‘Accept back ex-convicts into society’

Mr Bansah

THE Director General of the Prisons Service, Mr Michael Kofi Bansah, has appealed to the general public to endeavour to accept back ex-convicts into the society.

According to him, when relatives and the general society accept and reintegrate ex-convicts into the society, it  would contribute significantly to crime reduction and also go to reduce congestion in the country’s prisons.

“Anything short of this negates their proper reintegration and militates against rehabilitation efforts by the service,” he said.

Mr Bansah made the appeal at an induction service during which he was commissioned as a substantive head of the prisons service, after serving in an acting capacity for three years.

He indicated that society’s continuous neglect and discrimination against ex-convicts had often led to the ex-convicts’ craving to continue engaging in bad activities.

“The public and societal negative perception about ex-convicts must be discarded, since anything short of societal acceptance, will go to defeat the purpose of correction  which ex-convicts have been taken through as a result of their incarceration,” Mr Bansah said.

He reiterated that enhancing professionalism of staff; the welfare of servicemen and servicewomen as well as inmates; and the promotion of corporate image of the service were key pillars around which his leadership would  revolve.

Mr Bansah called for the collaborative support from the staff of the service and key stakeholders to harness the growth of the service.

He also appealed to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals to complement government’s efforts at the provision of facilities for the rehabilitation of inmates.

That, he said, would make the inmates become useful to themselves and society as a whole.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Rt Rev Francis Amenu, who performed the induction, charged political leaders to abide by the oaths they took.

“Many leaders who begin to make strides fail to uphold their virtues and fall in the process, and as such do not live to tell their success stories,” he lamented.

Rev Amenu also charged politicians to conduct their campaign in decorum, as the political season began.

“Exhibit a high sense of restraint and love for one another worthy of emulation by followers and enthusiasts,” he charged political  party flag bearers.

While congratulating Mr Bansah on his elevation, the moderator also tasked him to provide genuine leadership and stewardship to the people he has been appointed to lead.

Mr Bansah was enrolled into the service in 1980 and has served in various  capacities, such as commandant of the Prisons Training School and Director of Prisons in charge of operations at the General Headquarters until his elevation to the acting Director General position in 2009.  

Present at the ceremony were the Minister of Interior, Mr William Aboah, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawaih Quaye, the Director General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Dr Peter Alex Wiredu, and some security service heads.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Sat March 24, 2012

Nationwide blackouts - GOVT CALLS FOR PROBE

Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei

THE Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, has ordered the three electricity providers to set up a technical committee to investigate the circumstances that have led to a string of nation-wide blackouts in recent times.

The providers — the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) — are to submit their report to the ministry within 24 hours.

They are also required to outline strategies to forestall future nation-wide blackouts.

The country has experienced three major blackouts since January this year.

Dr Oteng-Adjei told the Daily Graphic in an interview that Wednesday’s blackout was certainly worrying and, therefore, necessitated an independent enquiry to ascertain the challenge.

According to him, much as the government acknowledged the constraints in the power sector, total blackouts could be prevented if systems were managed effectively.

“The utility companies must be up and doing because Ghanaians are beginning to lose their patience on such incidents which are preventable,” he said, adding, “Incidents of nation-wide blackouts have security and economic implications and should, therefore, not be taken for granted.”

While using the platform to apologise to the public for the inconvenience the inaction of the three providers might have caused them, the minister said people would have to suffer the consequences if it was found that the recurrence was as a result of human error.

While the VRA attributed the latest occurrence to system overload as a result of overstretched demand during peak periods, officials of GRIDCo took exception to that.

According to the Public Relations Manager of GRIDCo, Mr Albert Quainoo, preliminary investigations revealed that the recurrence was as a result of inadequate generation reserve margin to take care of emergencies in the event of collapse.

According to him, the power producer ought to make available an acceptable daily reserve of 160 megawatts, which is about 10 per cent of system demand.

He also blamed the situation on Cote d’Ivoire losing one of its generators, consequently prompting the automatic load frequency device mechanism on the transmission lines to transfer power into its systems, compelling the system trip off.

“At the time of the collapse on Wednessday, there were some 1,615.7 megawatts available, with a six megawatts reserve, thereby prompting the automatic supply, at the time Cote d’Ivoire lost its generator,” Mr Quainoo said. 

He said while the January 28 incident resulted from an explosion of a circuit breaker, adequate reserves in the system would have provided some compensation by holding parts of the country on.

The nation-wide outages in recent times have seen disenchanted members of the public taking to social media platforms to vent their frustrations on all three providers.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) earlier this month received a report from the providers on the erratic power supply after an emergency meeting to deliberate on the power supply situation.

Similar occurrences were recorded on January 28 and February 26 which officials blamed on system failure following a broken cable said to have fallen on a power generator at the Akosombo Switchyard.

They also blamed the erratic supply of gas from the West Africa, Gas Company (WAPCo) for the inconsistency in supply.

