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<title>Ghana News Agency - Truthful and Reliable News</title><description>Here are the latest 50 stories from the Ghana News Agency website, rendered in RSS v2.0</description><link>http://www.ghananewsagency.org/</link><language>en-gb</language><item><title><![CDATA[EU praises Ghana's democratic credentials]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/EU-praises-Ghana-s-democratic-credentials/?ci=2&ai=39659]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb 23, GNA - The Head of the European Union (EU), Ambassador Claude Maerten has praised Ghana for its democratic credentials, saying the country has been recognized worldwide as the beacon of democracy in Africa.
&nbsp;
The Ambassador made the observation when he paid a working visit to the Upper West Region of Ghana to hold discussions with the regional authorities and officials of the Electoral Commission and the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) on decentralisation issues and the preparation of the 2012 general elections.
&nbsp;
He said it was for these reasons that the EU found it necessary to support the EC and NCCE, especially with the introduction of the new Biometric Voter system to enable them to come out with a credible biometric voter register.
&nbsp;
A statement from the EU and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said this would not only lead to free, fair and credible general elections on December 2012, but would further enrich Ghana&rsquo;s democratic gains across the world.
&nbsp;
Hajia Saadatu Maida, the EC Commissioner in charge with the supervision of the Upper West Region, expressed her gratitude to the EU for its long standing support and noted that the EC would not leave any stone un-turn in its quest to migrate successfully into the electronic voting system.
&nbsp;
She added that with the support of the EU, training would be provided for their staff including the thousand of officials, who would be recruited to help carry out the exercise, adding that the number of polling stations had increased to 23,000 to make voting more accessible to the people.
&nbsp;
During the two-day visit, the Ambassador and his team paid a courtesy call on the Upper West Regional Minister Alhaji Issahaku Salia and the Wa Municipal Chief Executive Officer to discuss issues on decentralisation.
&nbsp;
The Ambassador also went on a field trip to some polling stations in the municipality of Wa and later met with officials of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs. Augustina A. Akumanyi, NCCE Deputy Chairman, Operations and Mr. Ban Banye, NCCE Regional Director.
&nbsp;
A community durbar was later held in his honour on February at Kpangu or Kpongu hosted by the chief of Naa Seidu Briamah Kube I
&nbsp;
The European Union (EU) is supporting the three independent constitutional bodies involved in the electoral process of the country with an amount of seven million Euros.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[GHS launches project to prevent and eradicate NTD’s]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Health/GHS-launches-project-to-prevent-and-eradicate-NTD-s/?ci=1&ai=39658]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 23, GNA &ndash; The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has developed and launched a project to eradicate Neglect Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which over the years had undermined the socio-economic development of the country.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The project dubbed: &quot;End in Africa - Ghana and 2012 MDA&rsquo;s for NTDs&quot; is aimed to address the morbidity and mortality associated with NTDs with the main strategies being mass drug administration and undertaking clinical management of complications across the country.
&nbsp;
It would also provide public health education to all targeted endemic communities for all the NTD&rsquo;s.
&nbsp;
Ghana is burden with a number of neglected NTDs, which include Trachoma, Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis, Buruli Ulcer, Leprosy, Yaws, Guinea worm, Human African Trypanosomiasis and Cutaneous leishmaniasis.
&nbsp;
The project is currently targeted at diseases such as Trachoma, Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis and Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis.
&nbsp;
Other NTDs such as Buruli Ulcer, Leprosy and Yaws, which employ active case search and management, are being managed and implemented as disease specific programmes under the Public Health Division.
&nbsp;
Launching the project, Mr Alban Suman Bagbin, Minister of Health, emphasized that the country&rsquo;s disease profile was characterized by the levels of communicable and pregnancy-related diseases.
&nbsp;
He said the high incidence of non communicable disease was a major challenge facing Ghana&rsquo;s health sector.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We are still burden with long list of NTDs and which way you perceive these diseases, they come under one common denominator - they are known as &lsquo;the poor man&rsquo;s diseases; occurring almost exclusively among the poor, rural and deprived communities around the country&rdquo;, he said.
&nbsp;
He noted that the Health Ministry and GHS were seeking to improve collaboration not only with development partners, but also with other ministries, departments and agencies that are equally focused on delivering basic human services to eradicate NTDs.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I believe that this is the only sure way to achieve a more and holistic and higher coverage and impact&rdquo;, he added.
&nbsp;
Mr Bagbin said government had provided GHC1.4 million to strengthen monitoring and supervision in order to improve coverage of mass drug administration and surveillance of NTDs.
&nbsp;
He assured government's commitment to provide the necessary resources for the prevention and control of NTDs in the country.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mrs Lisa Kramer, PMI Advisor Team Leader of USAID, pledged the organisation&rsquo;s commitment to provide the necessary support to address the challenges facing the health sector.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The project was collaborated with development partners including USAID, Catholic Relief Services, fhi360, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control, Mectizan Donation Programme, Liverpool Centre for NTDs, Sightsavers, World Health Organisation and Africa Lumphatic Filariasis Support Centre .&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Labour Inspectorate Division needs support - Chief Labour Officer]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Labour-Inspectorate-Division-needs-support-Chief-Labour-Officer/?ci=4&ai=39657]]></link><description><![CDATA[Agona Swedru (C/R), Jan. 23, GNA &ndash; Miss Elizabeth Hagan, Chief Labour Officer, Labour Department of Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, on Wednesday called for support to re-position labour inspectors at workplaces.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Labour inspection is vital instrument in ensuring good governance in the world of work but is also downplayed and ignored in the society and the inspectorate has become virtually ineffective&rdquo;, she added.
&nbsp;
Miss Hagan made the call at a four-day national training of trainers&rsquo; workshop for labour inspectors and other key partners of the Ministry at Agona Swedru in the Central Region.
&nbsp;
The objective of the workshop was to strengthen the role of labour inspectors in compliance oriented labour strategy in Ghana and also to equip labour inspectors with core principles of labour inspections and new approaches.
&nbsp;
She noted that staff of the Labour Inspectorate Division needed capacity building to be abreast with current trends, which should be prioritized to make fully the required international standard.
&nbsp;
She called for the development of labour inspection data base for effective management of labour inspection for proper supervision.
&nbsp;
Miss Sally Sey, Industrial Relation Officer of the Ghana Employers Association said the Association had developed code of conduct on child labour for operators in the informal sector and had also assisted them to form inspection teams to monitor the menace.
&nbsp;
She expressed the hope that the workshop would enhance and deepen the knowledge on how to inspect child labour at the community level to eliminate the phenomenon.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Talensi-Nabdan Assembly and Peal Deng implement component of GSOP]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Talensi-Nabdan-Assembly-and-Peal-Deng-implement-component-of-GSOP/?ci=4&ai=39656]]></link><description><![CDATA[Tongo (UE), Feb 22, GNA - The Talensi-Nabdam District in the Upper East Region in collaboration with Peal Deng, a Community Based Organization(CBO), is implementing a component of the Ghana Social Opportunity Project (GSOP), which has targeted the planting of over 1,500 tress around a dam in the area to protect it.
&nbsp;
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the dam site during the planting of the trees on Wednesday, the Chairman of Peal Deng, Mr. Alphones Daniel Kennedy Bangrey explained that his outfit got support from the Rotary Club of the United States, to construct the dam in 2004 for human and animal use.
&nbsp;
He indicated that as time went on, the dam was becoming silted because some parts were washed away and that prompted his outfit to collaborate with the District Assembly to plant trees around it and to subsequently de-silt it with support from the Assembly.
&nbsp;
Mr. Bangrey expressed optimism that when the project was completed it would help harvest much rainwater that usually go waste during the rainy season for dry season farming as well as source of water for animals and domestic use.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The trees will serve as conservation barriers, prevent water evaporation as well as protect the dam from being washed away&rdquo;, he stressed.
&nbsp;
He stated that the Dam would also help generate employment for the people in the area, especially the teaming youth who were idling without jobs.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It will also help curb the spate of rural urban drift among the people in the area particularly the youth so that they can stay back and take good care of the aged&rdquo;, he said.
&nbsp;
The District Planning Officer of the Talensi-Nabdam Distinct, Mr Mukassa Zoogah indicated that the GSOP had 12 components to be implemented in the District.
&nbsp;
The GSOP is a Social Intervention Programme being implemented by government aimed at curbing desertification and improving the environment as well as putting money into the pockets of community members who are recruited to do the job.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The over 500 people drawn from parts of the District whose activities are being monitored by Peal Deng, are paid under the GSOP and that applies to the other remaining components which are five years projects&rdquo;, he stressed.
&nbsp;
According to the Planning Officer, some components including road construction and clinics robed under the GSOP were still ongoing.
&nbsp;
Most of the workers, who were engaged in the tree planting exercise, expressed joy with the implementation and said apart from the benefit that could be accrued from planting the trees and protecting the dam in future, they were also currently paid for planting the trees.
&nbsp;
Mr Jong Kurug one of the workers said he had planned to buy animals from the money paid to him through the GSOP to rear and to support his children&rsquo;s education and upkeep of the family.&nbsp; 
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Schools in Talensi-Nabdam hail "Bill and Michelle Lerach ICT Centre"]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Education/Schools-in-Talensi-Nabdam-hail-Bill-and-Michelle-Lerach-ICT-Centre/?ci=9&ai=39655]]></link><description><![CDATA[Tongo (UE), Feb. 22, (GNA - School children from Gbeogo-Yinduure Circuit in the Talensi- Nabdam District of the Upper East Region, have commended Mr and Mrs Bill Lerach for building Information Communication Centre (ICT) for the area.
&nbsp;
They (couple) are citizens of California San Diego in the United States.
&nbsp;
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the ICT Centre on Wednesday, the students expressed gratitude to the couple for providing the centre and furnishing it with computers, printers, air conditioners, a projector among other things.
&nbsp;
The Centre was made possible in June last year through the effort of the Chairman of &ldquo;Peal Deng&rdquo;, Mr. Alphones Daniel Kennedy Bangrey.
&nbsp;
Peal Deng is a Community Based Organization (CBO) that has been operating in the District since 2003 and has been empowering the marginalised and underprivileged in the District.
&nbsp; 
Master Stephen Namsore, a form two student of Saint Joseph&rsquo;s Junior High said until the opening of the ICT Centre, most of them had not seen computers. They learned ICT theoretically, he said.
&nbsp;
He and his friends are now appreciating ICT topics like Hardware, Software, Microsoft Word, and the internet.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I can now correspond with many of my friends both in Ghana and outside through the learning of ICT acquired from the Bill and Michelle Lerach ICT Centre&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Ms Mercy Naab, another form two student said, &ldquo;they used to teach us Microsoft Word and we did not understand but now we understand because of the physical presence of the computers. I can also create new documents on desk tops and also know the features of computers such as the mouse, the screen, keyboard, monitor, speaker and system unit among others&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Mr Martin King Atinga and Mr Enoch Appiah both ICT masters at the Centre, said hitherto, it was very difficult teaching the students to learn and to write ICT which was examinable subject at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
&nbsp;
They said but with the ICT centre the students could now catch up the subject very fast and expressed optimism that they would perform excellently in the
forthcoming BECE and subsequent ones.
&nbsp;
Mr Atinga said the students now had better chances of getting jobs in future if they take the study of ICT up to the senior high and tertiary levels, adding all jobs today required ICT knowledge and skills.
&nbsp;
The Headmaster of the Saint Joseph&rsquo;s Junior High School, Mr Robert Atia commending the couple for the facility, appealed for more support in the area of Internet connection to enable the students to adequately make use of the centre and benefit fully.
&nbsp;
According to him, there were about 10 schools from the Gbeogo-Yinduure Circuit in the District including five primary schools that patronized the ICT centre on a shift basis.
&nbsp;
He mentioned some of the challenges confronting the centre as maintenance and replacement of ICT equipment and the need for more computers to enable most of the students and community members in the District to benefit.
&nbsp;
The Head teacher of the Saint Joseph Primary School, Mr John Nabia also commended the couple for the provision of furniture to the primary classrooms and said the pupils no longer lay on their bellies to write.
&nbsp;
He, however, appealed for a better structure for the school pupils. The current structure is weak.
&nbsp;
He also appealed for the creation of a playing ground with facilities for the school pupils.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poor performance of BECE results in Navrongo is a worry - Bosco’s Principal]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Education/Poor-performance-of-BECE-results-in-Navrongo-is-a-worry-Bosco-s-Principal/?ci=9&ai=39654]]></link><description><![CDATA[Navrongo (UE), Feb 22, GNA &ndash; Mr Alfred Ndago, Principal of the St John Bosco&rsquo;s College of Education in Navrongo, has said the downward trend of students performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) should challenge teachers to sit up to improve the quality teaching and learning.
&nbsp;
He said teachers could not be left out of the blame regarding the abysmal performance of students since the attitude of some of them left much to be desired.
&nbsp;
He said some teachers after going through their training did not make any effort to research and upgrade their knowledge to inspire their students.
&nbsp;
Mr. Ndago made these remarks when he addressed a meeting in Navrongo where education stakeholders met to reflect and find solutions to improving education in the Kassena-Nankana East District (KNED).
&nbsp;
He indicated that for the past two years, students&rsquo; performance in the KNED indicated that only 46 per cent of candidates, who sat for the BECE, passed and 54 per cent of them failed in the entire examination, saying this was unacceptable to parents, who were investing in the children to give them better future.
&nbsp;
He said KNED in 2010 obtained 32.7 per cent in the BECE and 29.1 in 2011 dropping by 3.6 per cent points, whilst Kassena-Nankana West District (KNWD) obtained 52 per cent in 2010 and 38.7 dropping by 14.3 per cent points.
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Ndago said lesson notes preparation was key to a successful delivery and urged teachers to prepare their lessons thoroughly and regularly.
&nbsp;
He said by doing this and ensuring that all syllabi were covered, it placed confidence on the teacher to also prepare the student adequately to the task in the term.
