against crossing the river on Thursday, August 21, 2008 and a few days thereafter.
Alhaji Siam said the VRA, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (UERCC), Regional Secretariat of NADMO, as well as the municipal and district assemblies in the region, would continue to sensitise the people living along the flood-prone areas to avoid casualties.
It would be recalled that almost all the districts in the Upper East Region were hit by a flood disaster as a result of torrential rains from August 24 to August 29, 2007.
The situation was aggravated by the opening of the spillway of the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Consequently, more than 3000 houses in the Talensi-Nabdam, Bongo, Builsa, Bawku West and Bawku districts were destroyed, while almost 8000 inhabitants were left homeless. Also destroyed were several hundreds of hectares of farmland, roads and bridges.
Prominent among the collapsed bridges were the Kulungugu Bridge that links Ghana and her neighbouring Sahelian countries like Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali and the Tamne Bridge on the Garu-Zabugu-Bawku road.
Friday, August 15, 2008
COME AND HELP (PAGE 34)
A Ghanaian biomedical research scientist, Peter Atadja, has appealed to Ghanaian health professionals seeking greener pastures in the Diaspora to come home occasionally to help produce the needed human resources required to move the country forward.
Dr Atadja, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, said this would enable Ghanaian Biomedical scientists to transfer technology to Ghanaian professionals at home to create a common platform for research.
The Provost, making the call at the opening of the first Ghana Biomedical Convention, said this was the first time the country had brought together about 200 renowned Ghanaian biomedical researchers and students across the globe.
The aim of the convention was to share knowledge in biomedical science for the benefit of Ghana and the sub-region.
The convention, on theme "Opportunities and challenges of new technologies in Biomedicine", was to address problems such as the limited presence of current developments in contemporary Ghanaian biomedical research.
Dr Atadja said there was untapped local Ghanaian natural drugs knowledge and the untapped Diasporan-Ghanaian biomedical resource that could be exploited for mutual benefit.
He said the mission of the college was to produce highly qualified and competent health professionals and medical scientists to provide curative services that would bring good health, comfort and happiness to the people through world-class excellence in teaching, research and dissemination of knowledge.
Mr Samuel Kojo Kwofie of the South Africa National Bioinformatic Institute said the country was experiencing a fair degree of macroeconomic stability due to the formulation and implementation of sound fiscal policies and urged Ghanaians in the diaspora to take advantage and return home to assist in nation building.
Mr Kwofie, who spoke on the topic “Translating DNA into money; Strategies for the growth of Biotechnology in Ghana”, called for a review of the draft biotechnology strategy by drawing on recent experiences to improve the model.
He explained that the country required a robust bioscience enterprise and biotechnology platform as the core areas to help advance the bio-industry to boost economic growth.
He said the creation of biotechnology platforms could serve as incubators for start-up companies and could be used to address national health needs such as the development of novel pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines and rapid diagnostic kits.
Dr Atadja, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, said this would enable Ghanaian Biomedical scientists to transfer technology to Ghanaian professionals at home to create a common platform for research.
The Provost, making the call at the opening of the first Ghana Biomedical Convention, said this was the first time the country had brought together about 200 renowned Ghanaian biomedical researchers and students across the globe.
The aim of the convention was to share knowledge in biomedical science for the benefit of Ghana and the sub-region.
The convention, on theme "Opportunities and challenges of new technologies in Biomedicine", was to address problems such as the limited presence of current developments in contemporary Ghanaian biomedical research.
Dr Atadja said there was untapped local Ghanaian natural drugs knowledge and the untapped Diasporan-Ghanaian biomedical resource that could be exploited for mutual benefit.
He said the mission of the college was to produce highly qualified and competent health professionals and medical scientists to provide curative services that would bring good health, comfort and happiness to the people through world-class excellence in teaching, research and dissemination of knowledge.
Mr Samuel Kojo Kwofie of the South Africa National Bioinformatic Institute said the country was experiencing a fair degree of macroeconomic stability due to the formulation and implementation of sound fiscal policies and urged Ghanaians in the diaspora to take advantage and return home to assist in nation building.
Mr Kwofie, who spoke on the topic “Translating DNA into money; Strategies for the growth of Biotechnology in Ghana”, called for a review of the draft biotechnology strategy by drawing on recent experiences to improve the model.