The PURC had lamented over providers’ inability to make available necessary information to consumers on their operations and charged them to ensure that consumers became a focal point in their operations.

The VRA, however, last week announced publicly an end to the month-long load-shedding exercise which was prompted by the shortfall in gas supply.

The return to normalcy was, however, shortlived, as consumers and the public had, over the past day,s been subjected to sleeping in the dark.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri, March 23, 2012

NDC suspends Kofi Adams

Kofi Adams

THE National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has slapped a three-month suspension on a Deputy General Secretary of the party, Mr Kofi Adams, over allegations that he is working against President J.E.A. Mills’s second term bid.

The decision was taken at a crunch NEC meeting held in Accra yesterday to deliberate on an alleged tape-recording of a conversation between Mr Adams and the Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Mr Gabby Asare Okyere-Darko.

In the recording, Mr Adams is alleged to have vowed to ensure that President Mills is not elected for a second term.

The NEC has also referred his conduct to the Disciplinary Committee of the party for further investigations into the case.  

The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the Disciplinary Committee had been mandated to investigate the matter and advise the NEC appropriately.

The interdiction, which takes immediate effect, according to Mr Nketsiah, would be communicated officially to Mr Adams by close of day, today.

He said the alleged conversation was an anti-party activity which ought to be thoroughly investigated.

He said the Disciplinary Committee had been mandated to give a fair hearing to Mr Adams, establish the veracity or otherwise of the recording and make appropriate recommendations.

“If the investigations exonerate him, the suspension will be withdrawn; but if it goes against him, we will apply the recommended sanction,” he said.

Mr Adams, who also doubles as an aide to former President Jerry John Rawlings, has been accused of plotting with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to cause the defeat of the government in the December elections.

The deputy general secretary is alleged to have said on tape that he would do everything possible to prevent President Mills from securing the mandate of Ghanaians for a second term.

Mr Adams has since denied the allegations and challenged the authenticity of the voice recording.

He told an Accra-based radio station that his position on whether he wished President Mills a second term or not was public knowledge.

“I did everything and campaigned extensively during the Sunyani congress in 2011 to ensure that a former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, became our flag bearer and I do not see that as an anti-party activity,” he said.

Mr Adams wondered if he was that powerful to send a whole government machinery into opposition, saying, “I did not know that I am so powerful to manipulate the electorate to achieve such an aim.”

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 23, 2012

National Road Safety Action Plan launched

THE National Road Safety Action plan aimed at reducing road crashes and fatalities was launched in Accra yesterday.

The strategic plan, an offshoot of the National Road Safety Strategy III launched in 2011, is  in line with the  United Nations Global Plan for the Decade of Action of Road Safety 2011-2020 intended to reduce road crashes to the barest minimum.

Under the plan, the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and other stakeholders are required to undertake activities that would realise the objectives of the programme.

The NRSC and its stakeholder bodies such as the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Highway Authority, have, therefore, signed the action plan.

Other signatories to the action plan are the Department of Urban Roads, Department of Feeder Roads, the National Ambulance Service and the Ghana Red Cross Society.

Under the plan, stakeholders would also seek to reduce road fatalities by 23 per cent this year.
An amount of GH¢151 million would be used for an effective implementation of the programme from 2011-2013.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Transport Minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said rhetoric's on the implementation of road safety regulations ought to be relegated to the background.

He said in spite of the availability of enough regulations on road safety on the country’s statute, the implementation process had, however, become problematic”.

“We need commitment to translate written regulations into implementation, since their survival are paramount,” Alhaji Dauda said.

The minister expressed disappointment at the conduct of drivers who engaged in drunk driving and received or made telephone calls among other dangerous activities while driving.

He urged the stakeholders to ensure they provide a checklist to the ministry periodically, for an appropriate monitoring and evaluation of the programme.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the DVLA, Mr Justice Amegashie, both indicated that the reduction of casualty should remain key on the agenda of their respective institutions.

According to them, they were committed to the achievement of the objectives of the plan and appealed to the general public, particularly politicians, to discontinue unnecessary interference in their line of duty.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Director of the NRSC, Mr Noble Appiah, indicated that the commission was looking forward to an effective stakeholder engagement as part of immediate strategies to make the programme’s objectives achievable.

Mr Appiah expressed the hope that the 23 per cent reduction rate pegged for 2012 would be achieved.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Thur March 22, 2012

Energy Minister briefed on ongoing power projects

Dr Oteng-Adjei (right) being briefed at the smelter station

 

WORK on a smelter substation to facilitate the evacuation of power from existing thermal plants to the national grid is expected to be completed by July this year.

Under the project, power will be directly injected at the new substation to ensure effective monitoring and control of power exchanges in the national power network.

Located on a four-acre land at the Tema Industrial Area, the project is to replace the old facility built hurriedly in 2006 and allow for effective interconnectivity of power across the board, in line with strategies geared towards ensuring that Ghana becomes a net exporter of power in the shortest possible time.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Mr Charles Darku, told the Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, who was on a tour of the facility yesterday, that two other projects, the CENIT and the Tema 1 Thermal plants which are being constructed to help address constraints in electricity supply were also expected to be completed by the end of the year.

