Story: A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Koforidua
GRADUATE teachers in the country, under the umbrella of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), are up in arms again, ready to lay down their tools from Monday, November 30 as a result of what they claim is a lowering of their conditions of service.
The decision to embark on the industrial action was taken at a meeting of the association in Sunyani at the weekend, following which the National Council directed its members to lay down their tools with effect from Monday. They have also been directed not to participate in any official duties from the date of the strike.
The teachers’ action comes one week ahead of the first-term examinations of most senior high schools in the country.
The President of NAGRAT, Mr Kwami Alorvi, told the Daily Graphic that the association had given notice of its intended strike to the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) after several unsuccessful efforts to get issues related to teachers’ conditions of service resolved.
At the core of their grievances is a reduction in their responsibility and car maintenance allowances from GH¢1 and GH¢40, respectively, to 30Gp and GH¢7, respectively.
A statement signed by the Eastern Regional Vice-Chairman of NAGRAT, Mr Kwaku Djan-Asante, and circulated to members in the region, said the government, instead of adjusting upward the responsibility and car maintenance allowances, had rather reduced them.
It said apart from that, NAGRAT members who were due for interview for promotion had not been called, despite assurances by the Minister of Education to that effect.
According to the statement, the Director-General of the GES had also not directed headmasters to make invigilation at the WASSCE optional, thereby paving the way for headmasters to coerce teachers to invigilate, with its attendant risks and meagre allowances.
It recalled that in 2006 NAGRAT members embarked on an industrial action over WASSCE invigilation and allowances but the then government could not address the problem.
The national consensus was arrived at after a tour of the regions, during which NAGRAT executives held meetings with members to thoroughly discuss their conditions of service.
An ultimatum given by NAGRAT to the government for discussions on its conditions of service expired on October 30, 2009 but there was no response.
Mr Kwami Alorvi, who led the discussions, said the tour was to enable the NAGRAT leadership to interact with members of the association for their views on those issues.
Graduate teachers have, for the past three years, been in negotiations with the Ministry of Education over emoluments and other packages.
Discussions were expected to have been concluded last month but the critical issues, including emoluments, delays in the payment of allowances of members and cuts in allowances, remain unresolved.
Earlier, Mr Alorvi had told the Daily Graphic that a house master, for instance, was formerly paid a monthly allowance of GH¢1; senior house master, GH¢1.50, and headmaster between GH¢3 and GH¢5, but the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning had recently reduced that to 30Gp, 70Gp and GH¢1, respectively.
The promotion of members of NAGRAT had also stalled for some years now, he noted, noting that teachers were being denied their rights to their salary entitlements and benefits, as promotions were tied to them.
He said the excuse given by the authorities was that there were no funds to conduct the interviews for the promotions.
He said interactions were currently ongoing with the rank and file of the association, adding that NAGRAT would come up with its next line of action regarding those issues.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
NO POLITICAL DISMISSALS FROM PUBLIC SERVICE — PREZ (1B, NOV 25)
PRESIDENT John Atta Mills has given the assurance that the government will not cause the dismissal of civil servants simply on account of their political affiliation.
The President said no one would be relieved of his or her responsibility in the Civil Service unless the person breached the rules and regulations which governed the conduct and behaviour of personnel of the service.
The Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga, conveyed the thoughts of the President on a number of issues at a news conference at the Castle, Osu, yesterday.
He reiterated the President’s commitment to the principle of fairness to all Ghanaians and said the government would not dismiss civil servants on the basis of their political leanings.
President Mills, according to the presidential spokesperson, would want to remind Ghanaians that the appointment of civil servants was not political but rather based on certain technical considerations.
He said the President was of the view that since the Civil Service had structures for the recruitment and appointment of its personnel, the ruling government could not, under any circumstance, remove them from their posts at will.
Commenting on recent developments pertaining to the distribution of political positions within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Ayariga said it was the candid opinion of President Mills that the government had ensured equity in the sharing of posts to party activists across the regions.
“The government has ensured regional equity in the sharing of ministerial posts and we are all challenged to look at the data on regional distribution of ministerial appointments and we will observe that President Mills’s record is unsurpassed,” he said.
He further explained that the President was strongly convinced that the current government had the highest number of appointments made directly from the party since the dawn of the Fourth Republic.
“Even the NDC administration which managed the country between 1992 and 2000 never witnessed such a massive scale of party officials directly taking up government appointments,” the presidential spokesperson said.
He said the Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei, is the Chairman of the Board of the GETFund and also sat in Cabinet, while the Vice-Chairman, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, was also the Chairman of BOST.
Mr Ayariga gave a catalogue of national executives who had been appointed to ministerial and or deputy ministerial positions.
They are the National Women’s Organiser of the NDC, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, who is currently the Central Regional Minister; the National Organiser, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, and the National Youth Organiser, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communications.