&nbsp;
He stated that some teachers kept recycling their lesson notes each time new students or pupils come, whilst reports indicated that some teachers had taken to drinking and often absent themselves from school.
&nbsp;
He recommended early distribution of education materials to pupils and students and called on the teachers to redeem their image and bring improvement to the district.
&nbsp;
Mr Ben Bagnabu, who spoke on the role of parents, called on parents to be accountable to the implementation of strategies that would promote quality education for their children.
&nbsp;
He said in the education of their children, parents were first and foremost teachers of their children by ensuring that the aptitude and performance of their children were their concern.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Students whose parents are active in their formal education have a long term academic achievement than those whose parents have no time for them&rdquo; he said urging them to provide their wards' school needs.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[CSM claims 14 lives in Upper East Region]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Health/CSM-claims-14-lives-in-Upper-East-Region/?ci=1&ai=39653]]></link><description><![CDATA[Bolgatanga, (UE), Feb 22, GNA - At least 14 people have died out of Cerebro-Spinal Meningistis (CSM) infection in the Upper East Region between January and February 2012.
&nbsp;
The Region has recorded 81 cases so far.
&nbsp;
Out of the number, Bolgatanga recorded two cases, Bongo one case, Builsa 24 cases with four deaths; Garu recorded two cases while the Kasena-Nankana East recorded 30 cases with five deaths.
&nbsp;
In addition, Kasena-Nankana West recorded 19 cases with four deaths while Talensi Nabdan recorded one case bringing the number of deaths to 14.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Health experts have concluded that from data collected so far there were indications that the disease had assumed epidemic stage. This thus calls for urgent attention from all players in the health sector to arrest the situation before it escalates
&nbsp;
As part of efforts to nib the disease in the bud the health experts have appealed to traditional leaders to regulate the number of funerals and traditional gathering performed during the dry seasons to reduce over crowding and ultimately prevent CSM disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
This came to light during an emergency meeting of the Regional Epidemic Committee in Bolgatanga to solicit ideas on how to effectively manage the outbreak and spread of the epidemic.
&nbsp;
Mr. Thomas Abachia, Regional Surveillance Officer at the Ghana Health Service noted that the cases were recorded between January 1 and February 19 and said majority of the deaths were reported in the Builsa and Kasena-Nankana East and West districts.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He advised the public against administering drugs on the treatment of CSM and said they should rather report to the nearest health facility anytime signs of the disease occurred.
&nbsp;
He mentioned severe fever, intense headache, stiffness of the neck, body weakness and joint pains, breathing difficulty, convulsion, diarrhea and restlessness in children as some of the signs and symptoms of the CSM.
&nbsp;
Mr Abachia said effective measures had been put in place to contain the situation, adding that A and C vaccines for CSM have been deployed to the various districts to better manage the situation.
&nbsp;
Mr James Akpabli, Deputy Regional Health Director in charge of Public Health indicated that available data revealed that the region had gotten to an epidemic stage, adding that there was urgent need to get more vaccines and drugs to treat the CSM W135 strain.
&nbsp;
He noted that CSM was life threatening and as such reporting early for treatment was important to saving lives.
&nbsp;
CSM, he said, occurred mostly during the dry season between November and May, adding that sleeping in well ventilated rooms, avoiding over crowding, covering nose when sneezing and visiting health centres for immunization were ways the disease could be prevented.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ministers of God urged to use pulpit to promote good moral practices]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Human-Interest/Ministers-of-God-urged-to-use-pulpit-to-promote-good-moral-practices/?ci=6&ai=39652]]></link><description><![CDATA[Bolgatanga (UE), Feb. 22, GNA - Mrs Lucy Awuni, Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, has appealed to ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ to use their pulpits to reverse moral decadence in society.
&nbsp;
She said spreading the message at sermons would whip up the interest of the citizenry to promote good moral practices which were critical for development.
&nbsp;
Mrs Awuni made the appeal to climax activities marking the first anniversary of the Upper Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Northern Ghana held at the Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga where about 1000 congregants participated.
&nbsp;
The Upper Presbytery was carved out of the Northern Presbytery and it is made up of six districts of the church including Garu, Sandema, Bawku Bolgatanga, Wa and Gambaga forming the Presbytery.
&nbsp;
The Occasion, which aimed to thank God for seeing the Upper Presbytery through was also to reflect on their existence, plan ahead and reach out to more people through mission work, and other services the church provides to transform people.
&nbsp;
Mrs Awuni congratulated the Presbytery for the immense role they had played in the development of the Northern Sector and the country at large, especially in the provision of services including health, agriculture and education.
&nbsp;
She further congratulated the leadership of the church and commended them for their efforts in the establishment and running of one of the best orthopedic centers, Nurses Training College in Bawku, eye clinics, and vocational schools to relieve the plight of the people of the area.
&nbsp;
She appealed to the youth to eschew any negative tendencies that were likely to disturb the peace of the country as the 2012 election approaches. &rdquo;Ghana has been and continues to be a beacon of hope in Africa as far as democracy was concerned&rdquo; she added.
&nbsp;
Reverend Dr Solomon Sole Saa, Ecumenical and Social Relations Director of the church in a sermon reminded the presbytery to uphold the solidarity and the glory of God, and work hard to realize the vision and mission of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
&nbsp;
He advised them not to use the word of God for any selfish gain, saying as Presbyters &ldquo;we are tempted to think that the church is our own, it is God who owns a ministry&rdquo; he added.
&nbsp;
As a church, he noted that the people were first and foremost servants of God and so they needed to depend on the will of God to remain focused.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Reflecting on the theme of the anniversary, &ldquo;The Holy Spirit and the believer: the growth of the Upper Presbytery, Dr. Saa said a lot of planning was needed to accomplish the call to be Christ centered, self sustaining to ensure the growth of the church, adding that growth does not happen automatically.
&nbsp;
He exhorted them on the principles to attain church growth calling for team work to achieve the dreams of the Upper Presbytery.
&nbsp;
He asked them to continue praying for peace to return to Bawku and commended the government for the support in bringing calm to the area.
&nbsp;
Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, in a solidarity message, advised Presbyterians to use the gospel to transform lives within their areas for a better society.
&nbsp;
He indicated that the Upper Presbytery was strategically placed in northern Ghana to fuse the area, which is very populated with multi ethnic and multi religious communities and said it challenged the Upper Presbytery to endeavor to meet the needs of the communities.
&nbsp;
The Moderator congratulated the church on their anniversary calling on them to reflect on the theme as a church Vis-a-vis seeking qualitative and quantitative growth for the Upper Presbytery in the years ahead. 
&nbsp;
Reverend Osmond Wasau Nagba, Chairman and Overseer of the Upper Presbytery thanked the General Assembly for the cooperation and assured them of the Upper Presbytery&rsquo;s retained focus and prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their determinations.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Legislative function of district assemblies has enhanced Ghana’s democracy]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/Legislative-function-of-district-assemblies-has-enhanced-Ghana-s-democracy/?ci=2&ai=39651]]></link><description><![CDATA[GNA
&nbsp;
Lambussie, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The legislative function of district assemblies has helped to enhance the quality of Ghana&rsquo;s democracy, the Lambussie/Karni District Chief Executive, Mr. Clement B. Benin observed on Wednesday.
&nbsp;
He said because of the unique roles they play in exercising legislative functions, especially at the grassroots, district assemblies had helped to promote good governance, democracy and peace in the country.
&nbsp;
Mr. Benin made the observation when he presented 35 motorbikes procured by the government to members of the Lambussie/Karni District Assembly at a ceremony at Lambussie.
&nbsp;
The motorbikes are to facilitate the work of the assembly members at their electoral areas and enhance the decentralisation process.
&nbsp;
He said so far government had implemented policies and programmes that had expanded health and educational infrastructure, created jobs and provided the needed social interventions for the benefit of the people in the district.
&nbsp;
Mr. Benin therefore commended government for supporting the assembly and appealed to people in the area to collectively support government policies to improve their living conditions.
&nbsp;
He also appealed to the members to educate their electorate on the forthcoming biometric voter registration exercise and encourage them to register to qualify them to vote in the December 7 general elections.
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He advised the members to take good care of the motorbikes and observe routine maintenance work on them to prolong their lifespan.
&nbsp;
Mr. Issaka Sagito, Presiding Member of the Lambussie/Karni District Assembly, advised the members to be disciplined and not to falter in any of the motor traffic regulations.
&nbsp;
A beneficiary said he would not only use his motorbike to reach out to the electorate, but would also assist his electorate to carry their patients to the health facilities for treatment....]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[ICGC organises sensational night for married couples]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/ICGC-organises-sensational-night-for-married-couples/?ci=4&ai=39650]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, Pastor Mensah Otabil and wife, Joy Otabil, on Tuesday surprised couples at the Christ Temple branch of the church when the auditorium was turned into a romantic night full of bliss.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Couples, who thronged the church premises to attend the sensational couple&rsquo;s night on the theme: &ldquo;upholding purity in your marriage&rdquo; were stunned with surprises written on their faces when they saw an extraordinary decoration in the auditorium and the around the premises. 
&nbsp;
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the event, Reverend Kofi Okyere of Christ Temple, said the couples' night was the first in the church's history, noting that a similar event was organized for singles to commemorate Valentine and the church&rsquo;s 28th anniversary.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He explained that February is a family month on the church&rsquo;s calendar and noted that the church was committed to ensure that marriages succeeded.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The event was organized free for about 800 couples as an anniversary gift to members.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Rev Okyere led couples to renew their marriage vows. It was a delight to watch as couples, who have been married from a week old to over 40 years, pledged to love each other till death do them part.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mrs Joy Otabil asked the couples to remember how they started their relationship and bring back memories of the things they used to do during their courtship time in order to inject new life into their marriages.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Some couples shared their love stories with the gathering while some read poems they had written to their spouses many years ago. 
&nbsp;
A couple, who have been married for 31 years, defined love as listening, an obligation, value and encouragement.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Dinner was served amidst jazz and love songs by Zama Band, the church&rsquo;s band.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Couples, who first took to the dancing floor, received hampers from Pastor Otabil while those whose anniversary fell on the day, received special treats from Allure, a Spa agency in Accra.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Pregnant women were also promised a baby shower, while other couples were given tickets to dine with their spouses at the Africa Regent Hotel.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
It was a sensational night. A night of bliss aimed at bringing marriage couples together forever. 
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Head of UNAIDS in Ghana to celebrate 10th anniversary of GAC]]></title><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Health/Head-of-UNAIDS-in-Ghana-to-celebrate-10th-anniversary-of-GAC/?ci=1&ai=39649]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - The Executive Director of the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Mr Michel Sidibe on Wednesday arrived in the country for a three-day state visit to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC).
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He was met on arrival by the Director General of the GAC, Dr. Angela El-Adas, the Minister of Health and other dignitaries at the GAC secretariat in Accra.
&nbsp;
Mr Sidibe, who expressed delight on his arrival in Ghana, noted that the past year had seen a remarkable transformation across Africa and that Ghana was showing the way on the continent fighting for social justice.
&nbsp;
He is expected to participate in events marking the 10th anniversary and attend meetings with high-level government officials, members of civil society and other key stakeholders in the national AIDS response.
&nbsp;
The Executive Director will tour La General Hospital, a facility that provides comprehensive HIV services to pregnant women to prevent new HIV infections in children.
&nbsp;
He will also visit Dan Adams, a production plant that manufactures antiretroviral medicines.
&nbsp;
Again, Mr Sidibe will have informal interactions with civil society members and other key AIDS stakeholders at the Ghana AIDS Commission Fair at the Accra International Conference Centre.
&nbsp;
Mr. Sidibe will as part of the visit join a roundtable discussion at the Vice-President's Office at the Castle, Osu, with key Ministers and other stakeholders in the AIDS response on the theme: &quot;HIV in Ghana: Getting to Zero.&quot;
&nbsp;
His visit will be climaxed with a courtesy call on President John Evans Atta Mills at the Castle, Osu.
&nbsp;
Finally, Mr Sidibe and Dr Angela El-Adas, Director-General of Ghana AIDS Commission, will participate in a press briefing at the VIP lounge at the Kotoka International Airport.
&nbsp;
According to the UNAIDS, getting to zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths, would require African solution, innovation and responsive to the needs of the African people.
&nbsp;
This the UNAIDS calls for exploring more diversified funding sources for AIDS, creating an all African medicines regulatory agency for faster roll-out of drugs and stronger quality assurances and catalyzing local production of medicines.&nbsp; 
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[BA GRA intercept 27,000 cedi smuggled goods]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/BA-GRA-intercept-27-000-cedi-smuggled-goods/?ci=3&ai=39648]]></link><description><![CDATA[Sunyani (B/A), Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Brong-Ahafo Regional Mobile Patrol team of the Customs division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) last Friday intercepted smuggled goods with an estimated value of GHC27,000 on the Techiman-Kintampo highway.
&nbsp;
The goods, with a duty element of about GHC12,000, included more than 1,550 pieces of imitated wax print, 250 pieces of curtain materials, three boxes of fine cigarettes, eight boxes of viahagoa (banned aphrodisiac), seven pieces of heavy-duty car batteries and 10 pieces of decoder and accessories.
&nbsp;
Briefing the press in Sunyani on Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Isaac Desmond Tettey-Dzan Abbey, Brong-Ahafo Regional Sector Commander, said the goods were intercepted by the patrol team upon a tip off on a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number GT 9307 H.
&nbsp;
He said the driver bolted together with other occupants of the vehicle upon the approach of the patrol team, leaving the vehicle and the items behind.
&nbsp;
The sector commander paid tribute to the general public for offering information, as well as the staff for the good work done, saying the division would &ldquo;not leave any stone unturned&rdquo; and would keep on raking in revenue for the state&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Mr. Mohammed Mustapha Iddrisu, preventive officer in-charge, appealed to the public to voluntarily assist the patrol team with information to control the illegal activity.
&nbsp;
He said the efforts of such volunteers would be financially rewarded for any arrest made.
