THE La Mansaamo Kpee (LMK), a community development association, has launched its 30th anniversary celebration in La, Accra.
The Association, which was formed in 1979 by a group of concerned citizens in the La community, is to mobilise grass roots support for self-sustained development in the La community.
The main objectives of the association is to provide a forum for free discussion on matters of development concern to the people as the central government alone could not provide the development needs of the people.
It is also to help raise the standard of living and quality of life of the inhabitants by providing and improving public health, sanitation, education and recreational facilities in the area through self-help and voluntary services.
So far, the association has, within its 30 years of existence, established a community bank, the La Community Bank, which was registered with an authorised share capital of GH¢ 10,000, representing 15 per cent preference share earmarked for the La community.
As part of its programme to provide employable skills for the youth within the La community, the association established the La Vocational and Technical Training Centre, which provide training in carpentry and joinery, building technology and dressmaking for the youth in the community.
Realising the important role women played in national development, the association, in 1993, formed an umbrella organisation responsible for women affairs known as Yei Anoyaa Kpee (Women Development Programme).
Its main objective is to educate women in the community to know their rights and responsibilities, create self-employment opportunities for them, train them in basic principles of management and introduce them to family planning.
The association has also established an educational fund to assist brilliant but needy students of La.
The fund has over the last few years provided financial assistance to over 200 students at various levels of the educational system.
Launching the year-long anniversary, Mr Peter Kpobi, a counsellor to the association, called for the involvement of all the people to make the celebration a success. He donated an amount of GH¢500 as his personal contribution towards the celebration.
The association has lined up a number of programmes to mark the celebration.
Present at the launch were Mr Peter O. Aryee, Executive Chairman of the Association, Mr K. B. Asante, Mr Peter Kpobi, Mr Kuma Olleanu, Rev Fr Antonio Nelson of the St Paul Anglican Church, and Prof Irene K. Odotei of the University of Ghana.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
World Water Day
THIS year’s Water Day has been marked with a call on stakeholders to recognise that the survival of every nation depends on the proper management and utilisation of its water resources.
The day, which was on the theme: “Shared Water, Shared Opportunities”, with focus on transboundary water, was to draw attention to the use of integrated water resource management tools to promote co-operation in nations and shared water basins for all water users and their communities.
At a flag-hoisting ceremony held in Accra to mark the day, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, said the theme for the celebration was a call on Ghana and its neighbours to come together to be more responsible towards water usage and conservation for their mutual benefit.
Mr Abongo said the day was also aimed at inspiring political, community and media attention and action, as well as to encourage greater understanding of the need to manage water resources for future generations.
He said the way transboundary waters were protected, managed and used would affect the successful achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and safeguard human security and development.
“Indeed, access to water for domestic and productive agricultural and other economic activities has a direct impact on the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in our country,” he said.
The minister noted that fortunately for Ghana, priorities had been gradually set towards ensuring the provision of good drinking water and sanitation-related services, as well as productive water for the increasing population in the rural and urban areas of the country.
Mr Abongo said in an effort to ensure sustainable availability of water for Ghana and its neighbours, Ghana had played a leading role in the establishment of a Volta Basin Authority (VBR).
This, he said, was realised through the ratification of a convention by the six riparian countries of Burkina Faso, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Mali and Ghana.
The minister, therefore, encouraged everyone to seriously consider adopting simple but important water conservation and utilisation techniques in order to address the water situation in Ghana.
In his message, which was read on his behalf by the UNESCO representative, Mrs Elizabeth Moundo, the United Nation’s Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, said while the world’s population was growing and consuming more freshwater, climate change was making less water available in many regions of the world.
He said as rainfall became less predictable, floods and droughts became more extreme, making it vital to manage water and balance the varied need carefully.
The Secretary General said there were about 300 international water agreements, often among parties that were otherwise at odds with each other.
These agreements, he said, demonstrated the potential of the use of shared water resources to foster trust and promote peace among nations.
For his part, the UNESCO Director-General, Koichiro Matsuura, whose message was delivered by Dr Abu Amani of the United Nations office in Accra, said water affected all aspects of human life, from health and sanitation to food, from the environment and ecosystem to the industry and the energy that powered development.
“Yet this vital resource is under threat. The amount of water we have has remained constant for thousands of years while the number and type of users have increased massively,” he said.