The rest are the two Deputy General secretaries, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and Alhaji Baba Jamal, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, respectively; the Propaganda Secretary, Mr Fifi Kwetey, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and the National Treasurer, Mrs Margaret Clarke Kwesie, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea.
He further contended that none of the core members of the Professor Mills campaign team in the 2008 campaign, including himself, Nii Lamptey and Koku Anyidoho, took up ministerial appointments.
In the case of cadres, Mr Ayariga said the President had appointed Mr Sam Gariba as the Administrator of the GETFund; Mr Kofi Kportufe, the National Co-ordinator of NADMO, and Dr Ben Kunbuor, Minister of Health.
He said it was the wish of President Mills that all Ghanaians rallied behind the government to implement the social and economic policies set out in the 2010 budget.
The President said no one would be relieved of his or her responsibility in the Civil Service unless the person breached the rules and regulations which governed the conduct and behaviour of personnel of the service.
The Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga, conveyed the thoughts of the President on a number of issues at a news conference at the Castle, Osu, yesterday.
He reiterated the President’s commitment to the principle of fairness to all Ghanaians and said the government would not dismiss civil servants on the basis of their political leanings.
President Mills, according to the presidential spokesperson, would want to remind Ghanaians that the appointment of civil servants was not political but rather based on certain technical considerations.
He said the President was of the view that since the Civil Service had structures for the recruitment and appointment of its personnel, the ruling government could not, under any circumstance, remove them from their posts at will.
Commenting on recent developments pertaining to the distribution of political positions within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Ayariga said it was the candid opinion of President Mills that the government had ensured equity in the sharing of posts to party activists across the regions.
“The government has ensured regional equity in the sharing of ministerial posts and we are all challenged to look at the data on regional distribution of ministerial appointments and we will observe that President Mills’s record is unsurpassed,” he said.
He further explained that the President was strongly convinced that the current government had the highest number of appointments made directly from the party since the dawn of the Fourth Republic.
“Even the NDC administration which managed the country between 1992 and 2000 never witnessed such a massive scale of party officials directly taking up government appointments,” the presidential spokesperson said.
He said the Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei, is the Chairman of the Board of the GETFund and also sat in Cabinet, while the Vice-Chairman, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, was also the Chairman of BOST.
Mr Ayariga gave a catalogue of national executives who had been appointed to ministerial and or deputy ministerial positions.
They are the National Women’s Organiser of the NDC, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, who is currently the Central Regional Minister; the National Organiser, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, and the National Youth Organiser, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communications.
The rest are the two Deputy General secretaries, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and Alhaji Baba Jamal, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, respectively; the Propaganda Secretary, Mr Fifi Kwetey, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and the National Treasurer, Mrs Margaret Clarke Kwesie, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea.
He further contended that none of the core members of the Professor Mills campaign team in the 2008 campaign, including himself, Nii Lamptey and Koku Anyidoho, took up ministerial appointments.
In the case of cadres, Mr Ayariga said the President had appointed Mr Sam Gariba as the Administrator of the GETFund; Mr Kofi Kportufe, the National Co-ordinator of NADMO, and Dr Ben Kunbuor, Minister of Health.
He said it was the wish of President Mills that all Ghanaians rallied behind the government to implement the social and economic policies set out in the 2010 budget.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
BE VANGUARD FOR VULNERABLE, PREZ TELLS GBA (1B, NOV 24)
PRESIDENT John Atta Mills has enjoined the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to reposition itself as the vanguard and mouthpiece of the people, especially the poor and vulnerable sections of the Ghanaian society.
He said that was the only way the association could help address the concerns of the poor and disadvantaged who had, for a very long time, smarted under all kinds of political, economic and social injustices in the society.
President Mills made the remarks yesterday when he received the national executive of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) at the Castle, Osu.
He explained that members of the GBA had undergone specialised training which had equipped them to lend assistance to persons who had been subjected to all kinds of injustices.
He said more often than not, the poor in society found it extremely difficult to approach members of the GBA, let alone hire their services, in their bid to seek redress for cases brought against them by others at the law courts.
According to the President, there was the erroneous impression among a section of the poor that members of the GBA only represented the rich and the powerful in society and were against the interests of the poor.
He said the time had come for the GBA to institute measures which would go a long way to articulate the rising expectations of the broad masses of the people who could not seek legal avenues for the redress of their grievances.
President Mills also called on the association to complement the efforts of the government in its bid to rid society of impunity, which he said hung dangerously over the nation like “the sword of Damocles”.
He said the GBA could not be wished away by the government in its attempt to transform the social and economic fortunes of the country and stressed that the government would, with the passage of time, seek the opinion of the association on crucial and pertinent matters of national development and progress.
President Mills reiterated the government’s commitment to the rule of law, stressing that it would not, under any circumstance, indulge in any acts that would undermine the Fourth Republican Constitution and create confusion in the country.