He explained that the country required a robust bioscience enterprise and biotechnology platform as the core areas to help advance the bio-industry to boost economic growth.
He said the creation of biotechnology platforms could serve as incubators for start-up companies and could be used to address national health needs such as the development of novel pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines and rapid diagnostic kits.
Monday, August 11, 2008
PEACE PROJECT COMMENCES (PAGE 55)
A Nation-wide Peace Project (NWPP) making a pilgrimage throughout the country to sensitise Ghanaians through films and photographs to the terror and atrocities of conflicts has been launched in Accra.
The peace project is aimed at preventing conflict in this election year to foster qualitative development.
Mr Gilbert Kwaku Adu, a freelance photographer, who initiated the project, said a lot of African countries had experienced devastating wars as a result of aborted elections.
He said the developed countries enjoyed peace as a result of the tolerance and acceptance of pre- and post-elections results.
With all the abundance of natural and human resources, Africa continues to suffer from poverty resulting from the numerous wars that plague the continent as a result of elections.
He explained that elections should be seen as tools for sustainable development economically and socially to enhance the welfare of the electorate through whose mandate leaders are chosen.
Mr Adu said political and tribal conflicts had displaced millions of people in Africa with women and children becoming victims of rape, hunger and severe suffering through no fault of theirs.
He said the spectacle of such people in television and films was what the NWPP was using to tour the country to make Ghanaians aware of the fact that peace was far better than conflict.
As a freelance photographer he had travelled extensively to conflict areas and had witnessed the pathetic plight of innocent people, especially women and children who had no means to flee the conflict areas and caught in crossfire.
Mr Adu said it was against that background that the peace project was initiated to sensitise the public to avoid tribal, chieftaincy and political conflicts.
He explained that the project was collaborating with the district assemblies, community chiefs and opinion leaders, churches, Muslim leaders to achieve its objective to prevent any election violence.
He added that documentaries of some war-torn countries would be shown in the communities for people to see the sad effects of conflicts.
Mr Adu said the project would disseminate information through print and electronic media as well as organise inter-party sports competitions in all the regions among the youth and party supporters to enable the youth to embrace peace instead of conflict in the forthcoming elections.
Launching the project on behalf of Rev Sam Korankye Ankrah, Apostle General of Royal House Chapel, Pastor Anthony Larbi said the peace project called for concerted efforts of peace-loving people to push the project to its logical conclusion, to prevent war in the country.
He said many Ghanaians, especially the youth, had not seen war and that the idea they had of war was the dictionary definition.
The church had therefore decided to provide the peace project with a broad platform to allow the youth to experience war through films and photographs that captured war situations so all would see what conflicts could do to a nation.
Ms Cecilia Anderson, National Co-ordinator of Child Rights Protection Advocacy of the World Vision Ghana, called on the media, especially the radio stations, to exercise restraint in their reports to help prevent election violence in the country.
Ms Anderson deplored the attitude of some radio stations in their use of inflammatory language and their disrespect for leadership in the country.
The peace project is aimed at preventing conflict in this election year to foster qualitative development.
Mr Gilbert Kwaku Adu, a freelance photographer, who initiated the project, said a lot of African countries had experienced devastating wars as a result of aborted elections.
He said the developed countries enjoyed peace as a result of the tolerance and acceptance of pre- and post-elections results.
With all the abundance of natural and human resources, Africa continues to suffer from poverty resulting from the numerous wars that plague the continent as a result of elections.
He explained that elections should be seen as tools for sustainable development economically and socially to enhance the welfare of the electorate through whose mandate leaders are chosen.
Mr Adu said political and tribal conflicts had displaced millions of people in Africa with women and children becoming victims of rape, hunger and severe suffering through no fault of theirs.
He said the spectacle of such people in television and films was what the NWPP was using to tour the country to make Ghanaians aware of the fact that peace was far better than conflict.
As a freelance photographer he had travelled extensively to conflict areas and had witnessed the pathetic plight of innocent people, especially women and children who had no means to flee the conflict areas and caught in crossfire.