Earlier in the day, a street procession on the theme: “End Water Poverty”, was held as part of activities marking the day.
The procession, which started from the office of the Water Resource Commission, ended at the Holy Gardens, Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The processors held placards with such inscriptions as, “Water is life, Water is Precious, 500 children die every day from water-related diseases, Clean water is my right” amid brass band music.
The day, which was on the theme: “Shared Water, Shared Opportunities”, with focus on transboundary water, was to draw attention to the use of integrated water resource management tools to promote co-operation in nations and shared water basins for all water users and their communities.
At a flag-hoisting ceremony held in Accra to mark the day, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, said the theme for the celebration was a call on Ghana and its neighbours to come together to be more responsible towards water usage and conservation for their mutual benefit.
Mr Abongo said the day was also aimed at inspiring political, community and media attention and action, as well as to encourage greater understanding of the need to manage water resources for future generations.
He said the way transboundary waters were protected, managed and used would affect the successful achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and safeguard human security and development.
“Indeed, access to water for domestic and productive agricultural and other economic activities has a direct impact on the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in our country,” he said.
The minister noted that fortunately for Ghana, priorities had been gradually set towards ensuring the provision of good drinking water and sanitation-related services, as well as productive water for the increasing population in the rural and urban areas of the country.
Mr Abongo said in an effort to ensure sustainable availability of water for Ghana and its neighbours, Ghana had played a leading role in the establishment of a Volta Basin Authority (VBR).
This, he said, was realised through the ratification of a convention by the six riparian countries of Burkina Faso, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Mali and Ghana.
The minister, therefore, encouraged everyone to seriously consider adopting simple but important water conservation and utilisation techniques in order to address the water situation in Ghana.
In his message, which was read on his behalf by the UNESCO representative, Mrs Elizabeth Moundo, the United Nation’s Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, said while the world’s population was growing and consuming more freshwater, climate change was making less water available in many regions of the world.
He said as rainfall became less predictable, floods and droughts became more extreme, making it vital to manage water and balance the varied need carefully.
The Secretary General said there were about 300 international water agreements, often among parties that were otherwise at odds with each other.
These agreements, he said, demonstrated the potential of the use of shared water resources to foster trust and promote peace among nations.
For his part, the UNESCO Director-General, Koichiro Matsuura, whose message was delivered by Dr Abu Amani of the United Nations office in Accra, said water affected all aspects of human life, from health and sanitation to food, from the environment and ecosystem to the industry and the energy that powered development.
“Yet this vital resource is under threat. The amount of water we have has remained constant for thousands of years while the number and type of users have increased massively,” he said.
Earlier in the day, a street procession on the theme: “End Water Poverty”, was held as part of activities marking the day.
The procession, which started from the office of the Water Resource Commission, ended at the Holy Gardens, Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The processors held placards with such inscriptions as, “Water is life, Water is Precious, 500 children die every day from water-related diseases, Clean water is my right” amid brass band music.
Households advised to harvest rain
TWO officers of the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) have reiterated the need for households to adopt rain harvesting technology to reduce the pressure on the Ghana Water Company as a result of perennial water shortages.
They said the problem of perennial water shortage that confronted most communities in parts of the country could be addressed if estate developers included rain harvesting facilities in their building projects.
The two, Mr Chales Kwaku Yorke and Mr Kafui Quarshiga, were speaking to the Daily Graphic to throw more light on the 2009 rainfall outlook issued by the GMA, and to also offer suggestion on how to curb perennial water shortage in the country.
Mr Yorke explained that harvesting and storing rainwater from the rooftop was most economical, particularly for areas where the amount of average annual rainfall was more than 255mm.
He said it was surprising that most buildings in the country, even public ones, were without any rain harvesting facility, and pointed out that that was unfortunate in a country where the driest area had an average annual rainfall of about 750mm.
“Several tonnes of rainwater can be harvested from slight to moderate rainfall from rainstorm and squall lines which contribute more than 80 per cent of annual rainfall in Ghana” he said.
Mr Yorke cited areas like Kintampo South, East Gonja, Nkwanta and Tain districts as areas with intensive rainfall, at least once in a year.