&nbsp;
Mr. Iddrisu cautioned importers and &ldquo;other miscreants&rdquo; to desist from smuggling goods into the country since it contravened section 251 of PNDCL 330 of 1993 punishable by fine, imprisonment or both if caught.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Boateng still relevant to Stars – Stevanovic]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/Boateng-still-relevant-to-Stars-Stevanovic/?ci=5&ai=39647]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic has reiterated the relevance of AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng to the goals of the national team, the Black Stars.
&nbsp;
Prince Boateng shockingly announced his retirement from international football in November 2011 claiming that playing at such a high level was affecting his health, but the Stars trainer insists the midfielder remains in his plans.
&nbsp;
Stevanovic has therefore tasked the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to do their best to get the 24-year old rescind his decision considering his smashing form with the Rossonerris.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We need to do everything possible to get him (Boateng) back,&rdquo; the Serbian told a press briefing on Wednesday.
&nbsp;
A section of Ghanaians claim the absence of the player in the Stars team at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations affected the team&rsquo;s efficiency.
&nbsp;
The Serb coach also denied a rift with the player which led to the action, saying the player took the decision on his own accord.
&nbsp;
Prince Boateng, who featured for Germany at the youth level made his Ghana debut against Latvia in an international friendly in May 2010 and was one of the Black Stars&rsquo; best performers at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
&nbsp;
His kid-brother, Jerome, however, plays for the German national team.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Parents should nurture their children to uphold moral values]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Education/Parents-should-nurture-their-children-to-uphold-moral-values/?ci=9&ai=39645]]></link><description><![CDATA[Tsito, Feb. 22, GNA - Mr Gabriel Kploanyi, Volta Regional Director of Education, on Wednesday advised parents to ensure that their children were brought up with good morals and in the fear of God.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He said: &ldquo;We have a future if we pass on to the generation of students, the values of religious tolerance, respect for one another, peace and love in order to ensure peaceful coexistence among ourselves in the country for accelerated development.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Kploanyi gave the advice at the launch of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Awudome Senior High School in Tsito in the Volta Region.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Awudome Senior High School was established in 1963 by the Tsito Native Teachers Association. The school will be 50 years in 2013.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The celebration is on the theme: &ldquo;Fifty Years of Secondary Education in a Disciplined Environment &ndash; The Fulcrum of Community and National Development.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Kploanyi said holistic and functional education was a critical to the growth and development of an individual&rsquo;s potentials hence empowering the citizenry with holistic education should be at the heart of socio-economic development.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He expressed concern about moral decadence among students lately, noting that students who engage in immoral acts do not only slack academically but also destroy themselves.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Indeed, a society that does not uphold discipline is always confronted with numerous challenges which derail its effort at attaining its goals and aspirations,&rdquo; he added.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Ms Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh, Deputy Minister of Education, who represented Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Acting Minister of Education, lauded Awudome Senior High School for producing distinguish personalities like doctors, teachers, engineers, agriculturalists, senior civil and public servants within 50 years of their existence.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
In a speech read on his behalf, he urged the board of governors of the school to develop new strategies to enable students overcome the challenges of the times.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is these new strategies that would prepare the grounds for the emergence of a new student population which would form a stronger base of human resource for community development and nation building.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The acting Education Minister urged the students to live up to the ideals of the school by studying hard to excel and avoid drug abuse, immoral and indiscipline acts to enable them grow in the footprints of the past students who were now in high places.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Commenting on the 50th Anniversary celebrations, Mr Mensah urged the old students association to support their Alma Mater.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Pledging government&rsquo;s support, he said, the Ministry of Education would continue to create an enabling environment for effective teaching and learning in Senior High Schools through the provision of infrastructure, adequate textbooks, quality teachers and in-service training for teachers to enhance their pedagogical skills.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Rimon Kroti, Headmaster of the school, who paid glowing tribute to his predecessors and the founding fathers of the school, said the school thrived on Christian ideology but tolerate other beliefs so long as they endeavor to build the moral fibre of their members in attaining the collective vision of the school.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He said the school was seriously challenged in terms of infrastructure and cited the school&rsquo;s dining hall which has been turned into a multi-purpose hall.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Our classroom infrastructure, dormitory facilities for both boys and girls are of paramount concern. The existing classroom facilities for science studies also need comprehensive rehabilitation,&rdquo; he added.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Kroti called on government and other corporate institutions to help them by providing a 3,000 sitting capacity assembly hall, three storey dormitory block for boys with beds, staff flat, 500 pieces of classroom furniture among other things.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Alex Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff, unveiled the anniversary logo amidst cheers and songs by the old students of the school.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Five communities to be relocated due to mining concession]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/Five-communities-to-be-relocated-due-to-mining-concession/?ci=3&ai=39644]]></link><description><![CDATA[Ayanfuri (C/R), Feb 22, GNA &ndash; Five communities in the Upper Denkyira West and Wassa Amenfi Districts affected by the operations of Persues Mining Ghana Limited (PMGL), an Australian gold mining company, are to be relocated.
&nbsp;
These are Ayanfuri, Gyaman, Fobenso, Abenabena and Nkonya.
&nbsp;
This followed permission by the Minerals Commission to expand the company&rsquo;s mining area by an additional 1,040 hectares stretch of land.
&nbsp;
The mine has already begun the demarcation of the boundary to determine the actual population that would have to be resettled.
&nbsp;
Dr Fredrick Addison, the Project Manager, said they would ensure that those who lose their farms and other properties would be adequately compensated.
&nbsp;
He said eligible landowners and lawful occupiers in the mining area would receive compensation in &ldquo;accordance with the law for crops, buildings (immovable structures) and deprivation of use of the land.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The money to be paid would be based on asset survey undertaken by an independent value in the presence of the owner, land valuation division officers, community representatives and the company&rsquo;s officials.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Dr Addison said this when speaking at a forum held at Ayanfuri to formally inform the people about the &ldquo;declaration of moratorium&rdquo; that effectively disallowed them from either undertaking new developments or improvement of farms.
&nbsp;
The goal was to help them to have better understanding of what was happening, prevent speculative activities and promote compliance.
&nbsp;
He underlined their determination to constructively engage and work with the people to bring progress and ensure that there was consistent flow of information between the company and the stakeholders.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mrs Florence Ansere-Bio, Social Development Manager of the PMGL, said the company has set up a Community Development Fund to help meet its social and corporate responsibility and that an initial amount of GH&cent;750,000.00 has been earmarked for the purpose.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Calls for my resignation are not tangible – Kwesi]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/Calls-for-my-resignation-are-not-tangible-Kwesi/?ci=5&ai=39642]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 23, GNA &ndash; Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rejected calls for his resignation as the Chairman of the Black Stars Management Committee.
&nbsp;
He described the calls as intangible, adding that it lacks merit hence he will not resign from the position.
&nbsp;
The calls have been necessitated by the performance of the team at the Africa Cup of Nations, with some arguing that he is overburdened with several responsibilities.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi said a press briefing on Wednesday that management of the Stars did their possible best to ensure the success of the team.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We provided everything the team needed to succeed in the competition and I don&rsquo;t think the failure of the team can be attributed to us.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I want those calling for my resignation to give me good reasons why I should resign.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;If the reasons are tangible I will consider them. But I think any reasons given are not tangible. I will not resign.&rdquo; He stated.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi, however, conceded that the team performed below expectation, since the gold medal was their ultimate target.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;In 2008, we were third. In 2010 we were second and it was our belief that there will be a natural progression by winning the trophy, but things did not go our way.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We have taken note of our short falls and will work on them in subsequent tournaments.&rdquo; He stated.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi has in recent times come under criticisms over his numerous portfolios.
&nbsp;
The FA President, who doubles as the Black Stars Management Committee Chairman, also performs functions at the Confederation Africa Football (CAF), as Chairman of the Ethics Committee as an Executive member of the continent&rsquo;s football controlling body.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[BA GRA intercept 27,000 cedi smuggled goods]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/BA-GRA-intercept-27-000-cedi-smuggled-goods/?ci=3&ai=39646]]></link><description><![CDATA[Sunyani (B/A), Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Brong-Ahafo Regional Mobile Patrol team of the Customs division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) last Friday intercepted smuggled goods with an estimated value of GHC27,000 on the Techiman-Kintampo highway.
&nbsp;
The goods, with a duty element of about GHC12,000, included more than 1,550 pieces of imitated wax print, 250 pieces of curtain materials, three boxes of fine cigarettes, eight boxes of viahagoa (banned aphrodisiac), seven pieces of heavy-duty car batteries and 10 pieces of decoder and accessories.
&nbsp;
Briefing the press in Sunyani on Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Isaac Desmond Tettey-Dzan Abbey, Brong-Ahafo Regional Sector Commander, said the goods were intercepted by the patrol team upon a tip off on a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number GT 9307 H.
&nbsp;
He said the driver bolted together with other occupants of the vehicle upon the approach of the patrol team, leaving the vehicle and the items behind.
&nbsp;
The sector commander paid tribute to the general public for offering information, as well as the staff for the good work done, saying the division would &ldquo;not leave any stone unturned&rdquo; and would keep on raking in revenue for the state&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Mr. Mohammed Mustapha Iddrisu, preventive officer in-charge, appealed to the public to voluntarily assist the patrol team with information to control the illegal activity.
&nbsp;
He said the efforts of such volunteers would be financially rewarded for any arrest made.
&nbsp;
Mr. Iddrisu cautioned importers and &ldquo;other miscreants&rdquo; to desist from smuggling goods into the country since it contravened section 251 of PNDCL 330 of 1993 punishable by fine, imprisonment or both if caught.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ghana coach Stevanovic “at sea” over Zambia loss]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/Ghana-coach-Stevanovic-at-sea-over-Zambia-loss/?ci=5&ai=39643]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic is still &ldquo;at sea&rdquo; over his team&rsquo;s semi final loss to eventual champions, Zambia at the recent 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
&nbsp;
At a post mortem press briefing on Wednesday, the Serbian coach said that he is yet to come to terms as to how his team lost the most important game at the tournament that also shattered their hopes of a silverware.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how we lost that game. We dominated and played very well. I don&rsquo;t know what went wrong with the team. We gave out our best,&rdquo; Stevanovic told the media.
&nbsp;
Zambia, lone goal victors in the semi final match against the Black Stars went on to win the title after beating Cote D&rsquo;Ivoire 8-7 on penalties in the final.
&nbsp;
Meanwhile the Serbian has applauded the performance of his team at the tournament whilst assuming responsibility for the inability to deliver the ultimate.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We have to analyze the problems and move on. I take full responsibility for the unfortunate situation.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The Serb also defended his choice of players for the tournament claiming they were the best materials at the time.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;They were the best and talented players at the time. We were the youngest team at the tournament and played very well.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Stevanovic highlighted the need to inject &ldquo;fresh blood&rdquo; into the team to reach the desirable level.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Government will fast-track the establishment of SMIDO- Vice President]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/Government-will-fast-track-the-establishment-of-SMIDO-Vice-President/?ci=3&ai=39640]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday gave the assurance that government would collaborate with all the major stakeholders to fast-track the establishment of the Suame Magazine Industrial Development Organization (SMIDO) in Kumasi.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Government is committed to supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and will therefore bring on board all the necessary interventions that will ensure their development throughout the country,&rdquo; he said.
&nbsp;
Vice President Mahama gave the assurance when the Executive Council members of SMIDO called on him at the Castle, Osu.
&nbsp;
The group was at the Castle to thank government for establishing an Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) centre at Suame and to appeal to government to expedite action on the construction of SMIDO to become the motor industrial hub of West Africa.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Vice President Mahama said apart from negotiating with the Lands Commission to facilitate the acquisition process, government would also collaborate with the Ministry of Finance to adopt a credit line that would help to construct the village.
&nbsp;
He said he would also link up with the Chief of Staff to find ways of procuring a four-wheel vehicle for the executives to help ensure the smooth coordination of their activities.
&nbsp;
Mr Asamoah Amankwa, President of SMIDO, said with the support of chiefs in the area, his outfit had acquired a 500-hectare land for the project to serve as the &lsquo;engineering hub&rsquo; of the West African sub-region.
&nbsp;
He commended government for the construction of an ICT centre and adding &ldquo;We at SMIDO have the confidence that you will use your good offices to ensure a successful industrial village for Kumasi, and Ghana for that matter.&rdquo;
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Parents should nurture their children to uphold moral values]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Education/Parents-should-nurture-their-children-to-uphold-moral-values/?ci=9&ai=39641]]></link><description><![CDATA[Tsito, Feb. 22, GNA - Mr Gabriel Kploanyi, Volta Regional Director of Education, on Wednesday advised parents to ensure that their children were brought up with good morals and in the fear of God.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He said: &ldquo;We have a future if we pass on to the generation of students, the values of religious tolerance, respect for one another, peace and love in order to ensure peaceful coexistence among ourselves in the country for accelerated development.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Kploanyi gave the advice at the launch of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Awudome Senior High School in Tsito in the Volta Region.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Awudome Senior High School was established in 1963 by the Tsito Native Teachers Association. The school will be 50 years in 2013.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The celebrations is on the theme: &ldquo;Fifty Years of Secondary Education in a Disciplined Environment &ndash; The Fulcrum of Community and National Development.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Kploanyi said holistic and functional education was a critical to the growth and development of an individual&rsquo;s potentials hence empowering the citizenry with holistic education should be at the heart of socio-economic development.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He expressed concern about moral decadence among students lately, noting that students who engage in immoral acts do not only slack academically but also destroy themselves.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Indeed, a society that does not uphold discipline is always confronted with numerous challenges which derail its effort at attaining its goals and aspirations,&rdquo; he added.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Ms Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh, Deputy Minister of Education, who represented Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Acting Minister of Education, lauded Awudome Senior High School for producing distinguish personalities like doctors, teachers, engineers, agriculturalists, senior civil and public servants within 50 years of their existence.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
In a speech read on his behalf, he urged the board of governors of the school to develop new strategies to enable students overcome the challenges of the times.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is these new strategies that would prepare the grounds for the emergence of a new student population which would form a stronger base of human resource for community development and nation building.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The acting Education Minister urged the students to live up to the ideals of the school by studying hard to excel and avoid drug abuse, immoral and indiscipline acts to enable them grow in the footprints of the past students who were now in high places.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Commenting on the 50th Anniversary celebrations, Mr Mensah urged the old students association to support their Alma Mater.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Pledging government&rsquo;s support, he said, the Ministry of Education would continue to create an enabling environment for effective teaching and learning in Senior High Schools through the provision of infrastructure, adequate textbooks, quality teachers and in-service training for teachers to enhance their pedagogical skills.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Rimon Kroti, Headmaster of the school, who paid glowing tribute to his predecessors and the founding fathers of the school, said the school thrived on Christian ideology but tolerate other beliefs so long as they endeavour to build the moral fibre of their members in attaining the collective vision of the school.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He said the school was seriously challenged in terms of infrastructure and cited the school&rsquo;s dining hall which has been turned into a multi-purpose hall.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Our classroom infrastructure, dormitory facilities for both boys and girls are of paramount concern. The existing classroom facilities for science studies also need comprehensive rehabilitation,&rdquo; he added.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Kroti called on government and other corporate institutions to help them by providing a 3,000 sitting capacity assembly hall, three storey dormitory block for boys with beds, staff flat, 500 pieces of classroom furniture among other things.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Alex Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff, unveiled the anniversary logo amidst cheers and songs by the old students of the school.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[ “My future lies in the hands of GFA” – Stevanovic]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/My-future-lies-in-the-hands-of-GFA-Stevanovic/?ci=5&ai=39639]]></link><description><![CDATA[
&nbsp;
Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Black Stars coach, Goran Stevanovic has rested his faith on his future in the hands of the Ghana Football Association.