He said another substation, the Third Bulk Supply Point, meant to install additional two 66 megavolt ampere (MVA) transformers to reduce pressure on the Achimota Substation would also be completed by July this year.

All the projects are being undertaken by GRIDCo at a cost of $70 million.

According to Mr Darku, the third bulk point, located at Adjiriganor in Accra, would take 30 per cent of the load on the Achimota transmission lines to improve power supply reliability and take on new expansion.

He admitted that the power transformers serving Accra were often loaded above their maximum ratings, hence the need to provide additional supply facilities to meet increasing demands.

He said the replacement of circuit breakers at the Tema Substation and the Akosombo Switchyard was also underway at a cost of $16.5 million, in line with efforts to replace old and obsolete equipment.

Mr Darku was of the hope that the current maintenance activities being undertaken would go a long way to address the power supply deficit in the system.

 Dr Oteng-Adjei, who expressed satisfaction with work done so far, indicated that the availability of power was a major challenge facing the government.

He announced that following parliamentary approval given to the Chinese Development Bank (CDB) loan, $850 million, which is expected to be made available to the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) to begin the construction of a central processing facility, would enable the processing of natural gas.

That, he said, would do away with the over-dependence of the VRA on the West Africa Gas Company (WAGPCo) to power its thermal plants. 

“At the moment, a discoverable gas of over 1.6 trillion is expected to be harnessed and hopefully by July issues for its exploitation would be addressed to pave way for enough power generation,” he said.

Dr Oteng-Adjei said the VRA and the ministry had converted most of the generating units to be able to work on light crude oil, so that anytime there is a problem with gas, generation could still be achieved.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Tue March 20, 2012

Zoomlion resumes dredging of Odaw River

DREDGING of the Odaw River, which is virtually choked with garbage, has commenced in earnest, ahead of this year’s rainy season.

The project, being undertaken by the Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company, at the cost of GH¢2 million, began at Caprice in Accra on Thursday.

The company yesterday resumed the dredging of the section of the river near the Graphic Road.

The Odaw River has become a dumping ground for solid waste and a receptacle for human excreta.

The Public Relations Manager of Zoomlion, Mr Robert Coleman, told the Daily Graphic that the company expected to desilt a significant portion of the river in the next two months.

According to him, squatters and residents in the catchment area continued to dump waste in the river even as the dredging was going on.

That and other human activities, he said, were disrupting operations of the company.

“We have, therefore, resolved to create a fence around the work area to hedge the activities of squatters and traders from further polluting the river,” Mr Coleman said.

He warned that the company would haul before the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA)’s sanitation court persons caught engaging in activities that were likely to cause unnecessary delays in the execution of the project.

The Odaw River, which serves as a major inlet for liquid waste into the Korle Lagoon, has over the years suffered from severe pollution.

The shallowness and grossly polluted state of the river have also rendered it unsuitable for navigation or recreation or even fishing, thereby adversely affecting the Korle Lagoon, which once served as a fishing ground.

In spite of some major dredging works carried out between 2002 and 2004, increasing population and socio-economic activities, coupled with the erection of illegal structures along the banks, have combined to undermine the survival of the river.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Sat, March 17, 2012

Govt called upon to enact consumer protection law

Dr Annan in an interaction with Ms Adetola (left) and an ISO official, Robin Simpson (middle)

PARTICIPANTS at a workshop to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day have called on the government to facilitate the promulgation of the consumer protection bill into an act.

According to them, the unavailability of the law has deprived consumers the right to safety, reliability and redress.

The commemoration was meant to provide an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers and request for those rights to be respected and protected.

The workshop, put together by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), in association with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, was on the theme, “Our money, our rights: Campaigning for real choice in financial services”.

It also sought to increase participants' understanding of what standards are and the importance of standards in the lives of consumers.

Opening the workshop, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Dr Joseph S. Annan, said the government was looking beyond the consumer act to ensure that institutions were in place for its implementation.

In line with that, he said the ministry had put in place a trade sector support programme to aid the existing protection policy that would bring about greater awareness of consumer information.

“The government is, therefore, committed to facilitating the strengthening of the linkage between the GSA and industry associations in the development of standards and initiatives that will improve institutional capacities in the interest of the consumer,” he reiterated.

He also announced the government’s decision to take a look at the issue of empowering the GSA to enforce laws on consumer protection.

Dr Annan explained that the delay in the passage of the act had to do with the multi-stakeholder approach where the consumer, manufacturers, non-governmental and advocacy organisations, as well as the government, had critically examined issues on redress and reliability which were key to the consumer.

The Head of the Consumer Advocacy Centre, Dr Goski Alabi, who presented a paper on the thematic area, expressed regret that there were no systematic approaches to educating consumers on the financial contracts they made.