He stressed that even in the dry season, these areas could harvest rain throughout the year unlike in the northern parts of the country where most areas were dry for almost five months in a year.
In his contribution,Mr Quarshiga noted that if seriously implemented, rain harvesting could provide about 90 per cent of the water needed for household use, and suggested that the technology should be incorporated into the architectural design of schools, hospitals and other public places.
“It is needless the way many of us carry gallons around the city in search of water when we can store and use rain water at least for domestic and industrial purposes”.
Mr Quarshiga said individuals could make a lot of savings from harvesting water as money spent on water bills could be used for other purposes.
He said rain harvesting could also help farmers to stop seasonal farming and farm all year round, stressing that “Let us not waste all the rainwater that we will be having this year”.
They said the problem of perennial water shortage that confronted most communities in parts of the country could be addressed if estate developers included rain harvesting facilities in their building projects.
The two, Mr Chales Kwaku Yorke and Mr Kafui Quarshiga, were speaking to the Daily Graphic to throw more light on the 2009 rainfall outlook issued by the GMA, and to also offer suggestion on how to curb perennial water shortage in the country.
Mr Yorke explained that harvesting and storing rainwater from the rooftop was most economical, particularly for areas where the amount of average annual rainfall was more than 255mm.
He said it was surprising that most buildings in the country, even public ones, were without any rain harvesting facility, and pointed out that that was unfortunate in a country where the driest area had an average annual rainfall of about 750mm.
“Several tonnes of rainwater can be harvested from slight to moderate rainfall from rainstorm and squall lines which contribute more than 80 per cent of annual rainfall in Ghana” he said.
Mr Yorke cited areas like Kintampo South, East Gonja, Nkwanta and Tain districts as areas with intensive rainfall, at least once in a year.
He stressed that even in the dry season, these areas could harvest rain throughout the year unlike in the northern parts of the country where most areas were dry for almost five months in a year.
In his contribution,Mr Quarshiga noted that if seriously implemented, rain harvesting could provide about 90 per cent of the water needed for household use, and suggested that the technology should be incorporated into the architectural design of schools, hospitals and other public places.
“It is needless the way many of us carry gallons around the city in search of water when we can store and use rain water at least for domestic and industrial purposes”.
Mr Quarshiga said individuals could make a lot of savings from harvesting water as money spent on water bills could be used for other purposes.
He said rain harvesting could also help farmers to stop seasonal farming and farm all year round, stressing that “Let us not waste all the rainwater that we will be having this year”.
Friday, March 20, 2009
GIMPA to train Anglogold managers
THE Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has entered into a customised training partnership with AngloGold Ashanti, a mining company, to train senior managers for AngloGold.
The programme, which involves participants from some mining fields in Ghana, Mali and Guinea, was designed jointly by GIMPA and AngloGold to respond to changing trends in leadership and management, particularly in the mining sector.
Launching the partnership, as well as welcome the first batch of participants in the Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Management programme, the Rector of GIMPA, Prof Yaw Agyeman Badu, said it was no longer relevant for workers to just go for further studies.
He explained that “training in our tertiary institutions must be industry specific to satisfy the demands and needs of the particular industry involved”.
Prof Agyeman Badu said the customised modular training was designed to meet the manpower needs of AngloGold Ashanti and was a modification of GIMPA’s own Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration for its particular needs.
He said the course would deepen participants’ understanding of the changing operational environment and its implications for supervisors and managers of AngloGold Ashanti.
According to the Co-ordinator of the programme, Mrs Victoria Kumbour, its main objective was to equip middle-level managers of AngloGold with the necessary management and administrative skills, as well as develop in them the right attitude to increase organisational performance.
She called for co-operation on the part of participants during the period of their stay, as GIMPA had already put in place the needed environment for academic work.
The Head of Human Resource, West Africa Region of AngloGold Ashanti, Gops Modise, told the Daily Graphic that the reason for the partnership with GIMPA was to equip and rebuild the capacity of AngloGold staff to meet the demands of the mining industry.
He said the programme was also part of the process of preparing the middle-level staff to take up leadership roles in the company in the future.
“This is also part of our new strategic plan to drive the company forward, with particular focus on its human resource base,” he said.
“We need the right people with the right skills to achieve our objectives,” he added.
The second component of the strategy, he said, was to build the needed business framework with the right management tool to position the company as a world-class mining company.