&nbsp;
The Serbian has an existing one year contract with the Black Stars, but there are growing calls for his axe in the wake of the Black Stars&rsquo; fourth placing at the recently held 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;My future lies in the hands of the GFA,&rdquo; Plavi told a press briefing whilst expressing a strong desire to remain at the helm of the technical reigns of the Black Stars.
&nbsp;
Coach Stevanovic however admitted that the team failed to deliver the ultimate but exhibited great potential that needs to be built upon for the future.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I take responsibility for the result. I apologize for not bringing the trophy home. We promised to win the title but unfortunately we failed to win. We did our best.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
He explained that his performance should not be judged on just the loss to Zambia, rather on the overall performance since his assumption barely a year ago.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We have done a great job in one year. We were the youngest team at the tournament and I still believe we can do great things. Also, I&rsquo;m enjoying my job here.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the GFA has announced that a definite decision on the future of Stevanovic will be taken in two weeks.
&nbsp;
The Serb replaced compatriot Milovan Rajevac as head coach of the Black Stars in December 2010 after a successful outing at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Biometric Voter Registration System to be fraudulent free- EC]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/Biometric-Voter-Registration-System-to-be-fraudulent-free-EC/?ci=2&ai=39638]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - Mr Hubert Akumiah, Director of the Information Communication Technology Department of the Electoral Commission (EC), has warned that people, who attempt to register twice during the upcoming Biometric Voters&rsquo; Registration exercise, would be detected and arrested.
&nbsp;
This is because the biometric system is efficient in preventing and detecting any fraud concerning voter registration.
&nbsp;
Mr Akumiah was speaking at a seminar, in Accra on Wednesday on the theme: &ldquo;Biometric Registration and Verification Towards Credible Elections,&rdquo; organised by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDG), in collaboration with the EC.
&nbsp;
&quot;There would be a very effective monitoring system if you try to cheat, you would definitely be found out by the system,&rdquo; he stressed.
&nbsp;
He gave the assurance that any possible challenges associated with the new registration system would be dealt with, adding: &quot;Technology is transferable&hellip;&nbsp; There are capable people&hellip; who are well resourced to handle any problems that might come up during the exercise.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Mr Akumiah said the biometric registration technology could measure and analyse human body characteristics such as DNA and facial patterns. 
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The biometric system would achieve a comprehensive and accurate voter&rsquo;s register, which is the basis of credible elections,&rdquo; he said.
&nbsp;
Mr Akumiah said most of the features that characterised the old registration process would be present in the biometric registration system.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Registration would be at designated locations or polling stations, and normal biographic data would be collected. An instant photo ID card would also be issued.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Mr Akumiah said the biometric voter registration would be done in clusters simultaneously in all regions, while a team of officials with a set of equipment would be assigned to a number of polling stations in an electoral area.
&nbsp;
The team would operate in a registration centre or polling station for 10 days, and move to another registration centre within the cluster for another 10 days, said Mr Akumiah.
&nbsp;
Mr Akumiah said the cost of the total registration exercise was estimated at GH&cent;243,528,305.
&nbsp;
Professor Kwame Ninsin of the IDG, who chaired the occasion, said Ghana had worked hard towards ensuring free and fair elections since 1992, while the biometric registration system marked a milestone in the country&rsquo;s quest for transparency in the process.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Just as political leaders work hard towards success at elections, citizens should also do their part to ensure that the electoral process is successful, in order to ensure that the country&rsquo;s democratic process is intact,&rsquo; he added.
&nbsp;
The Electoral Commission has announced that it would begin the biometric voter registration exercise on Saturday March 24 to Saturday May 25.
&nbsp;
The Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, said the nationwide exercise would be carried out in four phases, with each phase lasting for a maximum of 10 days, weekends inclusive.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Five communities to be relocated due to mining concession]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/Five-communities-to-be-relocated-due-to-mining-concession/?ci=3&ai=39637]]></link><description><![CDATA[Ayanfuri (C/R), Feb 22, GNA &ndash; Five communities in the Upper Denkyira West and Wassa Amenfi Districts affected by the operations of Persues Mining Ghana Limited (PMGL), an Australian gold mining company, are to be relocated.
&nbsp;
These are Ayanfuri, Gyaman, Fobenso, Abenabena and Nkonya.
&nbsp;
This followed permission by the Minerals Commission to expand the company&rsquo;s mining area by an additional 1,040 hectares stretch of land.
&nbsp;
The mine has already begun the demarcation of the boundary to determine the actual population that would have to be resettled.
&nbsp;
Dr Fredrick Addison, the Project Manager, said they would ensure that those who lose their farms and other properties would be adequately compensated.
&nbsp;
He said eligible landowners and lawful occupiers in the mining area would receive compensation in &ldquo;accordance with the law for crops, buildings (immovable structures) and deprivation of use of the land.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The money to be paid would be based on asset survey undertaken by an independent value in the presence of the owner, land valuation division officers, community representatives and the company&rsquo;s officials.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Dr Addison said this when speaking at a forum held at Ayanfuri to formally inform the people about the &ldquo;declaration of moratorium&rdquo; that effectively disallowed them from either undertaking new developments or improvement of farms.
&nbsp;
The goal was to help them to have better understanding of what was happening, prevent speculative activities and promote compliance.
&nbsp;
He underlined their determination to constructively engage and work with the people to bring progress and ensure that there was consistent flow of information between the company and the stakeholders.
&nbsp;
Mrs Florence Ansere-Bio, Social Development Manager of the PMGL, said the company has set up a Community Development Fund to help meet its social and corporate responsibility and that an initial amount of GH&cent;750,000.00 has been earmarked for the purpose.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Calls for my resignation are not tangible – Kwesi]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/Calls-for-my-resignation-are-not-tangible-Kwesi/?ci=5&ai=39636]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 23, GNA &ndash; Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rejected calls for his resignation as the Chairman of the Black Stars Management Committee.
&nbsp;
He described the calls as intangible, adding that it lacks merit hence he will not resign from the position.
&nbsp;
The calls have been necessitated by the performance of the team at the Africa Cup of Nations, with some arguing that he is overburdened with several responsibilities.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi said a press briefing on Wednesday that management of the Stars did their possible best to ensure the success of the team.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We provided everything the team needed to succeed in the competition and I don&rsquo;t think the failure of the team can be attributed to us.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I want those calling for my resignation to give me good reasons why I should resign.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;If the reasons are tangible I will consider them. But I think any reasons given are not tangible. I will not resign.&rdquo; He stated.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi, however, conceded that the team performed below expectation, since the gold medal was their ultimate target.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;In 2008, we were third. In 2010 we were second and it was our belief that there will be a natural progression by winning the trophy, but things did not go our way.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We have taken note of our short falls and will work on them in subsequent tournaments.&rdquo; He stated.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi has in recent times come under criticisms over his numerous portfolios.
&nbsp;
The FA President, who doubles as the Black Stars Management Committee Chairman, also performs functions at the Confederation Africa Football (CAF), as Chairman of the Ethics Committee as an Executive member of the continent&rsquo;s football controlling body.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Government reacts to NPP’s charges]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/Government-reacts-to-NPP-s-charges/?ci=2&ai=39635]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The Government on Wednesday reacted to charges leveled against it by the Minority in Parliament on alleged &ldquo;political equalization&rdquo;, arrest of former Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah and &quot;selectivity&quot; of those being arrested or invited on the Woyome saga.
&nbsp;
A statement signed by Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Information noted that the Minority had accused the government of pursuing an agenda of political equalization in the on-going investigations into the Woyome Saga. 
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Government wishes to state for the records that unlike the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament, we do not view the Woyome saga as another petty partisan political issue for which we should contemplate equalization.&nbsp; Indeed, to government, this Woyome saga is an issue of whether wrongdoing has been perpetrated or not and how justice can be done.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
It said for the &ldquo;NPP Minority to reduce this very serious matter to mere petty partisan politics for which it continues to spend all of their time in Parliament, at rallies and in music studios composing and rehearsing songs and therefore assumes that government will join them in that self-serving naked opportunistic path must certainly be mistaken.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The statement said this mind set of the NPP Minority in Parliament to reduce such a serious issue into mere political games must be roundly condemned. 
&nbsp;
Government would on the contrary, it said, continue to pursue a nationalistic agenda aimed at true justice and not cheap partisanship.
&nbsp;
The statement said another charge against government is that by the singular arrest of Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah, &ldquo;Parliament&rsquo;s image is under attack,&rdquo; it is &ldquo;contemptuous of Parliament&rdquo; and &ldquo;an affront to the authority of the Speaker.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is exceedingly interesting and ironic that the NPP Minority in Parliament does not consider their own misconduct in the unthinkable defiled introduction of red cards and whistles in an outlandish attempt to heckle the President of the Republic of Ghana during last week&rsquo;s State of the Nation Address at a time the full attention of the nation, local and international media and the diplomatic corps was fixated on our Parliament, has caused substantial damage to the image of Parliament and affronted the authority of the Speaker of Parliament even as she helplessly called for order.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The statement said the Government did not consider itself in breach of Article 117 of the 1992 Constitution as &ldquo;we are yet to be convinced of what type of Parliamentary business was still in session after 8pm on a Sunday&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;As is known, this government upholds higher standards than the NPP did when they were in power as our memory is fresh with what was done to Mr. E.T. Mensah and Mr. Dan Abodakpi a few years ago when Parliament was in session.&nbsp; We will continue to uphold the Constitution of Ghana and in strict compliance of Article 1 (2).&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The statement said to this end, government would continue to accord all arms of government the respect they deserved and would at no time attempt to usurp the mandate of any of the three arms. 
&nbsp;
It said it was also for this reason that the government hoped that everybody would respect the exclusive original jurisdiction to interpret any aspect of the 1992 Constitution as stipulated in Article 130 (1) (a).
&nbsp;
On the charge of selectivity as some of those the minority expected to be invited or arrested had not yet been contacted, the government remind the good people of Ghana of President John Evans Atta Mills&rsquo; assurance that in dealing with alleged corruption, &ldquo;it wouldn&rsquo;t matter whose ox is gored&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is also imperative to point out to the Minority Leader that the Government and the Security Agencies would not be his orchestra and he will not be the conductor.&nbsp; The Government and State institutions must be allowed to work in the best interest of Ghana and not to the whim and caprice of any individual not even those who have announced that this matter offers them a political bonanza,&rdquo; the statement said.
&nbsp;
The Government assured all Ghanaians that President Mills would continue to act in the ultimate national interest as it had so far done in the Woyome saga. 
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We know all objective Ghanaians acknowledge the new frontiers of transparency and the unprecedented commitment of the President to avoid a cover-up even against protests from otherwise considered allies of the NDC and we know that posterity will look proudly at President Mills,&rdquo; it added.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Coach Plavi to learn fate within two weeks time]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/Coach-Plavi-to-learn-fate-within-two-weeks-time/?ci=5&ai=39634]]></link><description><![CDATA[
Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has said that Black Stars coach, Goran Stevanovic will learn his fate with the national team within two weeks time.
&nbsp;
The Serb and his entire technical staff will know their status after further consultation with other stakeholders in the wake of the Black Stars&rsquo; fourth placing at the recently held 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
&nbsp;
Ghana lost out to Zambia at the semi final stage by a lone goal before suffering a 0-2 loss to Mali in the third place play-off.
&nbsp;
Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the GFA at a press briefing on Wednesday, said his outfit has shelved a definite decision on the Black Stars team by two weeks after a meeting of the Executive Committee to review the management and technical report on the tournament.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The Executive Committee is in consultation with other stakeholders and in two weeks, will take a decision on the coach and the technical team,&rdquo; Nyantakyi said.
&nbsp;
The decision is expected to give the technical team the best options for the February 29 friendly against Chile in Philadelphia, United States of America.
&nbsp;
The GFA President gave no hint on the expected final verdict despite the split opinions on the Serbian&rsquo;s continued stay at the helm of the Black Stars.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi said there are legalities in the event of severing ties with the coach and the FA are seeking counsel from their Legal Advisors in that regard as well.
&nbsp;
On the Black Stars performance, Nyantakyi rated the team&rsquo;s fourth place as &ldquo;below expectation&rdquo;, taking into consideration their performance at previous editions and logistical support for the team.