For his part, the President of the association, Mr Frank Beecham, congratulated President Mills on his electoral victory in the 2008 presidential election and stressed that the GBA was convinced about the ability of the President to lead the country along the path of national reconstruction and renewal of society.
He said it also strongly believed that President Mills would be guided by the rule of law in the management of the country.
Mr Beecham said the doors of the association were always open for fruitful interaction with the government on issues of national interest.
He said that was the only way the association could help address the concerns of the poor and disadvantaged who had, for a very long time, smarted under all kinds of political, economic and social injustices in the society.
President Mills made the remarks yesterday when he received the national executive of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) at the Castle, Osu.
He explained that members of the GBA had undergone specialised training which had equipped them to lend assistance to persons who had been subjected to all kinds of injustices.
He said more often than not, the poor in society found it extremely difficult to approach members of the GBA, let alone hire their services, in their bid to seek redress for cases brought against them by others at the law courts.
According to the President, there was the erroneous impression among a section of the poor that members of the GBA only represented the rich and the powerful in society and were against the interests of the poor.
He said the time had come for the GBA to institute measures which would go a long way to articulate the rising expectations of the broad masses of the people who could not seek legal avenues for the redress of their grievances.
President Mills also called on the association to complement the efforts of the government in its bid to rid society of impunity, which he said hung dangerously over the nation like “the sword of Damocles”.
He said the GBA could not be wished away by the government in its attempt to transform the social and economic fortunes of the country and stressed that the government would, with the passage of time, seek the opinion of the association on crucial and pertinent matters of national development and progress.
President Mills reiterated the government’s commitment to the rule of law, stressing that it would not, under any circumstance, indulge in any acts that would undermine the Fourth Republican Constitution and create confusion in the country.
For his part, the President of the association, Mr Frank Beecham, congratulated President Mills on his electoral victory in the 2008 presidential election and stressed that the GBA was convinced about the ability of the President to lead the country along the path of national reconstruction and renewal of society.
He said it also strongly believed that President Mills would be guided by the rule of law in the management of the country.
Mr Beecham said the doors of the association were always open for fruitful interaction with the government on issues of national interest.
SWINE FLU SCARE...Lincoln School victims confined (LEAD STORY, NOV 24)
THE latest outbreak of the H1N1 influenza in the country, which has brought the total number of cases to 43, has led to the confinement of 16 students of the Lincoln Community School in Accra as they undergo treatment, following the closure of their school.
As the students who tested positive to the swine flu remained confined to their homes, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) also launched a national awareness and sensitisation programme on the flu with a call for more attention on schools.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Joseph Amankwah, said to prevent further spread of the disease, all persons identified to have had contact with the affected children, as well as their household members, were also being treated.
As a further measure to contain the situation, Dr Amankwah said a doctor had been stationed at the school compound to take samples from persons who might come back with symptoms of the influenza as they stayed at home.
He said seven children who were coughing reported back to the doctor yesterday to be tested.
The school, with about 700 pupils and situated at Abelenkpe, a residential area in Accra, was closed by the GHS because 18 of the pupils tested positive for the H1N1 influenza.
Dr Amankwah explained that as a preventive measure, health personnel who treated infected persons and all other persons who had contact with infected persons were given preventive treatment without waiting for them to show signs of the disease.
He said the preventive treatment took five days of medication, instead of the 10 days stipulated for treating a sick person.
A sudden rise in the number of H1N1 influenza cases in the country has forced the GHS to order the closure of the school.
With the first recorded case in Ghana in August 2009, the figure has shot up to 43 by yesterday, with 18 of them being pupils of Lincoln.
Apart from the first two patients who were admitted at the Aviation Hospital in August, all others were confined and treated in their homes.
In an interview in Accra yesterday, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias K. Sory, said the school had to be closed to prevent large-scale transmission among the children who belonged to the high-risk group as far as the influenza was concerned.
Explaining how the disease was detected in the school, Dr Sory said its authorities reported to health workers when they realised that many of the children were suffering from cold-like illnesses and when a series of tests were conducted among them, the virus was detected.
He explained that the school had to be closed down because the number detected at that point in time was on the high side, which called for that action to prevent any dangerous situation.
He said since there was the likelihood that other pupils in the school might have had contact with the 18 patients, each of them, together with the members of staff, had been offered some form of treatment as a preventive measure.
Dr Sory said with the change in weather, it was likely that many people might be infected with the virus and mistakenly take it to be ordinary cold.
He, therefore, advised that persons with symptoms of ordinary cold should immediately report to a health facility for early diagnosis and treatment.
Unlike elsewhere, so far no deaths have been recorded in Ghana since the disease broke out globally in April this year.
Dr Sory observed that what made the issue of the pandemic disturbing was the fact that it was new and different from all existing influenza pandemics, a situation which made its behaviour difficult to predict.
The director general took the opportunity to advise the public to be on the look out for and report all diseases which presented symptoms of the influenza.