According to her, since consumer protection was a process that took standards, laws and organisations to safeguard consumers, there was the need to make available the necessary legislation that would adequately take care of those provisions.

She also advocated the rethinking of issues on standards development, demands and concepts of standardisation, with new approaches in place to make sure that consumer needs and requirements were satisfied.

Earlier in her welcoming address, the acting Deputy Executive Director in charge of Core Services at the GSA, Ms Elizabeth Adetola, had said the involvement of consumers in standardisation was appropriate because of the important role they played as the end users.

The immediate past President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, who chaired the programme, appealed to consumer protection associations to consider the publication of consumer guides as a way of raising funds to support their activities.

He expressed the hope that the government would act on the recommendations from the workshop towards addressing the deficit in consumer protection. 

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 16, 2012

Load shedding over - VRA

THE nationwide load-shedding exercise which was prompted by faulty equipment and shortfall in gas supply has ended, the Volta River Authority (VRA) has said.

According to the Head of Public Relations of the VRA, Ms Getrude Koomson, the end of the exercise followed improvement in the supply of gas from the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCo) and the completion of repair works on the faulty units at the Akosombo hydro switchyard, the Aboadze and the Tema thermal plants. 

The interruption in the gas supply from WAGPCo cost the VRA an operational loss of GH¢20 million in the past four weeks.

The loss, according to Ms Koomson, was occasioned by the frequent switch between the use of crude oil and gas at the Aboadze and the Tema thermal plants.

She told the Daily Graphic in an interview that immediate power generation plans were far advanced to forestall future load-shedding exercises.

She said, for instance, that the Takoradi three (T3) thermal plant project, expected to produce some 132 megawatts of power, would be ready by June this year.

That, she said, was anticipated to improve supply, especially during the period of low gas supply.

She said the construction of a 110 megawatt CENIT plant in Tema was expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“We are also hopeful that the mobilisation for the installation of the 200 megawatts Alstom plant at Kpone in the Tema metropolis, which will be completed by 2014, will adequately address the growing demand for electric power,” she said.

She blamed the recent nationwide blackout that occurred on Sunday, February 25, 2012 on the high frequency of switching between gas and crude oil to generate power.

“The two thermal plants have now been restructured to run on both gas and crude oil,” Ms Koomson said.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 16, 2012

KNUST Energy Centre to host flagbearers of parties

THE Energy Centre of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is to host the second edition of the Flag-bearers on Energy (FoB) seminar.

The programme, instituted four years ago by the centre, is aimed at providing a platform for political party flag bearers to articulate their visions and policies on energy as they seek to hold the highest office of the land.

The Provost of the College of Engineering, Professor Samuel I.K. Ampadu, disclosed this when he led a delegation from the centre on a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ken Ashigbey, in Accra yesterday.

He was accompanied by the Director of the centre, Professor Abeeku Brew-Hammond, and the Registrar, Mr Ben Andoh.

Also at the meeting were the General Manager in charge of Technical Services, Mr Kwesi Adjei Kersi, and the General Manager in charge of Newspapers, both of the GCGL, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo.

According to Prof Ampadu, the programme had become necessary owing to the critical nature of the energy sector to economic growth.

He said the centre was determined to make a thorough analysis of presentations to be made by the various  flag bearers.

He lauded the GCGL for its contribution to the centre’s activities and called for more collaboration between the centre and the GCGL as the two entities made strides to contribute meaningfully to all aspects of the country’s development.

 Mr Boadu-Ayeboafo charged the centre to initiate debates using the expertise of political scientists at their disposal.

That, he said, would give the public an opportunity to follow its activities, while ensuring that the overall objective of the programme reflected on political promises made from time to time.

 Mr Ashigbey said elections were about choices and the best way to make an informed decision was when ideas were shared and articulated.

While calling on the centre to ensure that its publications were made available to the public by disseminating them through the media, he assured it of the GCGL’s commitment to collaborate effectively in propagating its activities because of the huge impact they would make on society.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 16, 2012

Transport company marks 2,000 accident free days

A Tema based transport service provider, has celebrated 2,000 accident free days as part of its strategy to reduce road accidents in the country.

The event, dubbed ‘Goal 2,000 Zero days,’ marks approximately five-and-half accident-free years in the company’s operations.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the day, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Simon Obeng Frimpong, attributed the success to the company’s internal controls and management system, in line with Shell Ghana’s policy of “No harm to people, assets, reputation and environment.”

According to him, SOFT, during the period under review, operated 30 tankers, 35 trailers and 10 passenger buses that hauled some 385,985.264 litres of fuel and some 678,49 passengers.

The company also hauled a total of 42,347.8 metric tonnes of cargo, including bitumen, over a total distance of 32,743,466 kilometres.

The feat, he said, had reduced the company’s running cost, owing to the high maintenance commitment by the entire work force.

Mr Frimpong announced the company’s decision to pursue the goal 3,000 accident-free days and expressed the hope that the achievement would propel personnel to do their best towards the realisation of this feat.