Mr Adu said it was against that background that the peace project was initiated to sensitise the public to avoid tribal, chieftaincy and political conflicts.
He explained that the project was collaborating with the district assemblies, community chiefs and opinion leaders, churches, Muslim leaders to achieve its objective to prevent any election violence.
He added that documentaries of some war-torn countries would be shown in the communities for people to see the sad effects of conflicts.
Mr Adu said the project would disseminate information through print and electronic media as well as organise inter-party sports competitions in all the regions among the youth and party supporters to enable the youth to embrace peace instead of conflict in the forthcoming elections.
Launching the project on behalf of Rev Sam Korankye Ankrah, Apostle General of Royal House Chapel, Pastor Anthony Larbi said the peace project called for concerted efforts of peace-loving people to push the project to its logical conclusion, to prevent war in the country.
He said many Ghanaians, especially the youth, had not seen war and that the idea they had of war was the dictionary definition.
The church had therefore decided to provide the peace project with a broad platform to allow the youth to experience war through films and photographs that captured war situations so all would see what conflicts could do to a nation.
Ms Cecilia Anderson, National Co-ordinator of Child Rights Protection Advocacy of the World Vision Ghana, called on the media, especially the radio stations, to exercise restraint in their reports to help prevent election violence in the country.
Ms Anderson deplored the attitude of some radio stations in their use of inflammatory language and their disrespect for leadership in the country.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
PROMOTE WOMEN'S ROLE IN POLITICS (PAGE 23)
Participants at the third Governance Dialogue have called on Ghanaians to register once and jealously guard their votes and refuse to sell them.
According to them, this is one of the ways to ensure a credible election.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day governance dialogue organised by the Graphic Communications Group Ltd on the theme “Effective Democratic Governance; The Role of Stakeholders’’.
The 16-point communiqué, which was read by Mr Aggrey Orleans, a Ghanaian diplomat, stated that there ought to be a comprehensive guideline on election for political parties and candidates, as well as sanctions for infractions.
The communiqué also stressed that security personnel keeping public peace ought not allow themselves to be used by politicians for human rights abuses.
The communiqué also called on other stakeholders such as the media to offer fair access to coverage to all political parties and candidates, while the judiciary should adjudicate on all election disputes quickly.
On financing of political parties, the communiqué was of the view that state funding of political parties ought to be a subject for further public debate, since the case for political parties initiating a bill for approval by parliamentarians for their own benefit was tantamount to material conflict of interest.
The communiqué called on political parties to educate their members to support their parties through regular payment of approved dues and subscriptions.
The communiqué was of the view that the state should be the last resort after considering all other options, since cash support for political parties ought to be accompanied by comprehensive guidelines, which should not include the payment of staff salaries and administrative expenses.
On gender and empowering women for national development, the communiqué was emphatic that governance systems should be gender-sensitive and therefore called for equal opportunities for women and men.
The communiqué called for the amendment of the Constitution so that certain number of seats in Parliament could be allocated to women.
On conflict resolution, the communiqué noted that democratic governance was nothing but conflict management and called on political office seekers to have respect for principles, values and norms articulated in international conventions to minimise the incidence of conflicts.
Conflicts, the communiqué said, had implications for all stakeholders in the society and politicians should be mindful of the language used during political campaigns, which should be civil, and their behaviour not intimidating.
The communiqué called for an independent and visible media but cautioned media personnel to abide by their own professional code of ethics to prevent conflicts from escalating.
On the role of leadership, the communiqué noted that leaders should command the respect and trust of their followers by committing themselves to implementing actions and programmes to fulfil the interests of their communities.
The communiqué did not limit itself to political leaders alone but urged public sector managers also to shift their focus from passive compliance mentality to active compliance mentality in the interest of transparency and accountability in public affairs.
It also called on the government to pass the Freedom of Information Bill without further delay.
The Dialogue concluded on a note of consensus, for which the participants expressed the hope that it could be infused into public debate on issues necessary for creating public understanding and peace and harmony conducive to rule of law and public order.
According to them, this is one of the ways to ensure a credible election.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day governance dialogue organised by the Graphic Communications Group Ltd on the theme “Effective Democratic Governance; The Role of Stakeholders’’.