&nbsp;
He said the natural progression was the ultimate after finishing third and second in 2008 (Ghana) and 2010 (Angola) respectively.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;On behalf of the GFA, I apologized to all for our poor performance at the tournament,&rdquo; Nyantakyi concluded.
&nbsp;
Government is reported to have doled out a staggering 5 million dollars on the team&rsquo;s campaign at the tournament.
GNA
&nbsp;

&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Veep calls for pro-active measures to curtail road accidents]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Veep-calls-for-pro-active-measures-to-curtail-road-accidents/?ci=4&ai=39633]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA- Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday appealed to the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and stakeholders to step up their educational programmes on road safety to avoid preventable road accidents.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Government would do everything necessary for the total reduction of accidents and we expect that you will all play your roles responsibly to ensure an accident- free country in the coming years.&rdquo; He added.
&nbsp;
Vice President Mahama made the appeal when he commissioned 88 vehicles of the Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSML), a private road safety company in Accra to launch the operation of towing services in the country.
&nbsp;
The vehicles, which are made up towing trucks, ambulances and motor-bikes, would be used jointly by the company, the NRSC, Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders in road safety and accident free activities.
&nbsp;
RMSL ambulances would be used in conveying accident victims to hospitals and other health facilities, while the motor-bikes would help the police to carry out rapid response to accident scenes in the cities.
&nbsp;
Vice President Mahama expressed regret that an average of 12,000 road accidents is recorded in Ghana annually leading to the death of 1,800 on the average.
&nbsp;
He appealed to the agents of change in road accidents to dedicate their educational programmes on the use of roads and road-worthy vehicles, which formed a major component of the accidents.
&nbsp;
He cautioned politicians and drivers against reckless driving before and during the campaigns leading to the general election, saying: &ldquo;we do not need to rush&hellip; during elections to be involved in unnecessary accidents.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Air Commodore Basin Dery (Rtd), General Manager of RMSL said his outfit would provide large parking lots for towed disabled vehicles and provide emergency paramedical and ambulance services to accident victims.
&nbsp;
He said the company would also provide vehicle repair and maintenance services at the depot and support the establishment of neighbourhood watch units to fight against crime and other societal disorders.
&nbsp;
The General Manager said his company would establish 45 depots across the country, particularly in the accident-prone areas, which would be provided with workshops, rest stops and restaurants, large parking lots among other facilities.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Individual interest and disrespect caused the Black Stars – Nyantakyi]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/Individual-interest-and-disrespect-caused-the-Black-Stars-Nyantakyi/?ci=5&ai=39632]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 23, GNA &ndash; Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has stated that individual interest and disrespect by the playing body were among the factors that caused the abysmal performance of the Black Stars at the just ended Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea.
&nbsp;
He said even though tactical issues were also diagnosed as part of the problems that caused the team, player related issues were also discovered as part of the factors that contributed to the failure of the team to excel at the tournament.
&nbsp;
According to the President of the GFA, these were contained in a report examined by the Executive Committee on Wednesday, February 23 ahead of the press conference held by the football controlling body.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We observed that some of the players played to achieve personal fame, prominence and excellence to the detriment of the entire team.
&nbsp;
&rdquo;We met the players to discuss the issues and resolve them but it was not eliminated.&rdquo; Nyantakyi told the press.
&nbsp;
Nyantakyi added that there were also complaints of disrespect among the playing body.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Some of the senior players complained that they were being disrespected by the junior players. Again we made efforts at resolving them, but it looked as if these were character traits of some players&rdquo;. The FA President indicated.
&nbsp;
He, however, noted that the two issues were among the numerous player-related factors that caused the Black Stars, but stated that the FA will seek to address the problems in due course.
&nbsp;
On the contrary, head coach Goran Stevanovic stated that he was satisfied with the level of discipline in the team.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was satisfied with player behaviour. Discipline was at the highest level, there were no problems in camp&rdquo;. A seemingly ignorant Stevanovic told the press.
&nbsp;
He said, &ldquo;We had a close camp. Players ate together and I must say I was satisfied with the way they comported themselves&rdquo;.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cop and two soldiers to face the law over fatal stray bullet]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Human-Interest/Cop-and-two-soldiers-to-face-the-law-over-fatal-stray-bullet/?ci=6&ai=39631]]></link><description><![CDATA[Kumasi, Feb 22, GNA &ndash; Police Lance Corporal Eric Amoako whose stray bullet hit and killed an employee of the Fire Consultancy Engineering Limited at the Roman Hill in Kumasi is to be provisionally charged with murder.
&nbsp;
A source at the Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Unit told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), that he would be put before court as soon as investigations were completed.
&nbsp;
Also to face the law are two soldiers, Private Godfred Addo and Private Edem Lartey, who reportedly tried to disarm the policeman, resulting in the firing of the warning shot that, went tragic.
&nbsp;
Lance Corporal Amoako was on guard duty at the Roman Hill branch of UniBank and his attention was drawn to a fight between two passengers and a &ldquo;trotro&rdquo; driver.
&nbsp;
He was said to have moved in to stop the fight but that angered the two who attempted to physically attack him.
&nbsp;
At this point, he was reported to have drawn an AK 47 rifle and the soldiers tried to restrain but the weapon went-off hitting Charles Igbo, the deceased, right on the chest.
&nbsp;
He had gone with his colleagues to fix faulty fire extinguishers at the First National Bank and was leaning on a wall when the stray bullet struck him dead at close range.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[AAK inaugurates inter-party dialogue committee]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/AAK-inaugurates-inter-party-dialogue-committee/?ci=2&ai=39630]]></link><description><![CDATA[Abura Dunkwa (C/R), Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Mr Ebenezer Kwesi Dadzie, the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has appealed to Ghanaians to ensure that peace continues to reign in the country before and after the Elections.
&nbsp;
He said even though Ghanaians were looking forward to a peaceful election, the attitudes of some people as heard in their negative utterances on the airwaves seem to threaten the nation&rsquo;s peace.
&nbsp;
Mr Dadzie made the call on Wednesday at the inauguration of a 23-member inter-party dialogue committee at the AAK District Assembly.
&nbsp;
The committee, which was constituted by the NCCE in collaboration with the AAK is among others to coordinate affairs between political parties in the district to facilitate peaceful electioneering activities before and after the December polls.
&nbsp;
They are made up of representatives from the various political parties, the NCCE, the Ghana Police Service, the media, Council of Churches and some opinion leaders in the municipality.
&nbsp;
Mr Dadzie said the current situation was not the best due to factors such as the on-going politics of insult, biased media reportage and the introduction of the biometric voter registration system which was new to Ghanaians.
&nbsp;
He said other countries around the globe were looking up to Ghana for a peaceful election so Ghanaians must work hard to maintain the peace the nation was currently enjoying.
&nbsp;
Mr Charles Nkrumah, the Central Regional Director of the NCCE who swore in the committee members, charged them to always stand by the truth and condemn wrong doings even if it was within their political parties.
&nbsp;
He also advised them to live at peace with one another in spite of their different political affiliations in order to let peace reign in the district and the country at large.
&nbsp;
DSP Bernard Twum Barimah, the District Police Commander, schooled the committee members on what constituted crime as well as laws backing them under the Public Order Act.
&nbsp;
He advised leaders of the various political parties to control their members and set good examples for them to follow so as to avoid any chaos.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Asonkwaa youth in Nkoransa South District harass local teachers]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Asonkwaa-youth-in-Nkoransa-South-District-harass-local-teachers/?ci=4&ai=39629]]></link><description><![CDATA[Asonkwaa (B/A), Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Madam Philipa Banson, Nkoranza South District Director of Education, has threatened to transfer teachers serving at Asonkwaa in the district to other places if the youth in the area continued to harass and torment them.
&nbsp;
She called on law enforcement agencies to deal with unscrupulous persons in the area who would take the law in their hands and assault teachers in school or at home.
&nbsp;
The District Director of Education gave the warning at a meeting with stakeholders at Asonkwaa to investigate the circumstances that led to the assault of the Mathematics teacher of the Junior High School in the area by some youth.
&nbsp;
Mr Isaac Kofi Kafuri, the teacher, reported an attack on him by the gang after he had questioned why two of them had thrown the beams of a motor cycle headlight they were riding on him.
&nbsp;
The alleged gang members were named as Kwadwo Pampan, Alhassan, Nuhu, Issah and Oboi.
&nbsp;
Madam Banson stressed that it was not easy appointing teachers to serve especially in deprived communities and that she would be compelled to transfer them from communities which did not appreciate their efforts and would rather harass them.
&nbsp;
She entreated traditional authorities, Assembly Members, school management committees and unit committees to ensure the security of teachers and workers, who were stakeholders in the development of their communities.
&nbsp;
The District Director urged teachers in the District to live above reproach and eschew negative practices that could tarnish their image since they were role models.
&nbsp;
Mr Sampson Adere, headmaster of the school, complained that it was a common practice among the people to attack teachers without any tangible reason.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;What is more worrying is that the community leaders will quickly step in to apologize for the acts of the offenders and plead for leniency&rdquo;, he added.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Mr. Appiah Issah, Assembly member, expressed regret about the incidence and appealed to the District Director to exercise restraint whilst elders of the community made efforts to address the issue.
&nbsp;
He gave the assurance that the leaders in the area would ensure the safety and security of teachers, whom he urged to feel free to go about their work.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;Nana Abena Adubea, Queenmother, cautioned the Youth to refrain from such &ldquo;uncouth attitudes&rdquo;, warning that any of them who would infringe upon the rights of any teacher would be made to face the full rigours of the law.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kenkey at most spots in Accra goes for GH¢0.50 - Survey]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/Kenkey-at-most-spots-in-Accra-goes-for-GH-0-50-Survey/?ci=3&ai=39628]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The majority of kenkey joints in Accra and Tema sell a ball of kenkey at GH&cent;0.50.
&nbsp;
A rejoinder sent to the Ghana News Agency by the Statistics Research and Information Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) on Wednesday said its research on the price of kenkey showed that &ldquo;results varied between the localities and tend o show a shift from the GH&cent;0.40 and GH&cent;0.50 to GH&cent;0.50 and GH&cent;0.70 balls of kenkey in most places.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
It added: &ldquo;Three kenkey joints in Nungua, Lapaz and Tema had few quantities of kenkey being sold at GH&cent;0.70 and GH&cent;1.00.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The rejoinder was in reaction to a GNA story on February 20 which said the price of kenkey, a maize meal, had increased from GH&cent;0.50 to between GH&cent;0.70 and GH&cent;1.00.
&nbsp;
Meanwhile, a check by the GNA on Wednesday, however, found that kenkey is still being sold at GH&cent;0.50 in Accra.
&nbsp;
The MOFA said: &ldquo;Although maize production for 2011 was less than expected due to inadequate rainfall and erratic distribution, the recent sharp price increases of maize is attributed more to speculative marketing as majority of traders are keeping the commodity and expecting high prices in the lean production season of 2012.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Maize prices will be stabilized and decline when majority of the producers release the commodity and new maize got onto the market by May, 2012.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
MOFA said at Chorkor, Gbawe, Korle Gonno, Anyaa-Awoshie, Teshie Kenney sells at GH&cent;0.40 and GH&cent;0.50.
&nbsp;
At Mallam, Madina, Adenta, Abelenkpe, Agbadzena (New Town), Alajo, Mallam Atta, Commando (Accra new Town), Zongo Junction, Lartebiokorshie, Mamprobi and Korle Bu, kenkey goes for GHC0.50 while at Tema, Nungua and Adabraka one could buy kenkey at GHC0.70. Nungua, Lapaz&nbsp; and Tema had spots where one could buy kenkey at GH&cent;1.00
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Court takes Asem Darkeh’s plea]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Court-takes-Asem-Darkeh-s-plea/?ci=4&ai=39627]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb.22 GNA - The Accra Circuit Court, hearing the case involving Christian Asem Darkeh alias Limping Man, has formally taken the plea of the suspect after initial exchanges between the Prosecution and the Defence Council.
&nbsp;
Asem who is the man at the centre of the MV Benjamin cocaine saga, has been charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit crime, importation of narcotic drugs and possession of narcotic drug without lawful authority.
&nbsp;
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded into custody to re-appear on March 7.
&nbsp;
The Prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) A.A. Annor told the court presided over by Ms Audrey Kokuvi Tay that investigations in the matter was ongoing.
&nbsp;
He said the Attorney General (AG) after the investigations may decide whether to continue the case at the circuit court or move to the high court.
&nbsp;
He said the case involving the MV Benjamin cocaine issue was handled some time ago at the high court so the investigators are still putting the pieces together to enable the prosecution start the case.
&nbsp;
Mr George Heward Mills, Counsel for Asem Darkeh expressed dissatisfaction for the continuous detention of his client prayed the court to admit the accused to bail.
&nbsp;
He said his client was arrested at the Korle-bu Hospital as a sick man going for treatment.
&nbsp;
He said the State &quot;cannot continue to hold the accused forever because the liberties of the suspects are as stake&quot;.
&nbsp;
Mrs Audrey Kokuvi Tay, the trial judge charged the prosecution to expedite action on their investigations.
&nbsp;
He said the prosecution could not continue to hide behind the law and detain the accused unduly.
&nbsp;
The facts are that sometime in April 2006, intelligence report gathered indicated that a shipping vessel named MV Benjamin had been spotted on the high seas carrying about 77 parcels of cocaine and heading towards the West African Coast, precisely Ghana.
&nbsp;
He said on the midnight of April 26, 2006 the said vessel docked at Kpone/Tema and discharged the cocaine which were off-loaded into a waiting vehicle and taken away.
&nbsp;
DSP Annor said investigations in the matter led to the arrest of some suspects who were tried, convicted and sentenced to prison on various terms.
&nbsp;
He said during investigations, the accused's name featured prominently as the importer and owner of the drugs as well as the person who charted the MV Benjamin from Ghana at the time at 150,000 dollars to use in towing another vessel from Guinea.