“I have no doubt that our staff will remain committed as we set out to achieve the new target that we have set for ourselves,” Mr Frimpong said.

The Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE) Manager, Mr Randy Obeng Frimpong, indicated that the company’s operations revolved around four key areas such as Plan, Do, Check and Feedback, and they were reflective in the achievement being celebrated.

 “Policy and strategic objectives, as well as organisational responsibilities, are well-positioned in our action plans to reduce road accidents”, he said.

He said the company’s operations revolved around the haulage of  wet and dry cargo, and it was imperative for officials to put in control measures that would minimise the unplanned occurrences.

Mr Obeng-Frimpong paid a glowing tribute to the company’s clientele for giving them appropriate feedbacks, which he said had equally impacted positively on their operations.

The Logistics Manager at Shell Ghana, Mr Joseph Boakye Kankam, commended SOFT for the feat.

“It is remarkable to hear that safety conciousness has eaten into your operations, and the resultant factor needs commendation,” Mr Kankam said.

He charged sister institutions to draw lessons from SOFT’s success story, particularly when road accidents had a dire consequences on the country’s overall revenue.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Wed 14, 2012 

Christians must participate in biometric voter registration

Mr Ablakwa with Ms Frances Asiam, and Ms Agnes Okudjeto

A DEPUTY Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on Christians to participate in the upcoming biometric registration as a civic responsibility.

According to him, directives of the nation should be the priority of all Christians just as all other activities relating to Christianity are important to them.

He also charged political party activists and sympathisers to be wary of their actions, which, he said had gone to demonise politics as a violence cause not worthy of involvement.

“Beyond the intense rivalry and political talk among the New patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), there are so many things that unite politicians”, Mr Ablakwa remarked.

Mr Ablakwa made the call at a church service, dubbed, ‘Thank God for Ghana’, at the Mount Cedar Assemblies of God church in Accra on Sunday.

The programme, on the theme, “Let Ghana be peaceful before, during and after December elections”, was also attended by the second Vice Chairperson of the NPP, Ms Agnes Okudzeto, and parliamentary candidate for the Adenta Constituency, Ms Frances Asiam, among other party functionaries.

According to the minister, the two giant parties are only symbols and should therefore not be allowed by the generality of Ghanaians to take them to war.

“If Christians failed to partake in such national courses, they give the room to all manner of people to opt for unworthy leaders for the country and its repercussions would be retrogression”, he counselled.

Quoting a verse from Matthew chapter 5 verse 9 in the bible, which reads, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called, sons of God”, Mr Ablakwa said  the divisive language and insults on political opponents would only go to burn the garments of the generality of the entire society, as a result of political immaturity, displayed by some leaders.

He said Christianity must revolve around all spheres of life which also had politics as an aspect.

“I am of the believe that regular prayer meetings and the preaching of virtues by political leaders and office holders should serve as a guide, as the political campaign seasons moves into gear”, Mr Ablakwa hoped.

He also wondered why there was much talk about high stakes in the upcoming election and queried, “would God not give people oxygen to breath, even if they should lose elections?”

The Second Vice Chairperson of the NPP, Ms Okudzeto, for her part challenged politicians to let humility, love and meekness that Jesus campaigned on in winning the whole world to his side to be the symbol of their political campaign activities.

She also charged Christians to adopt the mantle of peace and fervently intercede on behalf of the nation.

Earlier in a sermon, the Lead Pastor of the Mount Cedar Chapel, Rev. Stephen Wengam, charged the two big parties to ensure that their activities in the run up to the elections were informed by the fruit of the spirit.

“You cannot claim to be Christians by mouth and proclaim war on your political opponents in your heart”, he said.

Rev. Wengam expressed the hope that the cohesion and public display by politicians would go to be positively influenced by their followers, as we make strides to have a peaceful election.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Tue March 13, 2012

"Set up board of trustees for Media Fund"

Information Minister, Fritz Baffour (second right) and stakeholders at the forum

PARTICIPANTS in a conference to outline modalities for the disbursement of the Media Development Fund (MDF) have suggested the formulation of a regulatory policy to ensure transparency in disbursement.

They also proposed the establishment of an autonomous board of trustees that would provide policy direction for the disbursement of the fund.

The board, they said, should also be made to appoint the fund’s administrator, so as to reduce direct political control over its operations.

The conference brought together stakeholders such as the National Media Commission (NMC), the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).

The Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), senior media practitioners and communication experts were also in attendance.

The conference followed the government’s decision to ensure that the fund becomes operational by April, this year.

The fund is meant to improve the professional output of  journalists, provide media organisations with technical support and offer personnel adequate training, all aimed at improving their professional output and competence.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Mr Berifi Appenteng, called on the government to make sure adequate resources were made available for the fund’s operations.

He also advocated that media houses that made profit could also be encouraged to contribute to its sustainability, in a bid to avoid the over-dependency on government’s budget provisions, which he said might give room to possible manipulation and political interference.