The 16-point communiqué, which was read by Mr Aggrey Orleans, a Ghanaian diplomat, stated that there ought to be a comprehensive guideline on election for political parties and candidates, as well as sanctions for infractions.
The communiqué also stressed that security personnel keeping public peace ought not allow themselves to be used by politicians for human rights abuses.
The communiqué also called on other stakeholders such as the media to offer fair access to coverage to all political parties and candidates, while the judiciary should adjudicate on all election disputes quickly.
On financing of political parties, the communiqué was of the view that state funding of political parties ought to be a subject for further public debate, since the case for political parties initiating a bill for approval by parliamentarians for their own benefit was tantamount to material conflict of interest.
The communiqué called on political parties to educate their members to support their parties through regular payment of approved dues and subscriptions.
The communiqué was of the view that the state should be the last resort after considering all other options, since cash support for political parties ought to be accompanied by comprehensive guidelines, which should not include the payment of staff salaries and administrative expenses.
On gender and empowering women for national development, the communiqué was emphatic that governance systems should be gender-sensitive and therefore called for equal opportunities for women and men.
The communiqué called for the amendment of the Constitution so that certain number of seats in Parliament could be allocated to women.
On conflict resolution, the communiqué noted that democratic governance was nothing but conflict management and called on political office seekers to have respect for principles, values and norms articulated in international conventions to minimise the incidence of conflicts.
Conflicts, the communiqué said, had implications for all stakeholders in the society and politicians should be mindful of the language used during political campaigns, which should be civil, and their behaviour not intimidating.
The communiqué called for an independent and visible media but cautioned media personnel to abide by their own professional code of ethics to prevent conflicts from escalating.
On the role of leadership, the communiqué noted that leaders should command the respect and trust of their followers by committing themselves to implementing actions and programmes to fulfil the interests of their communities.
The communiqué did not limit itself to political leaders alone but urged public sector managers also to shift their focus from passive compliance mentality to active compliance mentality in the interest of transparency and accountability in public affairs.
It also called on the government to pass the Freedom of Information Bill without further delay.
The Dialogue concluded on a note of consensus, for which the participants expressed the hope that it could be infused into public debate on issues necessary for creating public understanding and peace and harmony conducive to rule of law and public order.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
MINISTRY RECEIVES DOCUMENTS ON LANDING SITES (PAGE 32)
THE Ministry of Fisheries has received contract documents on the proposed 14 fish landing sites from DHV BV, a Netherlands based consultancy firm in Accra.
The ministry has already secured $148 million for the projects, which are to be sited in areas where fishermen have suffered post-harvest losses due to bad weather.
The first phase of the project, which will start this year, includes the construction of cold store facilities at the landing sites to prevent fish caught during the bumper season from perishing.
At a ceremony to receive the contract documents, Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, said the building of the landing sites and the introduction of fibre glass boats were geared towards the modernisation of the fishing industry to make it safer.
She named the beneficiary communities of the landing facilities to include Moree, Elmina, Winneba, Tepa Abotoase, Dzemeini, Tefe, and James Town in the Greater Accra Region.
She said the fibre glass technology and the landing site could considerably reduce accidents as wooden boats usually break up during landing under stormy tropical weather leading to fishermen losing their catch just on their doorsteps.
She said the ministry had liaised with the Regional Maritime Academy to fashion out courses in the study of the oceans for fishermen to build their capacities especially in Tuna fishing, which the country was well endowed with.
She said Ghana was the fourth largest tuna producing country in the world but Ghanaian fishermen lacked the technology for taming and farming this abundant natural resource.
She commended Starkist cannery of Tema for contributing to the economic development of the country as the factory continued to increase their tuna processing into finished products for the local and international markets.
She said despite these natural resources, fishing communities along the country's coasts were among the poorest in the country due mainly to the seasonal nature of the fishing industry, as well as the lack of modern equipment to enable fishermen to fish all year round.
As part of the government’s poverty reduction and wealth creation along the coastal communities some communities have been selected for the Ghana Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II).
Mrs Asmah explained that with the modernisation of the industry the standard of living in the fishing communities would be raised to enable the fishing industry to contribute more to reducing inflation by making fish products affordable to the ordinary Ghanaian.