The 2009 flu pandemic or swine flu is a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza A virus sub-type H1N1 that was first identified in April 2009.
The outbreak was first observed in Mexico, with evidence that there had been an ongoing epidemic for months before it was officially recognised as such.
The Mexican government closed most of Mexico City's public and private facilities in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.
However, the virus continued to spread globally, while clinics were overwhelmed by people inflicted.
Currently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stopped counting all cases and focused on tracking major outbreaks.
On June 11, 2009, the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic.
It indicated that while only mild symptoms were experienced by the majority of people, some had more severe symptoms which could be fatal.
Mild symptoms, according to the WHO, might include fever, sore throat, cough, headache, muscle or joint pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.
Those at risk of a more severe infection include asthmatics, diabetics, those suffering from obesity, heart disease, the immuno-compromised, children with neuro-developmental conditions and pregnant women.
Similar to other influenza viruses, pandemic H1N1 is typically contracted by person-to-person transmission through respiratory droplets.
To avoid spreading the infection, health workers recommend that those with symptoms should stay home, away from school, work and crowded places. Those with more severe symptoms or those in an at-risk-group may benefit from antivirals.
Meanwhile, at the launch of the NADMO educational programme, its Co-ordinator, Mr Kofi Portuphy, said the move had been necessary due to the sudden surge of the pandemic among schoolchildren in the country.
He said there was the need to intensify the campaign on awareness of the pandemic to educate people on preventive measures, as prevention of disasters was its mission.
The signs of swine flu may include fever, cough, running nose, body ache and chills. Others may include tiredness, diarrhoea, vomiting and headache. Complications of the disease may include pneumonia and difficulty in breathing.
As the students who tested positive to the swine flu remained confined to their homes, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) also launched a national awareness and sensitisation programme on the flu with a call for more attention on schools.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Joseph Amankwah, said to prevent further spread of the disease, all persons identified to have had contact with the affected children, as well as their household members, were also being treated.
As a further measure to contain the situation, Dr Amankwah said a doctor had been stationed at the school compound to take samples from persons who might come back with symptoms of the influenza as they stayed at home.
He said seven children who were coughing reported back to the doctor yesterday to be tested.
The school, with about 700 pupils and situated at Abelenkpe, a residential area in Accra, was closed by the GHS because 18 of the pupils tested positive for the H1N1 influenza.
Dr Amankwah explained that as a preventive measure, health personnel who treated infected persons and all other persons who had contact with infected persons were given preventive treatment without waiting for them to show signs of the disease.
He said the preventive treatment took five days of medication, instead of the 10 days stipulated for treating a sick person.
A sudden rise in the number of H1N1 influenza cases in the country has forced the GHS to order the closure of the school.
With the first recorded case in Ghana in August 2009, the figure has shot up to 43 by yesterday, with 18 of them being pupils of Lincoln.
Apart from the first two patients who were admitted at the Aviation Hospital in August, all others were confined and treated in their homes.
In an interview in Accra yesterday, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias K. Sory, said the school had to be closed to prevent large-scale transmission among the children who belonged to the high-risk group as far as the influenza was concerned.
Explaining how the disease was detected in the school, Dr Sory said its authorities reported to health workers when they realised that many of the children were suffering from cold-like illnesses and when a series of tests were conducted among them, the virus was detected.
He explained that the school had to be closed down because the number detected at that point in time was on the high side, which called for that action to prevent any dangerous situation.
He said since there was the likelihood that other pupils in the school might have had contact with the 18 patients, each of them, together with the members of staff, had been offered some form of treatment as a preventive measure.
Dr Sory said with the change in weather, it was likely that many people might be infected with the virus and mistakenly take it to be ordinary cold.
He, therefore, advised that persons with symptoms of ordinary cold should immediately report to a health facility for early diagnosis and treatment.
Unlike elsewhere, so far no deaths have been recorded in Ghana since the disease broke out globally in April this year.
Dr Sory observed that what made the issue of the pandemic disturbing was the fact that it was new and different from all existing influenza pandemics, a situation which made its behaviour difficult to predict.
The director general took the opportunity to advise the public to be on the look out for and report all diseases which presented symptoms of the influenza.
The 2009 flu pandemic or swine flu is a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza A virus sub-type H1N1 that was first identified in April 2009.
The outbreak was first observed in Mexico, with evidence that there had been an ongoing epidemic for months before it was officially recognised as such.
The Mexican government closed most of Mexico City's public and private facilities in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.
However, the virus continued to spread globally, while clinics were overwhelmed by people inflicted.
Currently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stopped counting all cases and focused on tracking major outbreaks.
On June 11, 2009, the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic.
It indicated that while only mild symptoms were experienced by the majority of people, some had more severe symptoms which could be fatal.
Mild symptoms, according to the WHO, might include fever, sore throat, cough, headache, muscle or joint pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.
Those at risk of a more severe infection include asthmatics, diabetics, those suffering from obesity, heart disease, the immuno-compromised, children with neuro-developmental conditions and pregnant women.