&nbsp;
The prosecutor said the accused carted the cocaine parcels away upon arrival of the ship at Kpone.
&nbsp;
DSP Annor said on February 2, 2012 the accused was arrested at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra upon a tip-off after being on the run since 2006.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[NCCE inaugurates Greater Accra Regional Inter-Party Dialogue Committee]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/NCCE-inaugurates-Greater-Accra-Regional-Inter-Party-Dialogue-Committee/?ci=2&ai=39626]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Wednesday inaugurated an Interim Greater Accra Regional Inter-Party Dialogue Committee to serve as a unifying body to promote peace and resolve conflicts before and after the elections.
&nbsp;
The Committee which is composed of all stakeholders involved in the election process has Rev Anthony Mensah, Representative of the Christian Council of Ghana as Chairman, Alhaji Awaiso Bio, a representative from the Office of the National Chief Imam as the Vice-Chairman and Mr Haruna Dauda, representative of the Commission on Human Rights and administrative Justice (CHRAJ), as its Secretary.
&nbsp;
Other members include representatives from the Regional House of Chiefs, the Ghana Police Service, NCCE, Electoral Commission, National Youth Authority, Abantu for Development, Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and the Media.
&nbsp;
The rest include representatives from the Convention People&rsquo;s Party (CPP), New Patriotic Party (NPP), People&rsquo;s National Convention (PNC), the United Renaissance Party and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
&nbsp;
The Committee would also serve as a buffer zone in the constituencies to stem the tide of unnecessary suspicions and anxiety among political parties, to enhance the political, economic and social progress and stability of the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Mr Samuel Akuamoah, Director of Programmes, NCCE, in his inaugural address explained that the formation of the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee was in line with the constitutional mandate of the NCCE of educating the citizenry to entrenched constitutional democracy in the country.
&nbsp;
He said the Committee was structured to be at the National, Regional, District, constituencies, Zonal and Ward levels to enable the committees act to defuse tension on violations of the breach of the Code of Conduct of Political Parties that may lead to violence, stress and destruction of life and property.
&nbsp;
The Committee would therefore focus attention on mediation and resolution of petty conflicts, monitor the enforcement of the Code of Conduct of Political parties, promote peace and tolerance and identify issues that had the potential to trigger electoral conflicts, he said.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It will also help deepen collaboration between the NCCE, Electoral Commission, Political Parties, Civil Society Organisations, Institute of Economic Affairs, Traditional authorities and opinion leaders in the promotion of non-violence, free and fair elections.
&nbsp;
Mr Akuamoah stressed that it was important for all stakeholders including political parties in Ghana&rsquo;s political process to put the country ahead of all other things to ensure a peaceful electioneering process.
&nbsp;
He said the NCCE would ensure that all political parties were involved in the build-up of peace during and after the elections. However representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were absent with no prior permission.
&nbsp;
He urged the members to exhibit total commitment and support to the Executives of the Committee to ensure the achievement of their goal.
&nbsp;
Mrs Joyce B. Afutu, Regional Director, NCCE, warned that&nbsp; Ghana&rsquo;s enviable record in the Rule of Law and Good Governance must not be taken for granted as citizens go to the polls come December this year, adding &ldquo;this will be another test for the country&rsquo;s democratic credentials&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
She said though Ghanaians had continuously upheld the Supremacy of the Constitution, the Rule of Law, free, vibrant and liberalized media landscape and the promotion of democracy in general.
&nbsp;
However,&nbsp; the challenges that Multi-party politics posed to Ghana and Ghanaians as a nation and individuals were varied, therefore people&rsquo;s rights and freedoms could be threatened and destroyed as a result of ignorance, thereby making democracy a mere object of illusion.
&nbsp;
She said Ghana had chalked an enviable record of success since the country returned to constitutional rule in 1992, and had since enjoyed an unprecedented and uninterrupted stable democratic, peace and tranquillity as well as economic progress.
&nbsp;
She said the country had successfully conducted Presidential and Parliamentary Elections five times in succession culminating in peaceful transition and transfer of power from a ruling party to an opposition party in 2000 and 2008 respectively.
&nbsp;
She called on all stakeholders in the election process to partner the NCCE and other agencies to educate the electorates on the need for peaceful co-existence and violence free elections in Ghana.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Produce Buying Company targets 40 per cent market share]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/Produce-Buying-Company-targets-40-per-cent-market-share/?ci=3&ai=39625]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - The Produce Buying Company (PBC), a licensed cocoa buying firm, expects to boost its market share to 40 per cent in the next two years despite the stiff competition in the industry.
&nbsp;
The company, which last year returned a market share of 37 per cent, said it is ready to put in more effort to outsmart the other 25 Licensed Buying Companies.
&nbsp;
Speaking at the Facts Behind the Figures programme on the Ghana Stock Exchange, Mr Kojo Atta-Krah, Managing Director of PBC, said despite the impressive performance last year, the company&rsquo;s market share dropped to 37 per cent
&nbsp;
This, he said, was as a result of the stiff competition within the industry, adding it was the avowed aim of the board and management to command a 40 per cent share within the next two years.
&nbsp;
Turnover for cocoa operations increased from GH&cent;622.644 million to GH&cent;1.285 billion, an increase of 106 per cent due to high producer price, buyers take over margin and volume of cocoa purchased and delivered.
&nbsp;
The company also increased its cocoa purchases by 56.8 per cent to 374,858 tonnes from 238,967 tonnes, leading to a profit before tax of GH&cent;37.434 million as against GH&cent;19.256 million in 2010.
&nbsp;
Mr Atta-Krah said finance costs have been a major item affecting revenue and the potential profitability of the company and that last year alone more than 25 per cent of gross operational earnings were used as net finance expenses.
&nbsp;
In this direction, he said, the board and management were considering accessing offshore facilities at a lower cost to supplement the local funding sources to bring the finance cost to a more comfortable level.
&nbsp;
The company will also explore the possibility of raising funds through the stock market for cocoa purchases.
&nbsp;
Mr Atta-Krah assured investors that the company would continue to improve operational efficiency, improve storage and other warehousing facilities, increase Information Communication Technology access in the company and motivate staff through training, bonus and other incentives schemes.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;We assure shareholders of the most reliable and constructive management practices to continue to keep their company in good standing and improve earnings,&rdquo; he added.
&nbsp;
Mr Joseph Osei-Manu, Deputy Managing Director, Finance and Administration, said net finance expenses increased by 87.8 per cent to GH&cent;34.564 million from GH&cent;18.402 million mainly as a result of increase in the quantum of monies utilised in the year&rsquo;s operations following the jump in cocoa purchases.
&nbsp;
The company, he said, paid GH&cent;2 million dividend to government and GH&cent;7.565 million as corporate tax to the Ghana Revenue Authority.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[AG asks court to set aside consent judgment]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/AG-asks-court-to-set-aside-consent-judgment/?ci=4&ai=39624]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb.22 GNA- Mr Cecil Adadevoh, a senior State Attorney on Wednesday prayed the Accra Commercial Court&nbsp; to set aside the GH&cent; 51 million consent judgment awarded to Mr Alfred Woyome, a businessman because it was procured through fraud.
&nbsp;
The court is hearing the amended writ filed by the Attorney General (AG).
&nbsp;
Mr Adadevoh in his pleadings asked the court to set aside the consent judgment because Mr Woyome lacked the legal capacity to maintain his claim against the AG because there was no contract between Mr Woyome and the Government of Ghana upon which he could have maintained any cause of action in the suit.
&nbsp;
He said since the contract between Waterville and the Government of Ghana for which Mr Woyome was the financial engineer was an international transaction, parliamentary approval should have been sought for the contract to be effective.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Mr Adadevoh said because the defendant had alleged that he was involved in financial engineering for the project, it was presupposed that the whole issue should have been subjected to the constitution of Ghana.
&nbsp;
Mrs Barbara Ackah-Ayensu, the trial judge asked the Defence Counsel to address the court on the constitutional issues raised by the AG since they did not address the matter in their pleadings.
&nbsp;
Mrs Dora Acquaye-Nortey, Counsel for Mr Woyome in their affidavit in opposition to the motion said the consent judgment which was awarded to her client was obtained after a default judgment by the court and that could not be set aside at the request of the AG.
&nbsp;
She said even though defence had not challenged the issue of fraud raised by the AG in the pleadings Mr Woyome obtained the consent judgment as a result of an agreement between the government and his lawyers for the services that he rendered.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Mrs Acquaye-Nortey argued that since the two parties agreed or consented for the payment to be made to Mr Woyome for his services in the contract, the AG alone could not ask the court to set aside the judgment.
&nbsp;
She also argued that the AG&rsquo;s attempt to put aside the court&rsquo;s decision was to re-open the whole matter afresh when the two parties had already agreed and signed documents to pay the money to Mr Woyome.
&nbsp;
On January 16,&nbsp; Mr Martin Amidu, Former Attorney General filed an affidavit to amend an earlier writ praying the court to set aside a consent judgment awarded to Mr Woyome, which he alleged was procured through fraud.&nbsp; 
Mr Amidu said the new information that had come to the AG's attention, required an amendment to the writ of summons and statement of claim filed on August 18, 2010.
&nbsp;
When Mrs Justice Barbara Ackah-Ayensu, the trial judge asked the defence why it had taken them so long to respond to the AG&rsquo;s amended writ and serve them a copy, Mrs Dora Acquaye Nortey, who represented Mr Robertson Kpatsa, Counsel for Mr Woyome said the case had many sides and that she was only holding brief for her senior colleague.
&nbsp;
Mrs Justice Ackah-Ayensu warned the defence not to unduly delay the process and cautioned that &quot;This should be their last time&quot;. 
&nbsp;
It would be recalled that Mr Amidu in his amended writ said it had come to the AG's attention that Mr Woyome lacked the legal capacity to maintain his claim against the AG because there was no contract between Mr Woyome and the Government of Ghana upon which Mr Woyome could have maintained any cause of action in the suit.
&nbsp;
Mr Amidu said Mr Woyome lacked the locus standi to initiate the suit because all the processes, proceedings and judgment in that action was a nullity and void, and that consequently the consent judgment filed in the registry of the court on June 4, 2010 which sought to compromise the judgment was also void and of no effect.
&nbsp;
He said the AG had discovered that there was no Parliamentary approval for the international procurement process, or ensuring any contracts which invalidated the entire transaction, claim and any subsequent dealings, agreements and settlements.
&nbsp;
Mr Amidu said the subsequent settlement in the light of the letter dated May 4, 2005 by the then Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, and in the absence of a written contract and approval by Parliament was procured by fraud.
&nbsp;
The case has been adjourned to February 29.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Plastic Manufacturers Association calls for mandatory use of biodegradable additives]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Science/Plastic-Manufacturers-Association-calls-for-mandatory-use-of-biodegradable-additives/?ci=8&ai=39623]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association (GPMA) has appealed to the Government to urgently consider regulations for the incorporation of biodegradable additives in the production of plastic carrier bags, water pouches and agricultural films.
&nbsp;
The Association also proposed that through the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, the Government makes compliance with such regulations a pre-requisite for renewal of license of plastic manufacturers to serve as incentive for the manufacturers to comply with regulations on the use of biodegradable additives.
&nbsp;
Mr Johnson Oduro, Executive Director of Society for Managing Initiatives and Leadership Enhancement (SMILE), Ghana, told the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday.
&nbsp;
He said through the technical assistance of SMILE, Ghana, with sponsorship from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund, GPMA would undertake an advocacy action for the passage of a legislation to make it mandatory for the use of biodegradable plastic additives in the production of plastic carrier bags, water pouches and agricultural films.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Through this action, GPMA is ready to initiate consultative and consensus building processes with stakeholders in the plastic industry as well as Duty Bearers to explore strategies of encouraging manufacturers to adopt the technology and sustain its use,&rdquo; he said.
&nbsp;
Mr Oduro said though GPMA acknowledged that a successful plastic waste management strategy in Ghana would rely on a desired behaviour change from the general population, it was of the strong conviction that the passage of an appropriate legislation for the mandatory use of biodegradable plastic additives in production would effectively deal with the current plastic waste menace, which the Local Government Agencies are using huge national resources to deal with.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;GPMA is, therefore, calling on Government, Parliament, Civil Society, stakeholders in the plastic industry in Ghana to support this action so that together we can find not only a cost-effective but also a sustainable and environmentally friendly and safe plastic waste management to safeguard our environment and business,&rdquo; he said.
&nbsp;
Biodegradable plastic materials are reported to have a strong market niche in many significant areas such as check-out bags, agricultural films and many other sectors.
&nbsp;
In some countries, biodegradable additives have become an important product of choice in a broad variety of plastic products and their continuing growth is a testament to the efficacy in the right applications.
&nbsp;
In countries like the United Arab Emirate, Argentina, Mexico, Greece, Yemen, Brazil and Italy, passage of pro-biodegradable plastic additive legislation is evidence of growing acceptance of the concept.
&nbsp;
In recent times, plastics have become a dominant medium of packaging largely due to it affordability, hygiene and convenience. Unfortunately, however, the massive demand for and use of plastics has brought in its wake a major national waste management challenge resulting from the poor end of life management of plastics.
&nbsp;
In Ghana, its non-biodegradability resulting in its high visibility and the resultant adverse effects on the environment, agriculture and livestock have given it the notoriety as a major pollutant in our physical environment.
&nbsp;
Over the past decade, various initiatives have been undertaken by Governmental authorities, GPMA and other stakeholders, including the National Association of Sachet Water Producers towards finding a sustainable solution to the plastic waste management threat Ghana is saddled with.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ejisu-Juaben inaugurates inter-party dialogue committee]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/Ejisu-Juaben-inaugurates-inter-party-dialogue-committee/?ci=2&ai=39622]]></link><description><![CDATA[Ejisu (Ash), Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; A 21-member inter-party dialogue committee to help mediate in electoral conflicts in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality has been inaugurated at Ejisu.