The ministry has already secured $148 million for the projects, which are to be sited in areas where fishermen have suffered post-harvest losses due to bad weather.
The first phase of the project, which will start this year, includes the construction of cold store facilities at the landing sites to prevent fish caught during the bumper season from perishing.
At a ceremony to receive the contract documents, Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, said the building of the landing sites and the introduction of fibre glass boats were geared towards the modernisation of the fishing industry to make it safer.
She named the beneficiary communities of the landing facilities to include Moree, Elmina, Winneba, Tepa Abotoase, Dzemeini, Tefe, and James Town in the Greater Accra Region.
She said the fibre glass technology and the landing site could considerably reduce accidents as wooden boats usually break up during landing under stormy tropical weather leading to fishermen losing their catch just on their doorsteps.
She said the ministry had liaised with the Regional Maritime Academy to fashion out courses in the study of the oceans for fishermen to build their capacities especially in Tuna fishing, which the country was well endowed with.
She said Ghana was the fourth largest tuna producing country in the world but Ghanaian fishermen lacked the technology for taming and farming this abundant natural resource.
She commended Starkist cannery of Tema for contributing to the economic development of the country as the factory continued to increase their tuna processing into finished products for the local and international markets.
She said despite these natural resources, fishing communities along the country's coasts were among the poorest in the country due mainly to the seasonal nature of the fishing industry, as well as the lack of modern equipment to enable fishermen to fish all year round.
As part of the government’s poverty reduction and wealth creation along the coastal communities some communities have been selected for the Ghana Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II).
Mrs Asmah explained that with the modernisation of the industry the standard of living in the fishing communities would be raised to enable the fishing industry to contribute more to reducing inflation by making fish products affordable to the ordinary Ghanaian.
Monday, August 4, 2008
7,000 TRAINED TO HELP ACCIDENT VICTIMS (PAGE 53)
Seven thousand persons have received basic life support training to volunteer specialised services in handling of accident victims.
This has become necessary in view of the frequent accidents on the roads.
The absence of professional first aid volunteers, especially in communities along the major roads, has resulted in road traffic accidents recording high fatalities because the victims were handled unprofessionally, sometimes dragged forcefully from the accident vehicles.
Spearheading the training of the volunteers is a safety officer from the St John Ambulance service with support from the Ministry of Health and the National Road Safety Committee.
The Greater Accra Region, which was leading the country in the highest number of road accidents, has 4,000 of the volunteers trained in the communities along the major roads in the region to come to the aid of accidents victims.
The volunteers, apart from coming to the aid of road accident victims, have been trained to help people in the communities who are taken suddenly by heart attacks, stroke and wounds and need first aid, before transferring them to the nearest health facility.
Mr Philip Kwabena Adade, National Co-ordinator of the St John Ambulance, a first aid NGO, said apart from the training of volunteers in the communities students in schools had been trained and organised into clubs.
Mr Adade, who was speaking in an interview at a competition held for five divisions in the Grater Accra Region and Eastern Region, said the competitions were being used to sharpen the combat readiness of volunteers to manage road accident victims.
He said the competition, which tasked the capabilities of the volunteers in both theory and practicals, saw the Teshie-Nungua Division emerging as winners among the five contesting divisions with 89 points.
The Eastern Region is among the regions that have the highest number of accidents after Greater Accra and Ashanti regions took the second position with 88 points.
Accra Central Division placed third in the competition, while La Division came fourth with 78 and Tema Division taking the fifth position with 66 points.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Richard Kugre Gubillah of the Police Health Services and Medical Records urged the youth not to clamour for material gains at the expense of service to their communities.
He said names of people who laid their lives for their communities had stood the test of time to become great names than those who had material things in abundance but failed to use it to serve their communities.
ASP Gubillah, therefore, urged the volunteers to count themselves as great people who were prepared to come to the service of the communities in times of dire need.
This has become necessary in view of the frequent accidents on the roads.
The absence of professional first aid volunteers, especially in communities along the major roads, has resulted in road traffic accidents recording high fatalities because the victims were handled unprofessionally, sometimes dragged forcefully from the accident vehicles.
Spearheading the training of the volunteers is a safety officer from the St John Ambulance service with support from the Ministry of Health and the National Road Safety Committee.