Similar to other influenza viruses, pandemic H1N1 is typically contracted by person-to-person transmission through respiratory droplets.
To avoid spreading the infection, health workers recommend that those with symptoms should stay home, away from school, work and crowded places. Those with more severe symptoms or those in an at-risk-group may benefit from antivirals.
Meanwhile, at the launch of the NADMO educational programme, its Co-ordinator, Mr Kofi Portuphy, said the move had been necessary due to the sudden surge of the pandemic among schoolchildren in the country.
He said there was the need to intensify the campaign on awareness of the pandemic to educate people on preventive measures, as prevention of disasters was its mission.
The signs of swine flu may include fever, cough, running nose, body ache and chills. Others may include tiredness, diarrhoea, vomiting and headache. Complications of the disease may include pneumonia and difficulty in breathing.
Monday, November 23, 2009
GOVT WILL FLUSH OUT GALAMSEY OPERATORS (1B, NOV 23)
STORY: A Kofoya-Tetteh, Kyebi
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills has declared the government’s determination to flush out illegal gold miners (galamsey operators) from mining communities in the country.
He said the activities of the galamsey operators, who used dangerous chemicals such as cyanide, had, for some time now, polluted sources of drinking water, especially the Birim River in the Akyem Abuakwa area, and caused incalculable damage to the environment.
The President gave the assurance when he addressed a colourful durbar of the chiefs and people of Akyem Abuakwa to mark the 10th anniversary of the installation of the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, at Kyebi last Saturday.
The event was also graced by dignitaries such as the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo; the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2000 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; some ministers of state, Members of Parliament, members of the Diplomatic community, district chief executives, the Wurunaba, Naa Prof John S. Nabila, who is also the President of the National House of Chiefs, and other traditional rulers from different parts of the country.
According to President Mills, he had heard a lot about steps being taken by the Okyenhene to safeguard the environment, especially flushing out illegal miners whose activities had polluted sources of drinking water in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, adding that his administration would go all out to support the Okyenhene to flush out the illegal miners.
That, according to the President, would make it possible for the people in the area to have good drinking water.
He, therefore, called on the “galamsey” operators to move out or regularise their activities so that they could go about their duties in such a way that would not pollute sources of drinking water in the area.
“I am aware that the Okyenhene and the Eastern Regional Minister had already taken steps to stop the illegal miners from polluting the water bodies and I am giving my full support because the illegal miners are poisoning the water and also destroying the environment,” President Mills stated.
He praised the Okyenhene for his numerous initiatives that would not benefit only Okyeman but the country as a whole.
The Okyenhene enumerated a number of projects and programmes that he had undertaken or were being executed to alleviate poverty and improve the lot of not only Akyems but all Ghanaians.
These included the establishment of a university at Bunso, the University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies, that would start admitting students next January; the setting up of a foundation to check environmental degradation; a crusade against HIV/AIDS, as well as making parents to live up to their responsibility of educating their children.
“My utmost concern is about the environment and the need for parents to live up to their responsibility in educating their children because I do not understand why parents refuse to cater for the educational needs of their children, although they have the means,” Osagyefuo Ofori Panin said.
The Okyenhene, who called on the government to continue to provide good schools in the rural areas and improve the conditions of service of teachers so that they would put up their best in the classrooms, called for punitive measures to be instituted against parents who neglected their children’s education.
With regard to disputes associated with chieftaincy, family and land in the area, he said measures were being put in place to resolve them and expressed the hope that those disputes would be reduced to the barest minimum in the next decade.
Osagyefuo Ofori Panin expressed his appreciation to his wife and all the divisional and sub-chiefs of Akyem Abuakwa for supporting him over the past 10 years and called on the chiefs to unite to advance the cause of Okyeman and Ghana in general.
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills has declared the government’s determination to flush out illegal gold miners (galamsey operators) from mining communities in the country.
He said the activities of the galamsey operators, who used dangerous chemicals such as cyanide, had, for some time now, polluted sources of drinking water, especially the Birim River in the Akyem Abuakwa area, and caused incalculable damage to the environment.
The President gave the assurance when he addressed a colourful durbar of the chiefs and people of Akyem Abuakwa to mark the 10th anniversary of the installation of the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, at Kyebi last Saturday.
The event was also graced by dignitaries such as the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo; the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2000 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; some ministers of state, Members of Parliament, members of the Diplomatic community, district chief executives, the Wurunaba, Naa Prof John S. Nabila, who is also the President of the National House of Chiefs, and other traditional rulers from different parts of the country.
According to President Mills, he had heard a lot about steps being taken by the Okyenhene to safeguard the environment, especially flushing out illegal miners whose activities had polluted sources of drinking water in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, adding that his administration would go all out to support the Okyenhene to flush out the illegal miners.
That, according to the President, would make it possible for the people in the area to have good drinking water.