&nbsp;
It is made up of representatives of the political parties, security agencies, religious and traditional leaders, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Electoral Commission (EC), the assembly, youth and women groups.
&nbsp;
Mr Benjamin Kyere, the Municipal Director of the NCCE, said it was imperative for all to accept to act more responsibly to prevent violence before, during and after the December general polls.
&nbsp;
The country&rsquo;s democracy had won international admiration and this must be protected.
&nbsp;
He asked the committee to help identify potential areas of conflict among the political parties and deal swiftly with them.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
It should also make sure that the code of conduct of the parties was respected and upheld.
&nbsp;
Mr Kwaku Afrifa Yamoah Ponko, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), counselled against insults and intimidation of political opponents.
&nbsp;
He gave the assurance that adequate security measures would be put in place to allow all, to freely exercise their franchise in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in the area.
&nbsp;
Mr B.H. Amponsah, Registrar at the Ejisu Magistrate Court, who swore in members of the Committee, reminded them to be committed and dedicated.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Alleged killers of British/American missionary case adjourned]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Human-Interest/Alleged-killers-of-British-American-missionary-case-adjourned/?ci=6&ai=39621]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The case in which two persons are being held for the murder of Sidney Thomas Barnes, a British/American Missionary at Nsawam, two years ago was on Wednesday adjourned.
&nbsp;
The matter before an Accra District Magistrate Court was adjourned to March 7, following the non appearance of the accused persons in court.
&nbsp;
The two namely Kofi Seidu, a driver and Reverend Goodwill Padmore have been remanded into lawful custody by the court.
&nbsp;
A committal process was expected to have taken place today at the Magistrate Court to enable them stand trial before a High Court in Accra.
&nbsp;
In June last year, the Attorney General&rsquo;s (AG) Department recommended that the driver and the Rev Minister should be held for the murder of the missionary at Nsawam in 2010.
&nbsp;
It said Kofi Seidu, the driver, and the Reverend Goodwill Padmore should be charged with conspiracy to committing crime. Additionally Seidu should be held for murder.
&nbsp;
However, Issaka Mohammed, a farm labourer, who was arrested with the two, should be discharged because there was not enough evidence to link him with the death of the missionary.
&nbsp;
The AG noted that there was enough evidence to sustain the charges of conspiracy and murder against Seidu and Padmore and asked the Police to take their statements to enable it prepare a bill of indictment and summary of evidence.
&nbsp;
Initially three persons, Seidu, Padmore and Mohammed were arrested in connection with the murder of Reverend Barnes and put before a District Magistrate's Court in Accra.
&nbsp;
The pleas of the accused persons have been reserved.
&nbsp;
The facts as presented before the Magistrate Court said the deceased, 75, arrived in the country in 1995.
&nbsp;
Seidu was a farm manager of the deceased, Padmore was the Principal of Prestige Secretarial and Business Academy in Koforidua while Mohammed is a resident of Adoagyiri in Nsawam.
&nbsp;
The deceased established a Christian ministry, known as Cross Road Christian Missionary Incorporated in Koforidua.
Beside the missionary work, the deceased also had a farm at Akwamu, near Nsawam, which was managed by Seidu while his private secretarial institution was handled by Padmore.
&nbsp;
On December 27, 2009, the deceased went to the USA and he was to return to Ghana on March 18, 2010.
&nbsp;
On March 17, Padmore gave Seidu some money to repair the vehicle of the deceased so that they could use it to bring him from the Airport to Koforidua the following day.
&nbsp;
On March 18, Seidu after collecting GH&cent;50 for fuel left early in the morning saying he wanted to &ldquo;do some rounds&rdquo; before picking up the deceased in the evening.
&nbsp;
At about 2330 hours, Seidu called Padmore on phone saying that the deceased had not arrived so he had driven the vehicle to Nsawam Adoagyiri.
&nbsp;
On March 19, a witness in the case detected that Seidu had sustained some injuries on both hands and when he was quizzed, he told the witness that he and a white friend were involved in an accident in Koforidua.
&nbsp;
He indicated that the said white friend was receiving treatment at the Saint Joseph's Hospital in Koforidua.
&nbsp;
Seidu also went to a chemical shop for a tetanus injection and was asked to purchase the drugs but he did not return.
&nbsp;
Seidu presented a laptop to a witness in the case and when it was switched on, the name of the deceased appeared on the screen.
&nbsp;
The bag of the deceased was found in the vehicle being driven by the accused.
&nbsp;
Following a report lodged with INTERPOL on the disappearance of the deceased, Seidu was arrested and handed over to the Homicide Unit for further investigations.
&nbsp;
Seidu confessed to the crime and mentioned Padmore and Mohammed as his accomplices.
&nbsp;
On October 11, 2010 Seidu led a team of investigators from the Homicide unit and pathologists from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to Akwamu Amanfo, near Nsawam Adoagyiri, where he identified the grave where the deceased was buried.
&nbsp;
The body of the deceased was exhumed and conveyed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Mortuary and on October 13, autopsy was carried out on the body.
&nbsp;
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital gave cause of the death of the missionary as multiple stab injuries and lacerations and haemorrhage.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ghanaians lauded for their change of attitude towards disabled persons]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Ghanaians-lauded-for-their-change-of-attitude-towards-disabled-persons/?ci=4&ai=39620]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; Mr Yaw Ofori-Debrah, Vice President of the Ghana Federation for the Disabled (GFD), has lauded Ghanaians for their changing attitude towards disabled people in the society.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is worth noting that the attitude of the Ghanaian toward the disabled in our society has changed for the better as compared to the last 10 years&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Mr Ofori-Debrah who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday, said that due to a lot of sensitization programmes on disability, employers had began giving employment opportunities to qualified disabled persons in their organisations.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Now we have able bodied persons who are marrying physically disabled people and hitherto, it was never like that.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
He cited the provision of special facilities for the disabled persons in government universities as some of the measures which had gone a long way to integrate disabled persons into the society and also give them quality education.
&nbsp;
He said &ldquo;we need a Legislative Instrument on the Disability Act in order to spell out clearly and how what institutions are mandated to do to ensure that lives of disabled persons were made easier.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
He called on Ghanaians to educate themselves in issues pertaining to disability and Persons with Disability (PWD) so as to know how to live with them, eschew stigmatization and also desist from trampling on their rights.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;For example, how many public transport drivers know that they are required by law to reserve two seats for PWD when loading their vehicles with passengers,&rdquo; he asked.
&nbsp;
Mr Ofori-Debrah who is also the President of the Ghana Blind Union, congratulated the District Assemblies for heeding calls to pay the two percent of their Common Fund meant for PWDs in their localities.
&nbsp;
He called on members in the district to go by the guidelines developed by the Federation on how to disburse the two percent given to them.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Basically, the two percent is used to assist members who wanted to start their own businesses, give support to students and also for capacity building programmes of members&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
He called on the public to learn more about PWDs and stop stigmatizing them in the society in an effort to make life easier for them.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;PWDs need understanding, not compassion from society, they need opportunities&rsquo; not charity and they need equity and equality but not consideration.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Mr Ofori-Debrah said the Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled, the Ghana Blind Union, Ghana Association for the Deaf and the Parent Association of Children with Intellectual Disability as some of the organization under the Federation.
&nbsp;
He expressed appreciation to Disabled People Organisation in Denmark (DEPOD)&nbsp;&nbsp; for its financial support to the Association.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[UNDP calls on government to set up environment fund]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Science/UNDP-calls-on-government-to-set-up-environment-fund/?ci=8&ai=39619]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb 22, GNA - Mr George Orstin, National Coordinator of the UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF) on Wednesday called on the government to establish a community environmental development fund through the annual budget allocations.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
This, he said would support grassroots level non-governmental and community based organisations to help preserve the environment.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&ldquo;This fund must be made available exclusively to environmental civil society organisations (CBOs) to be accessed for sustainable environmental management activities&rdquo;,&nbsp; he stressed.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Orstin was speaking at the signing of a memorandum of agreement ceremony under the GEF Small Grant Programme of the UNDP with selected non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and CBO&rsquo;s in Accra.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He said Ghana should no longer depend on the meager support from donor countries to manage the environment.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He explained that most CBOs and NGO were categorised as one of the three strong pillars in the sustainable environmental management structures in the country.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&ldquo;They sustain biodiversity conservation, adopt strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change and promote sustainable land management, using indigenous management practices with modern science.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He said however, their activities had not been mainstreamed into formal environmental management structures whilst their contributions had also not been captured in the national statistics.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Orstin said the organizations continued to grope in difficulties seeking for funding to support the poor and the vulnerable in fragile ecosystems.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The signing ceremony afforded six CBOs the opportunity to be awarded various grants to undertake programmes that would help preserve the environment.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Eight other CBOs had already signed the agreement and given various monies under a total grant of 350,000 dollars to implement environmental projects in the Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo, Upper East, Northern and Upper West regions.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The projects to be undertaken include restoration of degraded lands through sustainable land management, developing capacities of rural framers to invest in sustainable land management practices, sustainable woodland management, conservation of threatened native species and awareness creation on the effects of the use of agro-chemicals and the promoting of organic farming.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Mr Orstin said the GEF small grants over the past five years had served as one of the few developments from partners that lend financial and technical support directly to rural community groups in sustainable environmental management.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He said the programme operates on the axiom that environmental problems could best be addressed: &ldquo;If the local people affected by the problems are involved and there are direct benefits and ownership of the process.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The programme had supported the establishment of six community conserved areas in the northern savannah ecosystems measuring 9,000 hectares, invested in three ecotourism sites, mapped and documented 264 sacred groves within the southern dry marginal forest ecosystem covering 5,000 hectares of community sacred forest.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
It has also supported the conservation of rare endangered species and established 10 community conservation sanctuaries catering for monkey, crocodile and hippopotamus.&nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Dr James K. Adomako, Chairman of the Steering Committee of GEF said the annual grants had over the past four years supported 53 CBOs living around the biological hotspots, international water ways, migratory corridors and degraded landscapes within the coastal and northern savanna ecosystems with an amount of 2.61 million dollars in grants.
&nbsp;
He said this year, more than 65 community groups submitted proposals but only 20 per cent of them won the grant with the remaining proposals deferred to the net round of funding.
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Dr Adomako urged the winners to make judicious use of the funds to address environmental challenges as well as poverty issues.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Some of the grants winners include, the Bimbilla Community Afforestation Group- 27,900 dollars, Bright Generation Community Foundation, 30,200 dollars, Foundation for Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, 24,700 dollars, Tema Cooperative Sunflower Producers 30,000 dollars and Human Care and Maintenance Foundation, 20,000 dollars.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shippers Authority must use revenue judiciously - Freight Forwarders]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/Shippers-Authority-must-use-revenue-judiciously-Freight-Forwarders/?ci=3&ai=39618]]></link><description><![CDATA[Takoradi, Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The Takoradi branch of the Freight Forwarders and Clearing Agents (FFCA) have called on the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) to use revenue generated from the stakeholders in a judicious manner to benefit its entire members.
&nbsp;
The FFCA made the call at a press conference held in Takoradi on Wednesday to react to the GSA claims of imposition of indiscriminate and unilateral charges on shippers by the FFCA.
&nbsp;
The FFCA debunked such allegations and accused the GSA of being guilty of imposing illegal charges and flouting its mandate of operation.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;As much as the GIFF will not and does not condone any arbitrary charges by any of our members to the detriment of the Shipper, we will not expect the Shippers Authority as a State Institution not to use its privileged position to exploit the Shipper&rdquo;, the FFCA stated.
&nbsp;
Mr Kwame Asante Asare, Second Vice President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) said the Ghana Shippers Authority has constructed a number of projects that are not beneficial to the stakeholders but rather sought to satisfy their own parochial interests.
&nbsp;
He said some of the projects that cost millions of dollars like the Boankra Inland Port in the Ashanti Region that was started without considering a railway line which would transport the cargo to the project sites.
&nbsp;
He said the GSA is also guilty of constructing huge structures in Takoradi and Accra, presumably for freight forwarders and clearing agents but not widely used describing it as waste of revenue and resources.
&nbsp;
Mr Asare said these projects were constructed without being consulted as there were pressing needs for the construction of warehouses to benefit all the users and members.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;All these ventures went on and are going on, without any trace of accountability or scrutiny as to whether the Shippers money is being properly appropriated, we believe that the day of reckoning is long overdue&rdquo;, he added.
&nbsp;
Mr Asare said the GSA charges on shippers have no basis in law and mentioned some two dollars charged on every freight on all imports into the country and 0.35 dollars for all exports.
&nbsp;
Five cedis per every declaration of an average of 10,000 declarations passed by the Customs House Agents, &ldquo;beyond these charges the Shipper seeks to charge 25 Euros per bill of lading as cargo tracking fee, a charge that per their own law has no basis&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Mr Asare expressed surprise at the Shippers Authority criticisms on the charge of the Freight Forwarders because it was the same Ghana Shippers Authority who in 1987 agreed with the shipping agents for the payment of services fees.
&nbsp;
He explained, &ldquo;a request to charge the importers a service fee was on the backdrop that carriers&rsquo; agents were doing the job of terminal handlers by using their equipment to deliver goods to customers at the ports&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
Mr Solomon Faakye, Executive Secretary of the GIFF, said there was the need for the establishment of Private Led Shipper Association that would champion the needs of shippers to ensure efficiency.
&nbsp;
He said the present system where government institution led their interest was not the best for them.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Producer price inflation increases to 15.25 per cent in January]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Economics/Producer-price-inflation-increases-to-15-25-per-cent-in-January/?ci=3&ai=39617]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra , Feb. 22, GNA - The annual Producer Price Inflation (PPI) increased to 15.25 per cent in January year-on-year from a revised figure of 13.65 per cent in December 2011, the Ghana Statistical Service said on Wednesday.
&nbsp;
The all industry monthly inflation is 5.40 per cent.
&nbsp;
On specific industry performance, mining and quarrying sector recorded the highest year-on-year rate of 27.99 per cent while the manufacturing sector decreased to 14.68 per cent from 15.25 per cent in December.