While calling on stakeholders to closely monitor the activities of the Board of Trustees that may be set up to oversee the operations of the fund, Mr Appenteng also called for procedures for the fund’s accessibility to be outlined to ensure transparency.

A lecturer at the School of Communications Studies, University of Ghana, Ms Sarah Akrofi-Quarcoo, who delivered a paper on the sustainability of the fund, queried whether the beneficiaries would exclude the new media.

She also queried what funding options were available for the sustainability of the fund.

The chairman of the NMC, Mr Kabral Blay Amihere, and the General Secretary of the GJA, Mr Bright Blewu, commended the government for what they described as a welcome development.

According to the two, there is the need to cater for all aspects of democracy as is the case with the legislature and the judiciary.

They expressed optimism that consensus reached at the forum would  enhance the media’s performance for the for the general benefit of society.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Minister of Information, Mr Fritz Baffour, had said the overall objective of the fund was to ensure that it became beneficial by shaping democracy.

He said whereas the government was worried about the poor media standards, officials were committed to ensuring, improvement in the sector.

 Mr Baffour gave an assurance that the government would ensure an independent operation of the fund, saying, “The recommendations from the conference would be useful to the government’s efforts to promote a more independent media, in line with provisions in the country’s constitution that guarantees a freerer press”.

Present at the ceremony were the Deputy Ministers for Information, Messrs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and James Agyenim-Boateng.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 9, 2012

Arts exhibition commemorates International Women’s Day

Some of the paintings on display at the Accra International Press Centre

THE Women Arts Institute of Africa (WAIN) yesterday held an arts exhibition in Accra as part of activities marking the International Women’s Day.

The exhibition, on the theme: “To express, to freedom and to heal”, according to the Director of the institute, Ms Akwele Suma Glory, was to draw attention to the creative side of women.

Items such as paintings, collage (patchwork), artifacts, clothing and accessories, among others, were on display.

Ms Suma told the Daily Graphic that women artists had been relegated to the background, as there had not been enough orientation on their work.

“Women’s creativity and experiences could be utilised to solve societal problems,” she said.

She also expressed regret at the general neglect of the artistry industry, which she said could be packaged in a manner that could generate direct investment and the needed revenue for development.

She appealed to the government to look inward and create space for women artists, while maximising their potential.

A gender and development expert, Ms Marian Tackie,  called for technical and financial support for women in the creative industry.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 9, 2012

Govt to establish occupational health safety body

Officials of the Ministry touring one of the factories.

AN Occupational health and safety authority is to be established by the government to appropriately deal with occupational safety issues in the country.

It would be mandated to develop appropriate training mechanisms for occupational health and safety, as a way of eliminating volatile industrial accidents.

The authority would also be made to ensure a strict deployment of safety personnel in manufacturing industries and factories across the country.

The Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, made this known to the Daily Graphic when he toured the premises of Special Steel Limited, manufacturers of iron rods and steel rods in Tema.

He said that following the fact that the factories Inspectorate and the Labour Department had been marginalised in the past, the two entities had deteriorated to the extent where majority of its workforce had resigned for better job opportunities elsewhere.

“And as parts of measures to retool the department in a bid to make it attractive, a feasibility studies was being conducted for the construction of an office complex to house the two departments and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission”, Mr Sekyere disclosed.

Similarly, a fleet of vehicles, the Minister said, were ready for onward delivery to the Factories Inspectorate unit in the ensuing days as promised in the government’s 2012 supplementary budget as part of retooling measures.

The Deputy Minister was accompanied by the acting Chief Labour Officer, Ms Elizabeth Hagan, the acting Chief Factory Inspector, Mr Adjei Boye, Mr Fred Mensah, Greater Accra Regional Director of Factories and Mr Stephen Ankama Lomotey, Tema Metropolitan Factories Inspector.

The visit follows an industrial accident at the company’s melting plant on January 27 and 29.

According to Mr Sekyere, the recurrence of industrial accidents,  with the lost of lives were as a result of the company managers’ inability to deploy  safety officers in their operations.

The team also visited the premises of COB- A- Industries, producers of standard water.

At Special Steel, the Deputy Minister who was not impressed by the house-keeping and safety measures of the company chided officials for  putting profit ahead of workers safety.

He also lamented that out of the company’s 600 employee, only 52 were permanent staff, with the rest being casual labourers recruited through a third party arrangement by private employment agencies that do not have licence from the labour department to carry out such activities.

It also came to light that the workers decision to join a trade union were persistently frustrated by the recruitment agency that supplied the company with labour.

That, Mr Sekyere said, was in violation of trades union rights of workers and total disregard for the country’s labour regulations.

Similar conditions were observed at COB- A- Industries, where management admitted the non-existence of a workers union, thereby undermining the bargaining power of employees.

He therefore directed the labour department and the factories inspectorate division of the ministry to investigate and present a technical report to the government for the necessary action to be taken.