He, therefore, called on the “galamsey” operators to move out or regularise their activities so that they could go about their duties in such a way that would not pollute sources of drinking water in the area.
“I am aware that the Okyenhene and the Eastern Regional Minister had already taken steps to stop the illegal miners from polluting the water bodies and I am giving my full support because the illegal miners are poisoning the water and also destroying the environment,” President Mills stated.
He praised the Okyenhene for his numerous initiatives that would not benefit only Okyeman but the country as a whole.
The Okyenhene enumerated a number of projects and programmes that he had undertaken or were being executed to alleviate poverty and improve the lot of not only Akyems but all Ghanaians.
These included the establishment of a university at Bunso, the University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies, that would start admitting students next January; the setting up of a foundation to check environmental degradation; a crusade against HIV/AIDS, as well as making parents to live up to their responsibility of educating their children.
“My utmost concern is about the environment and the need for parents to live up to their responsibility in educating their children because I do not understand why parents refuse to cater for the educational needs of their children, although they have the means,” Osagyefuo Ofori Panin said.
The Okyenhene, who called on the government to continue to provide good schools in the rural areas and improve the conditions of service of teachers so that they would put up their best in the classrooms, called for punitive measures to be instituted against parents who neglected their children’s education.
With regard to disputes associated with chieftaincy, family and land in the area, he said measures were being put in place to resolve them and expressed the hope that those disputes would be reduced to the barest minimum in the next decade.
Osagyefuo Ofori Panin expressed his appreciation to his wife and all the divisional and sub-chiefs of Akyem Abuakwa for supporting him over the past 10 years and called on the chiefs to unite to advance the cause of Okyeman and Ghana in general.
Kojo Bonsu stirs football controversy...GFA NEEDS TO BE CHECKED ....Govt must step in, he says (LEAD STORY, NOV 23)
A FORMER football administrator has called on the government to immediately put in place a Public Interest Committee (PIC) to oversee the activities of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and help check indiscipline and corruption in football administration.
In a move likely to stir further controversy over the level of government involvement in football administration, Mr Kojo Bonsu, a businessman with keen interest in football matters, quoted statutes of world football’s governing body, FIFA, and the GFA’s own regulations to support his stance.
He said it was time to extend the national standard of governance to football, especially now that the government was obliged to make huge financial commitments to the Black Stars to participate in the Africa Nations Cup and the World Cup next January and June, respectively.
Referring to Article 70 of the GFA Statutes, which are approved by FIFA, he said it provided for the formation of a PIC and said the committee was required to work in accordance with the directives of the executive committee and the Ministry of Sports to formulate policies necessary for the building of national teams.
He said Article 70.1 of the statutes also required the PIC to liaise with the ministry in terms of the provision of the necessary facilities required for building national football teams.
"The government has every right and authority, with the full support of FIFA, to get involved in anything concerning the national teams. It can also call for the accounting of every pesewa that has to do with the national teams, agree on who coaches them, how much they have to be paid, agree on bonuses for national team players and officials, ask questions on appearance fees during friendly matches, who has to make a trip, among others, and FIFA will not raise a finger," he said.
He stressed that the bombardment of the government and Ghanaians with 'no government interference' from some football officials "is because some members of the GFA fear their own shadows from the past".
Mr Bonsu recalled that in 2008 when Ghana went to bid for the hosting of the CAN 2008 tournament, it was government officials who played the lead role and indicated that government officials were again instrumental in the opening and closing ceremonies of that tournament.
He wondered why members of the GFA did not complain of government interference then but did so now anytime a government official made a statement on football.
He said when President John Evans Atta Mills said the government would not interfere in football administration in the country, some took it as a blank cheque.
He said the President had, in addition to that assurance, sounded a caution about accountability "which not even FIFA can stop because it endorses accountability and honesty in its fair play slogan".
He said what the President meant was that the government would not go contrary to what FIFA rules and regulations stipulated about interference but that did not mean "the GFA is free to do anything at all that it wants".
The football administrator said although the government said it would not interfere in Ghana football per the position of FIFA, it could always intervene when necessary because "it is government's money that is used to finance the league in the form of sponsorship, since the sponsorship package is tax deductible when determining the taxable incomes of the sponsoring companies".
He said if the government decided that it would not give tax exemptions to the sponsoring companies, there would be no sponsorship for the country's league and the clubs.
Mr Bonsu drew an analogy with the Asantehene’s role as the Life Patron of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, saying that the Asantehene had the power to appoint people to the Kotoko management to cater for his interest and indicated if Otumfuo Osei Tutu asked for accountability, it would not amount to interference.
He said as the World Cup approached, the executive members of the GFA should be ready to declare to the government all the money that would be received from FIFA and other donors, the number of tickets that would be allocated to Ghana and how they would be sold and allocated.
He urged the members of the GFA to co-operate with the government, "rather than hiding behind the banner of FIFA's ‘no interference’”.