The Greater Accra Region, which was leading the country in the highest number of road accidents, has 4,000 of the volunteers trained in the communities along the major roads in the region to come to the aid of accidents victims.
The volunteers, apart from coming to the aid of road accident victims, have been trained to help people in the communities who are taken suddenly by heart attacks, stroke and wounds and need first aid, before transferring them to the nearest health facility.
Mr Philip Kwabena Adade, National Co-ordinator of the St John Ambulance, a first aid NGO, said apart from the training of volunteers in the communities students in schools had been trained and organised into clubs.
Mr Adade, who was speaking in an interview at a competition held for five divisions in the Grater Accra Region and Eastern Region, said the competitions were being used to sharpen the combat readiness of volunteers to manage road accident victims.
He said the competition, which tasked the capabilities of the volunteers in both theory and practicals, saw the Teshie-Nungua Division emerging as winners among the five contesting divisions with 89 points.
The Eastern Region is among the regions that have the highest number of accidents after Greater Accra and Ashanti regions took the second position with 88 points.
Accra Central Division placed third in the competition, while La Division came fourth with 78 and Tema Division taking the fifth position with 66 points.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Richard Kugre Gubillah of the Police Health Services and Medical Records urged the youth not to clamour for material gains at the expense of service to their communities.
He said names of people who laid their lives for their communities had stood the test of time to become great names than those who had material things in abundance but failed to use it to serve their communities.
ASP Gubillah, therefore, urged the volunteers to count themselves as great people who were prepared to come to the service of the communities in times of dire need.
Friday, August 1, 2008
GIMPA TO TRAIN AUDIT OFFICERS (PAGE 34)
THE Audit Service is collaborating with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) to train audit officers with professional competence to track down cyber fraud.
Presently, the first batch of 17 audit service officers has been enrolled at GIMPA to undertake the course which is designed to sharpen the knowledge and managerial skills of the officers to detect cyber financial crimes in high circles.
The Deputy Auditor-General in charge of Finance, Mr Richard Quartey, who addressed the audit staff at the opening of the course, said the Audit Service could no longer stand aloof in this computer age and still become relevant. It had, therefore, initiated that action to create career opportunities for its staff in the globalised environment.
He said it was sad that audit officers spent as much as 30 years in the service and retired without having had any career opportunities to upgrade their managerial skills.
Mr Quartey stressed that it was becoming more and more strategic for organisations to have the best people in terms of knowledge and skills, adding that required training and staff development in areas that were most relevant to the strategic direction of the organisation.
He added that training was no longer an after-thought within the service but had become an important link with the strategy and goals of the organisation.
Mr Quartey stressed that the challenges of globalised markets had implications not just for employers but also for employees who needed to develop flexibility in order to remain employable. He said it also called for the recognition of the importance of having qualification or a certificate in one’s area of work.
The Manager of the Business Support and Executive Training Programme Department at GIMPA, Mrs Victoria Kumbuor, said the collaboration was a demonstration of GIMPA’s continuous commitment to its mandate to develop a public administration system and produce civil servants with administrative and professional competence to plan and operate national, regional and local services.
She said the collaboration between GIMPA and the Audit Service to run a Certificate in Administration and Management course was designed to meet the career aspirations of audit officers and practitioners in public and private sector organisations.
Presently, the first batch of 17 audit service officers has been enrolled at GIMPA to undertake the course which is designed to sharpen the knowledge and managerial skills of the officers to detect cyber financial crimes in high circles.
The Deputy Auditor-General in charge of Finance, Mr Richard Quartey, who addressed the audit staff at the opening of the course, said the Audit Service could no longer stand aloof in this computer age and still become relevant. It had, therefore, initiated that action to create career opportunities for its staff in the globalised environment.
He said it was sad that audit officers spent as much as 30 years in the service and retired without having had any career opportunities to upgrade their managerial skills.
Mr Quartey stressed that it was becoming more and more strategic for organisations to have the best people in terms of knowledge and skills, adding that required training and staff development in areas that were most relevant to the strategic direction of the organisation.
He added that training was no longer an after-thought within the service but had become an important link with the strategy and goals of the organisation.