He in a like manner charged company officials to laise with the Factories Inspectorate officials to ensure  the training and attachment of a safety officer to monitor its operations.

The Deputy Managing Director of Special Steel, Mr Rajan Vinod Kumar, told the delegation that the company was in talks  with the General Metal Manufacturing Workers Union (GEMM) to ensure workers had a bargaining power.

Mr Kumar however debunked suggestions that the company’s management was frustrating the workers move in that regard, saying, “we do not have a direct contract with them, but with the party representative that recruits them for our operations”.

He however gave the assurance that management would await recommendations from the labour department and the factories inspectorate so as to inform its decision.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 9, 2012

Media fund to be disbursed

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Dep Information Minister

A CONFERENCE to outline modalities for the disbursement of the proposed Media Development Fund is to be held on Thursday.

The conference comes on the heels of the government’s decision to ensure that the fund becomes operational by the second quarter of this year.

A Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, told the Daily Graphic that the seed capital of GH¢1 million announced by the government in the 2012 budget was ready to ensure a successful take-off of the fund.

The fund, expected to be administered by a board of trustees, is intended to improve the professional output of Ghanaian journalists, provide media organisations with technical support and offer personnel adequate training, all aimed at improving their professional output and competence.

Mr Ablakwa indicated that Ghana’s thriving democracy demanded a vibrant media to keep politicians on their toes and make them accountable.

The National Media Commission (NMC), the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) are expected to participate in the one-day event.

The Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), senior media practitioners and communication experts are also expected to attend.

“The brainstorming session is to allow all stakeholders to agree on modalities for the disbursement of the fund,” he said.

The deputy minister said the government envisaged that a board of trustees would be put in place to oversee the disbursement of the fund, adding that donations would be welcome from corporate organisations and interest groups as a way of ensuring sustainability of the fund to cater for future generations.

He said deliberations at the conference would inform the government’s decision to operationalise the fund.

He debunked suggestions that the fund was a ploy by the government to induce journalists to do its bidding, particularly with the approach of the December polls, saying, “A society with a mediocre media would have difficulty upholding accountability.”

“It is the government’s expectation that media practitioners and organisations will start benefitting from the fund as soon as it takes off in the first week of the second quarter,” Mr Ablakwa said.

He gave an assurance that the government would take all contributions and concerns that might come up at the conference to ensure that the inherent bottlenecks that were likely to hinder the take-off were eliminated. 

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Thur March 8, 2012

LEKMA equips Environmental Health officers

LEKMA MCE,  Daniel Amartey Mensah

THE Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) has presented five new motorbikes valued at GH¢11,000 to its Environmental Health Officers to facilitate their work.

Presenting the vehicles to the beneficiaries at a brief ceremony at the Assembly’s premises last Friday, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Daniel Amartey Mensah, said the motorbikes were the first five out of the 10 his outfit had promised to provide to the hardworking environmental officers.

He said the Assembly opted for motorbikes to enable the staff to easily reach out to residents and homes and in areas where vehicles could not access, as part of the assembly’s strategies of ensuring a clean community.

Mr Daniel Mensah entreated the beneficiaries to keep the bikes in good condition  all the time so that they would last long.

The Municipal Environmental Health, Mr Samuel Agblo, who received the items on behalf of the department commended  the assembly for the gesture.

 He also courted the assistance of the assembly to procure a vehicle for the unit to aid mobility in their daily assignments.

Mr Agblo advised the public to endeavour to assist the assembly and partner agencies in their quest to rid the municipality of filth.

He  gave the assurance that the unit would wage a war on commuters and traders  who were fond of littering.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, March 7, 2012

Tema Lions to refurbish eye care centre

Past President, Josh Peprah (second left), inducting Tema Mantse (second right) Nii Adjei Krakue.

THE Tema Lions Club has held a fund-raising dinner/dance in aid of renovation works of the Tema Lions Eye Care Centre at the Tema General Hospital.

The event was also used to raise funds for the club’s social centre project, estimated at GH¢500,000.

The club is seeking to raise GH¢100,000 for the two projects and the fund-raising event brought together some corporate institutions and individuals to support them.

Some parts of the GH¢600,000 eye care facility constructed by the club some three years ago need rehabilitation.

In his address as the special guest of honour, the acting Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Mr Richard Anamoo, indicated that poor eyesight among several millions of people had had dire consequences, resulting in road accidents.

He said a number of road accidents had resulted from the inability of some drivers to see from afar because of poor eyesight.

While commending the Tema Lions Club for the initiative, Mr Anamoo charged non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the interest of humanity to adopt socially responsible projects that would make the desired impact on their communities and beyond.

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kempes Ofosuware, said whereas the assembly was faced with the dilemma of maintaining infrastructure built many decades ago, the Lions Club had set the pace by ensuring that strategies were in place to protect infrastructure put up by its members.