He described calls by some executive members of the GFA on the government not to interfere in the administration of football in the country as attempts to discourage it from seeking accountability for their stewardship.
He said those GFA executive members were trumpeting the "no government interference in football" slogan to confuse Ghanaians and ward off government officials from getting involved in football in order to protect their "personal and selfish interests".
He charged the GFA to draw the line between government interference, government intervention and government involvement, since "FIFA is against government interference and not government involvement and government intervention".
Mr Bonsu, who made his point in a four-page paper in reference to the Legislative Instrument (LI) establishing the GFA, said government interference from FIFA's perspective came to play only where a government or its agency imposed or tried to impose an executive or executives on the GFA set up or got involved in the day-to-day administration of the GFA, the running of the local league or the FA Cup.
However, he said, FIFA encouraged government involvement in football, especially when it came to its development and matters of national teams.
He said the national teams of every country belonged to the government, stressing that "the government is the owner of the national teams, which are managed by the GFA on behalf of the government and FIFA approves of government involvement in this direction".
In a move likely to stir further controversy over the level of government involvement in football administration, Mr Kojo Bonsu, a businessman with keen interest in football matters, quoted statutes of world football’s governing body, FIFA, and the GFA’s own regulations to support his stance.
He said it was time to extend the national standard of governance to football, especially now that the government was obliged to make huge financial commitments to the Black Stars to participate in the Africa Nations Cup and the World Cup next January and June, respectively.
Referring to Article 70 of the GFA Statutes, which are approved by FIFA, he said it provided for the formation of a PIC and said the committee was required to work in accordance with the directives of the executive committee and the Ministry of Sports to formulate policies necessary for the building of national teams.
He said Article 70.1 of the statutes also required the PIC to liaise with the ministry in terms of the provision of the necessary facilities required for building national football teams.
"The government has every right and authority, with the full support of FIFA, to get involved in anything concerning the national teams. It can also call for the accounting of every pesewa that has to do with the national teams, agree on who coaches them, how much they have to be paid, agree on bonuses for national team players and officials, ask questions on appearance fees during friendly matches, who has to make a trip, among others, and FIFA will not raise a finger," he said.
He stressed that the bombardment of the government and Ghanaians with 'no government interference' from some football officials "is because some members of the GFA fear their own shadows from the past".
Mr Bonsu recalled that in 2008 when Ghana went to bid for the hosting of the CAN 2008 tournament, it was government officials who played the lead role and indicated that government officials were again instrumental in the opening and closing ceremonies of that tournament.
He wondered why members of the GFA did not complain of government interference then but did so now anytime a government official made a statement on football.
He said when President John Evans Atta Mills said the government would not interfere in football administration in the country, some took it as a blank cheque.
He said the President had, in addition to that assurance, sounded a caution about accountability "which not even FIFA can stop because it endorses accountability and honesty in its fair play slogan".
He said what the President meant was that the government would not go contrary to what FIFA rules and regulations stipulated about interference but that did not mean "the GFA is free to do anything at all that it wants".
The football administrator said although the government said it would not interfere in Ghana football per the position of FIFA, it could always intervene when necessary because "it is government's money that is used to finance the league in the form of sponsorship, since the sponsorship package is tax deductible when determining the taxable incomes of the sponsoring companies".
He said if the government decided that it would not give tax exemptions to the sponsoring companies, there would be no sponsorship for the country's league and the clubs.
Mr Bonsu drew an analogy with the Asantehene’s role as the Life Patron of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, saying that the Asantehene had the power to appoint people to the Kotoko management to cater for his interest and indicated if Otumfuo Osei Tutu asked for accountability, it would not amount to interference.
He said as the World Cup approached, the executive members of the GFA should be ready to declare to the government all the money that would be received from FIFA and other donors, the number of tickets that would be allocated to Ghana and how they would be sold and allocated.
He urged the members of the GFA to co-operate with the government, "rather than hiding behind the banner of FIFA's ‘no interference’”.
He described calls by some executive members of the GFA on the government not to interfere in the administration of football in the country as attempts to discourage it from seeking accountability for their stewardship.
He said those GFA executive members were trumpeting the "no government interference in football" slogan to confuse Ghanaians and ward off government officials from getting involved in football in order to protect their "personal and selfish interests".
He charged the GFA to draw the line between government interference, government intervention and government involvement, since "FIFA is against government interference and not government involvement and government intervention".
Mr Bonsu, who made his point in a four-page paper in reference to the Legislative Instrument (LI) establishing the GFA, said government interference from FIFA's perspective came to play only where a government or its agency imposed or tried to impose an executive or executives on the GFA set up or got involved in the day-to-day administration of the GFA, the running of the local league or the FA Cup.
However, he said, FIFA encouraged government involvement in football, especially when it came to its development and matters of national teams.