The programme, which involves participants from some mining fields in Ghana, Mali and Guinea, was designed jointly by GIMPA and AngloGold to respond to changing trends in leadership and management, particularly in the mining sector.
Launching the partnership, as well as welcome the first batch of participants in the Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Management programme, the Rector of GIMPA, Prof Yaw Agyeman Badu, said it was no longer relevant for workers to just go for further studies.
He explained that “training in our tertiary institutions must be industry specific to satisfy the demands and needs of the particular industry involved”.
Prof Agyeman Badu said the customised modular training was designed to meet the manpower needs of AngloGold Ashanti and was a modification of GIMPA’s own Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration for its particular needs.
He said the course would deepen participants’ understanding of the changing operational environment and its implications for supervisors and managers of AngloGold Ashanti.
According to the Co-ordinator of the programme, Mrs Victoria Kumbour, its main objective was to equip middle-level managers of AngloGold with the necessary management and administrative skills, as well as develop in them the right attitude to increase organisational performance.
She called for co-operation on the part of participants during the period of their stay, as GIMPA had already put in place the needed environment for academic work.
The Head of Human Resource, West Africa Region of AngloGold Ashanti, Gops Modise, told the Daily Graphic that the reason for the partnership with GIMPA was to equip and rebuild the capacity of AngloGold staff to meet the demands of the mining industry.
He said the programme was also part of the process of preparing the middle-level staff to take up leadership roles in the company in the future.
“This is also part of our new strategic plan to drive the company forward, with particular focus on its human resource base,” he said.
“We need the right people with the right skills to achieve our objectives,” he added.
The second component of the strategy, he said, was to build the needed business framework with the right management tool to position the company as a world-class mining company.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Chief Inspector Addai is no more
One of Ghana's most dedicated Police Officers in the country, Chief Inspector Godfred Addai, a regular figure on the Nungua-Accra beach road, is no more.
The man who dedicated his all to ensuring traffic discipline died after a short illness at the Police Hospital in Accra.
Unfortunately, Chief Inspector Addai's promotion letter from the rank of Inspector to the rank of Chief Inspector arrived two days after he passed on to the other side of the world indicating that the letter was sent while he was on his sick bed at the police hospital.
The 52 year- old Police officer who was popularly known within the Teshie Nungua community as Addai, was recruited into the Ghana Police Service in 1981 after he dropped out of the Oppong Memorial Secondary School at Kokofu in form two due to financial difficulties.
In spite of his plight at the time, he started farming in the village at the age of 20 to help his parents who were also farmers at the time to take care of the family.
After three years on the farm, Inspector Addai stopped farming because he was not making the needed income and joined his uncle who was a police officer at the time in Accra.
Sources at the Kpeshie Divisional Police Headquarters indicate that his first duty post was at Ho in the Volta Region where he stayed briefly and was transferred back to Accra .
He started directing traffic within Teshie Nungua and its environs about 12 years ago when he volunteered to do the work because of the noted misconduct of some commercial drivers in that community.
His presence alone, most people said, brought sanity on the roads in the community . The drivers stopped driving on the shoulders of the road for they knew not where Addai could emerge.
Addai would make you return to join the traffic or make you park and wait for long hours before letting you go if you misconducted yourself. Not even the plea of passengers would make him change his mind. He was a strict on the road.
At the end of the dual carriage where he stood every evening, sources indicate that he regulated the trafdfic by counting the cars. He allowed ten cars from each lane and moved to 20 then to 40 when the traffic became extra heavy.
Police sources at Nungua indicate that almost all Inspector Generals of Police (IGP) have awarded him since he was transfered to Accra for his dedication to duty.
Chief Inspector Addai has also been awarded by the Regional Police Administration and some corporate entities and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
The Police Administration has directed that a full military burial be accorded him.
His colleagues will keep wake on March 25, 2009 at the Nungua Police Barracks. The body will be laid at the same venue on Friday March 27 where he spent most of his life as a police officer in the early hours of the day.
The body will then be moved from there to his hometown, Bekwai Assumegya in the Ashanti Region for burial on March 28, 2009.
The man who dedicated his all to ensuring traffic discipline died after a short illness at the Police Hospital in Accra.
Unfortunately, