Beneficiaries of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) have been assured that the government has no plans to terminate their employment contracts.
Instead the NYEP is to recruit an additional 100,000 youth onto the programme between July 2009 and January 2010.
Since its inception in 2006, the programme has had a total of 332,500 youth registered.
Mr Abuga Pele, the National Co-ordinator of the NYEP, who gave the assurance at a press conference in Accra last Tuesday, therefore, urged those attacking offices and officers of the programme to put a stop to it.
He said there had been a few reported cases of attacks on NYEP offices with particular reference to the Tamale Offices, where the liaison officer of the Northern Region had been asked to investigate.
He pointed out that some publications in the media were suggesting that the government was planning to terminate employment contracts of NYEP staff including District Employment Co-ordinators.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to transforming the NYEP into a permanent, better-funded employment agency, adding that there were plans to implement appropriate exit plans for the career progression and professional development of programme beneficiaries.
Mr Pele acknowledged certain irregularities in the programme such as the existence of ghost names and assured Ghanaians that a head count would be done to check such irregularities.
He said since the announcement of the head count exercise, the current population of youth under the programme had reduced, adding that the number would reduce further when the exercise was undertaken.
He said the exercise would ensure that people who were no longer working under the NYEP but were still taking allowances would be dealt with, while others who had finished serving their contracts but were still at post would exit to enable other youth in the country to benefit from the programme.
Mr Pele said a memo had been prepared suggesting to the government a policy directive to instruct all public organisations to absorb five per cent of beneficiaries attached to their outfits during recruitment or training exercises, as well as to create the appropriate structures for beneficiaries to exit into mainstream employment.
He appealed to all Ghanaians to cooperate with the government in its efforts to streamline the programme and make it more sustainable for the benefit of the youth in the country.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
GOVT ASKED TO SPEED UP ROAD PROJECT (PAGE 38)
Farmers in 18 villages in the Lake Bosomtwe catchment area have appealed to the government to speed up the construction of the 30-kilometre Bekwai-Asiwa feeder road to facilitate the transportation of foodstuffs and cash crops to urban markets.
The construction of the road, they said, would contribute a great deal to prevent the perennial post-harvest losses in the area.
The villages include Aboabo, Adeito, Kokoben, Dwoamin, Boagyaa, Besease and Dunkuraas.
The farmers, who are currently harvesting perishable non-traditional cash crops such lettuce, green pepper, water yams and garden eggs, said vehicles from Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra had stopped plying the route because of its state of disrepair.
As a result, the spokesman of the farmers, Mr Yaw Payin, said lettuce and other cash crops which had been transported from the farm gates to the roadside stood the danger of getting rotten.
This came to light when the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, travelled on the road from Bomfa Junction through Asiwa to inspect progress of work on the road.
The minister, who was impressed by the hard work of the farmers to produce for export when the road network was completed, assured them that the government would consider breaking the road project into smaller lots to ensure its early completion.
He observed that because of the fertility of the soil in the area, the farmers did not require the use of chemical fertilisers but organic manure to grow their vegetables to make them healthier than those grown in the cities.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu-Juaben, Mr Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, who accompanied the minister to inspect roads in the area, said the farmers could export the cash crops as products from pure organic farming.
Mr Aduomi said the area was also endowed with tourist sites such as the Lake Bosomtwe and that the construction of the road could assist to revive the economy of the area through tourism, fishing and organic farming.
He said the road, which was originally a footpath, had been transformed into a feeder road through rehabilitation and gravelling but expressed concern that the rehabilitation had been carried out after the farmers had suffered post-harvest losses.
The MP, therefore, appealed to the minister to ensure that the rehabilitation works began and ended before the harvest seasons to help reduce losses to the farmers.
Mr Gidisu was accompanied on the inspection tour by the Chief Executive of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr Kwadwo Aboagye; the directors of the departments of Urban Roads and Feeder Roads, Dr D.D. Darku and Mr Klemeso Ashong, respectively.
The construction of the road, they said, would contribute a great deal to prevent the perennial post-harvest losses in the area.
The villages include Aboabo, Adeito, Kokoben, Dwoamin, Boagyaa, Besease and Dunkuraas.
The farmers, who are currently harvesting perishable non-traditional cash crops such lettuce, green pepper, water yams and garden eggs, said vehicles from Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra had stopped plying the route because of its state of disrepair.
As a result, the spokesman of the farmers, Mr Yaw Payin, said lettuce and other cash crops which had been transported from the farm gates to the roadside stood the danger of getting rotten.
This came to light when the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, travelled on the road from Bomfa Junction through Asiwa to inspect progress of work on the road.
The minister, who was impressed by the hard work of the farmers to produce for export when the road network was completed, assured them that the government would consider breaking the road project into smaller lots to ensure its early completion.
He observed that because of the fertility of the soil in the area, the farmers did not require the use of chemical fertilisers but organic manure to grow their vegetables to make them healthier than those grown in the cities.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu-Juaben, Mr Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, who accompanied the minister to inspect roads in the area, said the farmers could export the cash crops as products from pure organic farming.
Mr Aduomi said the area was also endowed with tourist sites such as the Lake Bosomtwe and that the construction of the road could assist to revive the economy of the area through tourism, fishing and organic farming.
He said the road, which was originally a footpath, had been transformed into a feeder road through rehabilitation and gravelling but expressed concern that the rehabilitation had been carried out after the farmers had suffered post-harvest losses.
The MP, therefore, appealed to the minister to ensure that the rehabilitation works began and ended before the harvest seasons to help reduce losses to the farmers.
Mr Gidisu was accompanied on the inspection tour by the Chief Executive of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr Kwadwo Aboagye; the directors of the departments of Urban Roads and Feeder Roads, Dr D.D. Darku and Mr Klemeso Ashong, respectively.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
CHILDREN RESCUED FROM QUARRY SITE (BACK PAGE)
Story; Abdul Aziz
SIX children, aged between seven and 11, have been rescued from a stone quarry near Abokobi in Accra, where they were cracking rocks and stones for a living.
After their hard days’ work, the children were said to be spending the nights in shacks and makeshift huts provided by their employers.
They were rescued by a team from the Ga East Municipal Assembly and members of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) the Rural Project Support Network.
Mrs Felicia Sosu Lartey, Executive Director of the NGO, said because some of the children required medical treatment, they were sent to the hospital, while efforts were being made to get them enrolled in schools in the Ga East Municipality.
She said every effort was being made by the NGO to contact their parents, some of whom were in the Northern Region of the country.
She said some of the children told them they had lost one or both parents and the treatment meted out to them by family members who inherited their parents’ estates compelled them to run away from home.
Mrs Sosu-Lartey said two of the children said they were taken away from their parents to Accra with the promise of giving them quality education in Accra, but that never materialise.
She added that the children, who were without protective clothing or the right tools, expressed their willingness to further their education and avoid the dangerous work they had found themselves in.
She, therefore, appealed to parents not to hesitate to send their children to school, since that was the surest way of breaking the poverty cycle in the rural communities and not through child labour to supplement their incomes.
She said the NGO was assisting a number of school dropouts who could not further their education because of poverty to acquire skills in income-generating ventures to set up small-scale businesses in dressmaking, hair dressing and soap-making as well as bakery.
Mrs Sosu-Lartey said since the NGO started the exercise of recruitment and enrolment in skills training, some of the girls had passed out and were successfully running their own small-scale enterprises.
SIX children, aged between seven and 11, have been rescued from a stone quarry near Abokobi in Accra, where they were cracking rocks and stones for a living.
After their hard days’ work, the children were said to be spending the nights in shacks and makeshift huts provided by their employers.
They were rescued by a team from the Ga East Municipal Assembly and members of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) the Rural Project Support Network.
Mrs Felicia Sosu Lartey, Executive Director of the NGO, said because some of the children required medical treatment, they were sent to the hospital, while efforts were being made to get them enrolled in schools in the Ga East Municipality.
She said every effort was being made by the NGO to contact their parents, some of whom were in the Northern Region of the country.
She said some of the children told them they had lost one or both parents and the treatment meted out to them by family members who inherited their parents’ estates compelled them to run away from home.
Mrs Sosu-Lartey said two of the children said they were taken away from their parents to Accra with the promise of giving them quality education in Accra, but that never materialise.
She added that the children, who were without protective clothing or the right tools, expressed their willingness to further their education and avoid the dangerous work they had found themselves in.
She, therefore, appealed to parents not to hesitate to send their children to school, since that was the surest way of breaking the poverty cycle in the rural communities and not through child labour to supplement their incomes.
She said the NGO was assisting a number of school dropouts who could not further their education because of poverty to acquire skills in income-generating ventures to set up small-scale businesses in dressmaking, hair dressing and soap-making as well as bakery.
Mrs Sosu-Lartey said since the NGO started the exercise of recruitment and enrolment in skills training, some of the girls had passed out and were successfully running their own small-scale enterprises.
Friday, June 12, 2009
AGRO-CHEMICAL DEALERS TRAINED ON RIGHT APPLICATION (BACK PAGE)
THREE thousand and eighty agro-chemical input dealers and pesticide inspectors have been trained by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Plant Protection and Regulatory Services (PPRS) to supervise pesticide application by farmers.
This has become necessary, following findings that the bad usage and disposal of chemical receptacles and containers have resulted in pesticide poisoning that claims the lives of farmers.
In some cases, the studies found that some farmers used the containers of pesticides to serve food to farm hands, and fetch water while cultivating their fields.
Mr Peter Maxwell Biney, Deputy Director of PPRS of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), told the Daily Graphic that the inspectors were going round advising farmers to destroy the containers by piercing holes in them to prevent their re-use in serving food and water on the farms.
He said his outfit and EPA were also promoting the use of safer alternative chemicals whose active ingredients had been reduced in order not to pose unnecessary health hazards to farmers.
Mr Biney, who admitted that the use of herbicides had been on the increase because they were more economical than using farm hands to clear fields, however, appealed to farmers using them to wear protective clothing.
He appealed to farmers not to hesitate to report suspected food, as well as pesticide-related poisoning cases to the Ministry of Health and MoFA for appropriate measures to be taken to prevent deaths.
He said the Ministry of Health had established a National Poison Control Centre at the Ridge Hospital in Accra to treat chemical poisoning whether intentionally or unintentionally consumed.
Mr Biney said pesticide-related poisoning cases had been underreported in the country and asked trained staff such as agricultural extension officers and health workers at the district level to provide feedback on all cases of chemical poisoning for entry into an online database.
He said that would enable MoFA to have information on the extent of the side effects of the increased misapplication of pesticides and how the bad practices in their use had resulted in some chronic health problems for farmers.
This has become necessary, following findings that the bad usage and disposal of chemical receptacles and containers have resulted in pesticide poisoning that claims the lives of farmers.
In some cases, the studies found that some farmers used the containers of pesticides to serve food to farm hands, and fetch water while cultivating their fields.
Mr Peter Maxwell Biney, Deputy Director of PPRS of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), told the Daily Graphic that the inspectors were going round advising farmers to destroy the containers by piercing holes in them to prevent their re-use in serving food and water on the farms.
He said his outfit and EPA were also promoting the use of safer alternative chemicals whose active ingredients had been reduced in order not to pose unnecessary health hazards to farmers.
Mr Biney, who admitted that the use of herbicides had been on the increase because they were more economical than using farm hands to clear fields, however, appealed to farmers using them to wear protective clothing.
He appealed to farmers not to hesitate to report suspected food, as well as pesticide-related poisoning cases to the Ministry of Health and MoFA for appropriate measures to be taken to prevent deaths.
He said the Ministry of Health had established a National Poison Control Centre at the Ridge Hospital in Accra to treat chemical poisoning whether intentionally or unintentionally consumed.
Mr Biney said pesticide-related poisoning cases had been underreported in the country and asked trained staff such as agricultural extension officers and health workers at the district level to provide feedback on all cases of chemical poisoning for entry into an online database.
He said that would enable MoFA to have information on the extent of the side effects of the increased misapplication of pesticides and how the bad practices in their use had resulted in some chronic health problems for farmers.
GOVT ADOPTS PRUDENT MEASURES (PAGE 3)
THE government has adopted policy measures to ensure that the country’s economy is placed on the path of growth.
Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information, who announced this yesterday said within the next 24 hours the government would outline these measures to Ghanaians.
He explained that the government remained committed to a prudent management of the economy for it to emerge more robust to ensure a marked improvement in the living standards of Ghanaians.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng, who delivered the keynote address at the launch of Home Finance Company’s (HFC) Future Plan Trust Scheme in Accra, said some of those measures had started bearing fruits.
He said the government remained confident that the economy would bounce back soon, saying the Mills administration was committed to its social contract with Ghanaians, which was to make Ghana a better place.
He stressed, however, that building a better Ghana ought to be a collective exercise by the government and its people, with the private sector as one of the key stakeholders.
Mr Agyenim Boateng said the launch of the investment policy, against the background of the global financial crisis, underlined the confidence HFC had in the future of the economy.
He noted that the financial sector had witnessed some growth over the years, with many more banks being opened across the country.
The deputy minister, however, said there was room for improvement, since the un-banked population was still very high, and threw a big challenge to the financial institutions to continuously develop products and design them to meet the needs of the prospective banking public.
Mr Asare Akuffo, Managing Director of HFC Bank, who launched the new product urged Ghanaians to cut down expenses on fashion, entertainment and funerals and inculcate the habit of saving especially among their children, starting with their pocket money.
He said the saving rate in Ghana was low, compared to other West African countries, adding that the growth of macro finance in poor countries demonstrated that Ghanaians also could make some savings, despite their meagre salaries.
Mr Joseph Nketsiah, General Manager of HFC Investment Services, explained that the Future Plan Trust was a scheme designed to meet the future plans of different classes of people to invest in areas such as children’s education, pension and dream houses.
He said the scheme was the fourth product HFC Investment Services had introduced into the Ghanaian market since 1991, the other three being the HFC Unit Trust, Real Estate Trust and HFC Equity Trust.
Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information, who announced this yesterday said within the next 24 hours the government would outline these measures to Ghanaians.
He explained that the government remained committed to a prudent management of the economy for it to emerge more robust to ensure a marked improvement in the living standards of Ghanaians.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng, who delivered the keynote address at the launch of Home Finance Company’s (HFC) Future Plan Trust Scheme in Accra, said some of those measures had started bearing fruits.
He said the government remained confident that the economy would bounce back soon, saying the Mills administration was committed to its social contract with Ghanaians, which was to make Ghana a better place.
He stressed, however, that building a better Ghana ought to be a collective exercise by the government and its people, with the private sector as one of the key stakeholders.
Mr Agyenim Boateng said the launch of the investment policy, against the background of the global financial crisis, underlined the confidence HFC had in the future of the economy.
He noted that the financial sector had witnessed some growth over the years, with many more banks being opened across the country.
The deputy minister, however, said there was room for improvement, since the un-banked population was still very high, and threw a big challenge to the financial institutions to continuously develop products and design them to meet the needs of the prospective banking public.
Mr Asare Akuffo, Managing Director of HFC Bank, who launched the new product urged Ghanaians to cut down expenses on fashion, entertainment and funerals and inculcate the habit of saving especially among their children, starting with their pocket money.
He said the saving rate in Ghana was low, compared to other West African countries, adding that the growth of macro finance in poor countries demonstrated that Ghanaians also could make some savings, despite their meagre salaries.
Mr Joseph Nketsiah, General Manager of HFC Investment Services, explained that the Future Plan Trust was a scheme designed to meet the future plans of different classes of people to invest in areas such as children’s education, pension and dream houses.
He said the scheme was the fourth product HFC Investment Services had introduced into the Ghanaian market since 1991, the other three being the HFC Unit Trust, Real Estate Trust and HFC Equity Trust.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
GOVT ADOPTS PRUDENT MEASURES (PAGE 3)
THE government has adopted policy measures to ensure that the country’s economy is placed on the path of growth.
Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information, who announced this yesterday said within the next 24 hours the government would outline these measures to Ghanaians.
He explained that the government remained committed to a prudent management of the economy for it to emerge more robust to ensure a marked improvement in the living standards of Ghanaians.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng, who delivered the keynote address at the launch of Home Finance Company’s (HFC) Future Plan Trust Scheme in Accra, said some of those measures had started bearing fruits.
He said the government remained confident that the economy would bounce back soon, saying the Mills administration was committed to its social contract with Ghanaians, which was to make Ghana a better place.
He stressed, however, that building a better Ghana ought to be a collective exercise by the government and its people, with the private sector as one of the key stakeholders.
Mr Agyenim Boateng said the launch of the investment policy, against the background of the global financial crisis, underlined the confidence HFC had in the future of the economy.
He noted that the financial sector had witnessed some growth over the years, with many more banks being opened across the country.
The deputy minister, however, said there was room for improvement, since the un-banked population was still very high, and threw a big challenge to the financial institutions to continuously develop products and design them to meet the needs of the prospective banking public.
Mr Asare Akuffo, Managing Director of HFC Bank, who launched the new product urged Ghanaians to cut down expenses on fashion, entertainment and funerals and inculcate the habit of saving especially among their children, starting with their pocket money.
He said the saving rate in Ghana was low, compared to other West African countries, adding that the growth of macro finance in poor countries demonstrated that Ghanaians also could make some savings, despite their meagre salaries.
Mr Joseph Nketsiah, General Manager of HFC Investment Services, explained that the Future Plan Trust was a scheme designed to meet the future plans of different classes of people to invest in areas such as children’s education, pension and dream houses.
He said the scheme was the fourth product HFC Investment Services had introduced into the Ghanaian market since 1991, the other three being the HFC Unit Trust, Real Estate Trust and HFC Equity Trust.
Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information, who announced this yesterday said within the next 24 hours the government would outline these measures to Ghanaians.
He explained that the government remained committed to a prudent management of the economy for it to emerge more robust to ensure a marked improvement in the living standards of Ghanaians.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng, who delivered the keynote address at the launch of Home Finance Company’s (HFC) Future Plan Trust Scheme in Accra, said some of those measures had started bearing fruits.
He said the government remained confident that the economy would bounce back soon, saying the Mills administration was committed to its social contract with Ghanaians, which was to make Ghana a better place.
He stressed, however, that building a better Ghana ought to be a collective exercise by the government and its people, with the private sector as one of the key stakeholders.
Mr Agyenim Boateng said the launch of the investment policy, against the background of the global financial crisis, underlined the confidence HFC had in the future of the economy.
He noted that the financial sector had witnessed some growth over the years, with many more banks being opened across the country.
The deputy minister, however, said there was room for improvement, since the un-banked population was still very high, and threw a big challenge to the financial institutions to continuously develop products and design them to meet the needs of the prospective banking public.
Mr Asare Akuffo, Managing Director of HFC Bank, who launched the new product urged Ghanaians to cut down expenses on fashion, entertainment and funerals and inculcate the habit of saving especially among their children, starting with their pocket money.
He said the saving rate in Ghana was low, compared to other West African countries, adding that the growth of macro finance in poor countries demonstrated that Ghanaians also could make some savings, despite their meagre salaries.
Mr Joseph Nketsiah, General Manager of HFC Investment Services, explained that the Future Plan Trust was a scheme designed to meet the future plans of different classes of people to invest in areas such as children’s education, pension and dream houses.
He said the scheme was the fourth product HFC Investment Services had introduced into the Ghanaian market since 1991, the other three being the HFC Unit Trust, Real Estate Trust and HFC Equity Trust.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
MOFA TAKES STEPS TO CONTROL PESTS ...In three major food crop areas (BACK PAGE)
THE Birim River, which provides water for many communities in the Eastern Region, has been heavily polluted by the activities of illegal gold miners, a tour of the area has revealed.