Earlier in his welcoming address, the President of the club, Lion Castro Adjei-Sam, indicated that the social centre project had been designed to seat 500 people in its auditorium, equipped with conference facilities, a library to serve the host community and the public, a modern gymnasium, a swimming pool, a basketball court and a family ground with a bar and meeting rooms.

The Tema Mantse, Osonga Nii Adjei Kraku II, who chaired the event, was also inducted as an affiliate member of the club, following his interest, commitment and immense contribution towards its progress.

Nii Kraku, who was decorated with a pin to symbolise his induction, will participate in the club’s programmes and activities.

While expressing his appreciation to the club for the honour done him, the Tema Mantse gave an assurance that the traditional council would assist the club in all its endeavours.

He appealed to corporate institutions within the metropolis to support the club in its development programmes aimed at improving the standard of living of residents.

Organisations such as the GPHA, the Tema Development Corporation (TDC), the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Tema Traditional Council, Glotec Engineering and several banks and individuals donated various amounts of money to support the project.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Wed March 7, 2012

MFWA to monitor indecent language, negative political expression

THE Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has introduced an instrument to monitor indecent language and negative political expression on 31 selected radio stations across the country.

The aim of the monitoring instrument is to sanitise the electronic media platform with the view to safeguarding Ghana’s peace and stability in the run-up to the December 2012 general elections.

In line with that, the MFWA, initiators of the project, organised a validation workshop to engage the major stakeholders to commit to the project in the run up to the elections.


Those who participated included officials of the National Media Commission, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the Ghana Journalists (GJA) as well as representatives from the four major political parties namely, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention Peoples Party (CPP), and the People’s National Convention (PNC).

The performance targets of the instrument, which was developed in collaboration with communication and language experts across the country, would be published monthly, effective April after the official launch of the project at the end of March, 2012.

The project, which would monitor 31 influential radio stations countrywide, is to avert the situation where political activists take advantage of the electioneering campaigns to malign individuals, with the media becoming the platform for hate speech, insults and use of inciting language.

Radio programme hosts and journalists who failed to meet the mark of professionalism would be named and shamed in a monthly published report across major media networks.

According to the executive director of the MFWA, Professor Kwame Karikari, there was the need to ensure that society does not hinder development through the use of mudslinging of political leadership.

He said that although political  campaigns must have a certain level of language which should be permissible to make them exciting, the trend on impugning persons of individual with disparaging  language ought to be dissuaded.

Professor Karikari announced the recruitment of graduate teachers in communities where selected radio stations operate was underway to ensure an effective  monitoring system.

“Society must not be made to remain stagnant in development due the used of intemperate language against political leaders”, he said.

He expressed regret at the continuos mudslinging and the levelling of frivolous allegations against the personality of the country’s founding fathers.

“What is even more bizarre is that the trend has eaten into internal party politicking structure”, he said.

He expressed the hope that the official introduction of the project in April and subsequent implementation strategies would go to minimise incidents of indecent language on airwaves.

A former editor of The Mirror newspaper, Mr Kwasi Gyan Appenteng, who moderated the programme charged practitioners in the electronic media not to use their studios to propagate falsehoods meant to erupt violence.

The acting director of the School of Communication Studies of the University of Ghana, Dr Margarete Ivy Amoakohene, who presented a paper on the instrument and coding guideline urged the media not to encourage politicians into making disparaging statements against opponents.

“Do not consider insults and indecent use of words by political commentators and activists to be the juiciests part of your news stories”, Dr Amoakohene counselled.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri March 2, 2012

3 Killed In Suspected Arson Attack

A SUSPECTED arson attack on a compound house at Banana Inn, Dansoman, has left three people dead.

The deceased were identified as Rosemond Allottey, a 36-year-old seamstress, and her two children, Charlotte Papafio-Quartey, 11, and Emmanuella Papafio-Quartey, seven.

The two children were pupils of the Ministry of Health Basic School at Korle-Bu.
The incident occurred at 4 a.m. last Friday.

Residents of the house told the Daily Graphic that the attacker, said to be on the run, had, on several occasions prior to the incident, left a series of threatening messages on the wall leading to Madam Allottey’s bedroom.

Some of the messages read: “We can kill you people now” and “This is the last warning”.

A tenant in the house who spoke on condition of anonymity said the suspected arsonist was believed to have torched the room through the front window in the early hours of Friday.

“The availability of electricity at that time also worsened the situation, as all three of them were trapped in the room which was engulfed in thick smoke by the time other residents could go to their aid,” he said.

When the Daily Graphic visited the scene yesterday, the burnt household effects of the deceased, including clothing, a television set and pieces of furniture, were  scattered across the room.

The incident attracted residents of adjoining communities who thronged the scene to determine the truth or otherwise of the incident.

Some residents described Madam Allottey as being full of humour.

They debunked suggestions that she might have had problems with the alleged arsonist and appealed to the police to ensure thorough investigations into the matter and arrest the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

The Dansoman Police have since visited the scene and instituted investigations into the incident, while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary awaiting autopsy.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Mon March 5, 2012