Mr Quartey stressed that the challenges of globalised markets had implications not just for employers but also for employees who needed to develop flexibility in order to remain employable. He said it also called for the recognition of the importance of having qualification or a certificate in one’s area of work.
The Manager of the Business Support and Executive Training Programme Department at GIMPA, Mrs Victoria Kumbuor, said the collaboration was a demonstration of GIMPA’s continuous commitment to its mandate to develop a public administration system and produce civil servants with administrative and professional competence to plan and operate national, regional and local services.
She said the collaboration between GIMPA and the Audit Service to run a Certificate in Administration and Management course was designed to meet the career aspirations of audit officers and practitioners in public and private sector organisations.
NDC EXPRESSES CONCERN (PAGE 16)
THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the general public and its supporters to be vigilant and take a keen interest in the voters registration exercise to avoid any ‘kangaroo’ tactics that will undermine the process.
The NDC explained that its supporters especially ought to note that a successful registration exercise was the foundation to the party’s victory at the December polls.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra last Wednesday, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the National Organiser of the party, expressed doubts on whether the exercise would be as smooth and fair as expected, since some of the concerns raised by the NDC, as well as some members of the public, remained unresolved.
He questioned why the Electoral Commission (EC) procured only 2,500 workstations for 5,000 electoral areas when it had announced to the whole world that the government had provided all the funds and logistics that it needed for the 2008 elections.
He said for the exercise to be effective and efficient, 5,000 workstations should have been provided at the 5,000 electoral areas for the 11-day exercise.
He said one workstation for two electoral areas would reduce speed and efficiency and possibly disenfranchise a large number of potential voters, a development which could lead to confusion at the registration centres.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said that was because while the exercise was going on in one electoral area, potential voters in other electoral area could not take advantage of the process at the same time.
The National Organiser of the NDC said because of past experiences with the registration exercise, the NDC had instructed its agents to take full statistics of events at all the registration centres.
He said in that regard it had, at a recent Inter-Party Advisory Committee meeting, formally requested the EC to furnish the parties with track sheets detailing the distribution of registration forms.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said the NDC was serving notice that anything that would undermine the integrity of the exercise would not be countenanced.
He said the NDC was also worried about the simultaneous implementation of the national ID process and the voters registration exercise in the Western Region, since it had a potential to confuse voters.
He said that was because some voters might think that once they had obtained the national ID cards, there would be no need to register as voters.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, therefore, called on the national ID authority to suspend its programme to allow for a confusion-free registration exercise, since the national ID exercise was not time bound and could resume after the limited registration exercise.
The NDC explained that its supporters especially ought to note that a successful registration exercise was the foundation to the party’s victory at the December polls.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra last Wednesday, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the National Organiser of the party, expressed doubts on whether the exercise would be as smooth and fair as expected, since some of the concerns raised by the NDC, as well as some members of the public, remained unresolved.
He questioned why the Electoral Commission (EC) procured only 2,500 workstations for 5,000 electoral areas when it had announced to the whole world that the government had provided all the funds and logistics that it needed for the 2008 elections.
He said for the exercise to be effective and efficient, 5,000 workstations should have been provided at the 5,000 electoral areas for the 11-day exercise.
He said one workstation for two electoral areas would reduce speed and efficiency and possibly disenfranchise a large number of potential voters, a development which could lead to confusion at the registration centres.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said that was because while the exercise was going on in one electoral area, potential voters in other electoral area could not take advantage of the process at the same time.
The National Organiser of the NDC said because of past experiences with the registration exercise, the NDC had instructed its agents to take full statistics of events at all the registration centres.
He said in that regard it had, at a recent Inter-Party Advisory Committee meeting, formally requested the EC to furnish the parties with track sheets detailing the distribution of registration forms.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said the NDC was serving notice that anything that would undermine the integrity of the exercise would not be countenanced.
He said the NDC was also worried about the simultaneous implementation of the national ID process and the voters registration exercise in the Western Region, since it had a potential to confuse voters.
He said that was because some voters might think that once they had obtained the national ID cards, there would be no need to register as voters.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, therefore, called on the national ID authority to suspend its programme to allow for a confusion-free registration exercise, since the national ID exercise was not time bound and could resume after the limited registration exercise.
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