The miners have also caused massive destruction to large tracts of land and wood cover in the Asikam Forest Reserve near Kyebi, by using toxic chemicals such as cyanide and mercury to refine the minerals extracted from the degraded land.
They are said to have migrated from Akwatia where similar acts of environmental degradation were reported, and, over the past three months, diverted the course of the Birim River in the forest to enable them to extract diamond and gold from the river bed.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyenhene, and the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, saw the appalling state of the river and forest when they visited the place to have a first-hand observation of the degradation
The Birim River, which takes its source from the Atiwa Forest Range and richly endowed with diamond and gold, is a major source of water for communities in Kyebi, Asamankese, Oda, Kade and many others.
At the time of the visit last Friday, a number of machines being used by the galamsey operators, including an excavator, pumping machines and various extracting equipment, had been left behind with no miners around. Also left open was polluted water in large pits, creating a conducive environment for mosquitoes to breed.
The miners were believed to be working at the time of the visit, but fled into the forest when they sensed the approach of the Okyenhene and his entourage.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin indicated that attempts by the traditional authorities in the area to halt the activities had proven unsuccessful for the past three months.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to collaborate with the traditional authorities in the area to halt the activities of the small-scale miners to protect the forest reserve and the Birim River from further destruction and pollution.
Reacting, Mr Ofosu Ampofo recalled how 3,000 gallons of water treated by the Ghana Water Company was found to be unwholesome due to pollution triggered by the activities of the illegal miners in the area.
“Since no amount of money can substitute the destructive activities to our forest and the Birim River, I pledge the government’s readiness to join hands with traditional authorities and the security agencies to fight this menace,” Mr Ampofo assured the Okyenhene.
The Country Director of Conservation International, Mr Yaw Osei Owusu, noted that the activities of the galamsey operators would not only destroy the forests and the Birim River but would also make the area inhabitable for other living creatures, as well as make the land unproductive for any future use.
The miners have also caused massive destruction to large tracts of land and wood cover in the Asikam Forest Reserve near Kyebi, by using toxic chemicals such as cyanide and mercury to refine the minerals extracted from the degraded land.
They are said to have migrated from Akwatia where similar acts of environmental degradation were reported, and, over the past three months, diverted the course of the Birim River in the forest to enable them to extract diamond and gold from the river bed.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyenhene, and the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, saw the appalling state of the river and forest when they visited the place to have a first-hand observation of the degradation
The Birim River, which takes its source from the Atiwa Forest Range and richly endowed with diamond and gold, is a major source of water for communities in Kyebi, Asamankese, Oda, Kade and many others.
At the time of the visit last Friday, a number of machines being used by the galamsey operators, including an excavator, pumping machines and various extracting equipment, had been left behind with no miners around. Also left open was polluted water in large pits, creating a conducive environment for mosquitoes to breed.
The miners were believed to be working at the time of the visit, but fled into the forest when they sensed the approach of the Okyenhene and his entourage.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin indicated that attempts by the traditional authorities in the area to halt the activities had proven unsuccessful for the past three months.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to collaborate with the traditional authorities in the area to halt the activities of the small-scale miners to protect the forest reserve and the Birim River from further destruction and pollution.
Reacting, Mr Ofosu Ampofo recalled how 3,000 gallons of water treated by the Ghana Water Company was found to be unwholesome due to pollution triggered by the activities of the illegal miners in the area.
“Since no amount of money can substitute the destructive activities to our forest and the Birim River, I pledge the government’s readiness to join hands with traditional authorities and the security agencies to fight this menace,” Mr Ampofo assured the Okyenhene.
The Country Director of Conservation International, Mr Yaw Osei Owusu, noted that the activities of the galamsey operators would not only destroy the forests and the Birim River but would also make the area inhabitable for other living creatures, as well as make the land unproductive for any future use.
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