&nbsp;
Utilities recorded the lowest rate of 9.33 per cent for the period.
&nbsp;
Dr Philomena Nyarko, Acting Government Statistician, said the high contribution of the mining and quarrying sector was because gold was tracking the high international gold prices.
&nbsp;
Petroleum prices have been relatively stable since a sharp rise in January 2011, recording 23.80 per cent inflation rate for January 2012.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The monthly change rate indicated that mining and quarrying recorded the highest monthly rate of 7.84 per cent, followed by manufacturing 6.12 per cent and utilities 0.25 per cent,&rdquo; Dr Nyarko said.
&nbsp;
Dr Nyarko said six out of the 16 major groups in the manufacturing sector recorded inflation rates higher than the sector&rsquo;s average of 14.68 per cent.
&nbsp;
The manufacture of machinery and equipment recorded the highest inflation rate of 38.05 per cent whilst manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers recorded the lowest rate of 2.33 per cent.
GNA
&nbsp;...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Technical problem halts work in Parliament]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/Technical-problem-halts-work-in-Parliament/?ci=2&ai=39616]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - The business of the Parliament of Ghana was on Wednesday delayed as a result of a technical problem.
&nbsp;
The proceedings, which normally commences at 1000 hours had to be delayed, as technicians worked assiduously to fix the problem that impaired the communications network of the House till about 1240 hours.
&nbsp;
Top on the agenda of the day is the continuation of the debate on the President&rsquo;s State of the Nation address to the House last week.
&nbsp;
The House would also deliberate on the report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Mines and Energy on the Subsidiary Agreement between the government of Ghana and the China Development Bank Corporation for an amount of 850,000,000 dollars to finance the Western Corridor Gas Infrastructure Development Project.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The agreement is part of the three billion dollars Master Facility Agreement between the government of Ghana and the China Development Bank Corporation.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Energy Commission to reinforce ban on importation of used fridges]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Science/Energy-Commission-to-reinforce-ban-on-importation-of-used-fridges/?ci=8&ai=39615]]></link><description><![CDATA[Sunyani, Feb 22, GNA - Mr. Victor Owusu, Public Affairs Officer of the Energy Commission on Tuesday stated that the ban on importation of used refrigerators into the country would be re-enforced with effect from January 1, 2013 to save the country from high energy consumption.
&nbsp;
He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Sunyani after a one-day workshop for 50 refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics, that the ban on old refrigerators would save the nation about 33 million dollars annually.
&nbsp;
The participants, drawn from Berekum, Dormaa Ahenkro, Techiman and Sunyani in Brong Ahafo, were taken through methods in repairing a new type of refrigerator that would be introduced in the country soon.
&nbsp;
He said the replacement of onion bulbs with energy-saving bulbs saved the nation 100 million dollars annually, and expressed the hope that importers and individuals would cooperate for the success of the exercise.
&nbsp;
He cautioned that importers who might import refrigerators that did not meet the required standard would not be allowed to take delivery of them from the port.
&nbsp;
Mr Owusu explained that with time the old ones already in the system would phase out since the particular gas material used for their repair would be banned from entering the country.
&nbsp;
Mr. Eric Antwi Adjei, coordinator of the refrigeration project, said the ban on old refrigerators would give the opportunity for the manufacture of the appliance in the country.
&nbsp;
He added that negotiations had already been made with some foreign manufacturers who were prepared to come to Ghana for the project.
&nbsp;
The co-ordinator advised consumers to always look out for labels on refrigerators which bore the manufacturer&rsquo;s name, the type and of which climate class so that those not environmentally friendly and consume much energy could be rejected.
&nbsp;
He stated that even though there might be some fake labels on some refrigerators the Energy Commission had a testing facility that could be used to detect such labels.
&nbsp;
Mr. Johnson Bennet Hasford of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urged participants to come together so they could invite resource persons for refresher courses to be able to serve consumers as expected.
&nbsp;
He urged the participants to adapt to new methods of repairing refrigerators through the use of modern equipment and to desist from using LPG gas in their work.
&nbsp;
Mr Hasford explained the use of LPG gas in the repair of refrigerators could cause fire outbreak and that perpetrators could be arrested and prosecuted in court.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Residents of Fiapre in Brong Ahafo face acute water shortage]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Residents-of-Fiapre-in-Brong-Ahafo-face-acute-water-shortage/?ci=4&ai=39614]]></link><description><![CDATA[Sunyani (B/A) Feb. 22, GNA &ndash; The Brong Ahafo regional office of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has appealed to residents of Fiapre and its environs to exercise restraint while measures are taken to resolve the current acute water shortage in the area.
&nbsp;
The area has for more than a week now experienced water shortage to the extent that residents have resorted to traveling long distances to fetch water from streams and boreholes for domestic and other purposes.
&nbsp;
School children have had to wake up at dawn to walk long distances for water to take their bath before going to school, which makes them to report late to school.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
Mr. Maxwell Addo-Boateng, Brong-Ahafo Regional Chief Manager of the company who made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani attributed the problem to electricity power fluctuations.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The emergency load shedding exercise being carried out by the Volta River Authority (VRA) nation-wide has been a contributory factor to the mal-functioning of our gas plant&rdquo;, he said.
&nbsp;
The regional chief manager explained that the power fluctuations had badly affected the company&rsquo;s distribution pumps, culminating in its inability to supply water to inhabitants mostly residing in hilly areas of the municipality, including Fiapre and its environs.
&nbsp;
Mr. Addo-Boateng advised the people to always conserve and use the little water they will have at their disposal judiciously, saying that&nbsp; &quot;water is life&rdquo;.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tema records decrease in 2011 OPD cases]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Health/Tema-records-decrease-in-2011-OPD-cases/?ci=1&ai=39613]]></link><description><![CDATA[Tema, Feb 22, GNA - The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate (TMHD), in 2011 recorded a total of 339,786 Out Patients Department (OPD) attendance cases, showing a decrease of 1,813 of the 2010 figures.
&nbsp;
Private health institutions in the Metropolis accounted for 43,908 of the total OPD attendance cases for last year.
&nbsp;
Mr Harvey Akafu, Tema Metropolitan Health Information Officer who revealed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, said the decrease was due to the strike&nbsp; embarked on by doctors and other health workers in 2011.
&nbsp;
He explained that the Directorate collected most of its data from the Public Health Institutions in the Metropolis which was negatively affected by the strike.
&nbsp;
The Public Health Institutions are the Tema General Hospital, Tema Polyclinic, Tema and Kpone Health Centres as well as the Appollonia Community-based Health Planning and Services Compound.
&nbsp;
The Directorate&rsquo;s top 10 health conditions were malaria, hypertension, acute respiratory infection, pregnancy related cases and diabetes.
&nbsp;
The others were acute-eye-infection, skin diseases and ulcers, rheumatism, anaemia, and acute-ear infection.
&nbsp;
Mr Akafu indicated that malaria topped with 84,759 cases in 2011as against the 68,800 recorded in 2010.
&nbsp;
The TMHD Information Officer said a total of 21,658 patients comprising 10,389 non-insured and 11,269 insured patients were admitted at the health institutions for treatment last year.
&nbsp;
He advised the public especially residents of the Metropolis to take their physical exercises seriously since the data showed that hypertension moved from the third position in 2010 to the second position on the top 10 diseases in 2011.
&nbsp;
He asked them to cut down the intake of fatty foods and to replace processed drinks with fruits.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[I did not cause financial loss to the State - Amoah]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/I-did-not-cause-financial-loss-to-the-State-Amoah/?ci=4&ai=39612]]></link><description><![CDATA[Accra, Feb.22, GNA - Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Aburi-Nsawam, on Tuesday said he had not caused any financial loss to the State.
&nbsp;
Addressing a press conference organised by the Minority in Parliament, Mr Amoah said as Deputy Minister of Education, he worked under four Ministers of State and therefore, never took any decision by himself.
&nbsp;
The press conference was in reaction to the arrest of Mr Amoah in regard to the controversial payment of the GH&cent; 51 Million judgement debt to Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome, a businessman.
&nbsp;
He pointed out that he had never hidden the fact that he knew Mr Woyome, but it was Mr Woyome who approached him during his tenure in office about the purchase of 20 plots of land at Kitasi near Aburi but the chief said he would not deal with any other person than himself (Amoah).
&nbsp;
Mr Amoah said: &quot;Paying money for any stretch of land for a project, I do not think that I am corrupt. The chief is alive and the records are there for anyone to refer.&quot;
&nbsp;
Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Minority Leader, said if Mr Amoah had not been released on Monday, things would certainly had been different on Tuesday.
&nbsp;
He said the NPP Parliamentarians did not see any credible reason for the arrest, which was baseless and fruitless enterprise the Police were embarking on.
&nbsp;
Mr Mensah Bonsu said President John Evans Atta Mills was &ldquo;on record to have said that he is not irresponsible or criminally-minded to order the payment of such huge sums of jugdement debt to Mr Woyome. The Economic and Organised Crime Office report has indicated that President Mills tried unsuccessfully on two occasions to stop payments to Mr Woyome&quot;.
&nbsp;
&quot;Now it is established that the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, is the person who authorised the payment and in fact supervised by the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor.
&nbsp;
&quot;By the account Mrs Mould-Iddrisu is irresponsible and criminally-minded for authorising the payment to Mr Woyome. Thus in the circumstance why will the Police not go for Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrissu,&quot; he alleged.
&nbsp;
Mr Mensah Bonsu noted that there was only one truth in the whole saga, the State had no contract with Mr Woyome but he succeeded in claiming monies that he was not entiled to.
&nbsp;
The Minority, he noted, therefore questioned the modus of the arrest of a colleague Member of Parliament and the capricious use of power.
&nbsp;
He said they would co-operate with the law enforcement agencies to expose evils in the society in order that Ghanaians would not lose hope in democratic governance.
&nbsp;
Mr Mensah Bonsu said the authority of the Speaker of Parliament was being challenged by the Police for not informing her of the arrest of a Parliamentarian.
&nbsp;
Mr Amoah was arrested on Sunday night, February 19, in front of his house at Parakuo Estate near Dome by some armed policemen in three vehicles after a business meeting of a Parliamentary group.
&nbsp;
Meanwhile, on the floor of the House, a motion to express appreciation to President Mills for the address on the State of the Nation delivered to Parliament on Thursday, February 16, was moved by Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, NDC Member of Parliament for Asawase and Seconded by Professor George Yaw Gyan-Baffuor, NPP Member of Parliament for Wenchi to commence debate on the address.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Man shot dead by police]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Social/Man-shot-dead-by-police/?ci=4&ai=39611]]></link><description><![CDATA[Kumasi, Feb 22, GNA &ndash; A police lance corporal has been detained for allegedly shooting dead an employee of the Fire Consultancy Engineering Limited at the Roman Hill in Kumasi on Tuesday afternoon.
&nbsp;
A shot fired by Lance Corporal Eric Amoako from an AK 47 rifle hit the deceased, Charles Igbo, who was leaning on a wall on the second floor of the First National Bank, killing him instantly.
&nbsp;
The policeman, attached to the Zongo Police Station, was said to have been on guard duty at the Roman Hill branch of the UniBank.
&nbsp;
He reportedly fired the weapon to scare two passengers engaged in a scuffle&nbsp; with a &ldquo;trotro&rdquo; driver.
&nbsp;
Eyewitnesses told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they saw Lance Corporal Amoako move in ostensibly to help stop the fight.
&nbsp;
His aggressive approach angered those fighting, leading to a confrontation and fearing for his life, he pulled his gun and two soldiers in mufti who were passing by, attempted to stop him from firing it.
&nbsp;
In the process, the gun went-off and hit Igbo, who had gone with his colleagues to fix faulty fire extinguishers at the bank, in the chest and he dropped dead in a pool of blood.
&nbsp;
Some fast thinking traders in the area saved Lance Corporal Amoako from a mob attack. The traders put him in one of the stores and called then police.
&nbsp;
Corporal Godwin Ahianyo of the Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Unit confirmed the incident to the GNA and said the two soldiers have also been arrested.
GNA...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Respect the Presidency – NPP urged]]></title><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012</pubDate><link><![CDATA[http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Politics/Respect-the-Presidency-NPP-urged/?ci=2&ai=39610]]></link><description><![CDATA[Saltpond (C/R), Feb 22, GNA &ndash; The Mfantseman Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron, has appealed to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to accord the presidency respect.
&nbsp;
He said the behaviour put up by NPP Members of Parliament on the day the President presented the State of the Nation address to Parliament degraded them as &ldquo;honourable members.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Mr Hayfron said the apparel in which they appeared in the august House that day left much to be desired.
&nbsp;
Addressing the Women&rsquo;s wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at a seminar organised to strategise for the December general elections, he said&nbsp; though the President was their political opponent, the NPP must bear in mind that he was elected by majority of Ghanaians and that&nbsp; the minority cannot&nbsp; impose their will on the majority.
&nbsp;
Mr Hayfron appealed to the leadership of the NPP to bring their supporters, especially the serial callers, to order because the way they addressed the President on the airwaves was not the best.
&nbsp;
He urged the NPP to allow the rule of law to operate and stop besieging police stations and courts any time any of their members was arrested.
&nbsp;
Mr Hayfrom said 104 projects had been executed over the past three years in the Municipality and these include school blocks, sanitation facilities, Community Health and Planning Service Compounds.
&nbsp;
He said the campaign for the general elections would be based on achievements and urged members of the NDC to be conversant with what the government had done since coming into office and cautioned them against insulting their opponents as a mode of campaigning.
&nbsp;
Madam Ekua Swanzy, Deputy Central Regional Women&rsquo;s Organiser, appealed to supporters to bury differences to work to retain the seat.
&nbsp;
Madam Alice Wenchie, Mfantseman West Women&rsquo;s Organizer, told the&nbsp; women to ensure that President Mills won the election&nbsp; without going for a run-off.
GNA...]]></description></item></channel>
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