He said the national teams of every country belonged to the government, stressing that "the government is the owner of the national teams, which are managed by the GFA on behalf of the government and FIFA approves of government involvement in this direction".
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Shocking revelation after jailing of 6 cops, others...MY LIFE IS IN DANGER... Judge reveals (LEAD STORY, NOV 21)
Story: Albert K. Salia
A justice of the High Court of Ghana, Mr Justice Iddrisu Mahamadu, says his life is in danger following the trial and conviction of six policemen and four civilians for robbery over which he presided.
The threat to Justice Mahamadu’s life was reported to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood.
In her report, Mrs Justice Wood conveyed to the IGP that following the conviction of the six policemen and four civilians, Justice Mahamadu had received numerous threats to his life.
Consequently, the IGP has directed the Operations Department of the Ghana Police Service to take immediate steps to protect the life, family and property of the High Court judge.
Last Tuesday, Mr Justice Mahamadu convicted the six policemen, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong of the Rapid Deployment Force of the Ghana Police Service, and four other civilians to a total of 200 years after they had been found guilty of attacking and robbing a Switzerland-based Ghanaian businessman at a hotel in Accra on February 2, 2009.
The convicts are DSP Kwapong, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Agyapong, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal Karimu Muntari and Constable Blejumah.
The rest are Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi and Bismark Ampofo.
The convicts, with the exception of Kwapong, who was charged with conspiracy, were convicted to 20 years each on each count to run concurrently.
Constable Ken Duodu Acheampong and Jeffrey Kwame Atta, alias Kay, who are currently on the run, were tried in absentia.
Responding to the Chief Justice’s complaint, the IGP said he had referred her request to the Police Operations Department to assess the present situation and discuss measures to protect Justice Mahamadu, who sat as a Circuit Court judge.
He said the Police Administration believed in the rule of law and would not tolerate any acts that would discredit the judicial and democratic credentials of the nation.
He explained that although the judge might have an escort, it was important that the threats were assessed on their merit and appropriate steps taken to deal with them.
Mr Quaye said the conviction of the policemen should send a signal to the rest of the personnel that the Police Administration would not tolerate any acts of indiscipline in the service.
Soon after the conviction of the convicts, some of their family members wailed and vented their anger on the judge and some journalists outside the courtroom.
They openly cursed and rained unprintable insults on the trial judge, who was escorted to his vehicle by court clerks and policemen.
It took the warrant officers of the court, other policemen, prosecutors, among others, to prevent violence between two of the convicts, Ampofo and DSP Kwapong.
Ampofo was eventually hurled out of the courtroom in handcuffs without his grey shirt, which got torn in his bid to attack DSP Kwapong.
A justice of the High Court of Ghana, Mr Justice Iddrisu Mahamadu, says his life is in danger following the trial and conviction of six policemen and four civilians for robbery over which he presided.
The threat to Justice Mahamadu’s life was reported to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood.
In her report, Mrs Justice Wood conveyed to the IGP that following the conviction of the six policemen and four civilians, Justice Mahamadu had received numerous threats to his life.
Consequently, the IGP has directed the Operations Department of the Ghana Police Service to take immediate steps to protect the life, family and property of the High Court judge.
Last Tuesday, Mr Justice Mahamadu convicted the six policemen, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong of the Rapid Deployment Force of the Ghana Police Service, and four other civilians to a total of 200 years after they had been found guilty of attacking and robbing a Switzerland-based Ghanaian businessman at a hotel in Accra on February 2, 2009.
The convicts are DSP Kwapong, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Agyapong, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal Karimu Muntari and Constable Blejumah.
The rest are Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi and Bismark Ampofo.
The convicts, with the exception of Kwapong, who was charged with conspiracy, were convicted to 20 years each on each count to run concurrently.
Constable Ken Duodu Acheampong and Jeffrey Kwame Atta, alias Kay, who are currently on the run, were tried in absentia.
Responding to the Chief Justice’s complaint, the IGP said he had referred her request to the Police Operations Department to assess the present situation and discuss measures to protect Justice Mahamadu, who sat as a Circuit Court judge.
He said the Police Administration believed in the rule of law and would not tolerate any acts that would discredit the judicial and democratic credentials of the nation.
He explained that although the judge might have an escort, it was important that the threats were assessed on their merit and appropriate steps taken to deal with them.
Mr Quaye said the conviction of the policemen should send a signal to the rest of the personnel that the Police Administration would not tolerate any acts of indiscipline in the service.
Soon after the conviction of the convicts, some of their family members wailed and vented their anger on the judge and some journalists outside the courtroom.
They openly cursed and rained unprintable insults on the trial judge, who was escorted to his vehicle by court clerks and policemen.
It took the warrant officers of the court, other policemen, prosecutors, among others, to prevent violence between two of the convicts, Ampofo and DSP Kwapong.
Ampofo was eventually hurled out of the courtroom in handcuffs without his grey shirt, which got torn in his bid to attack DSP Kwapong.
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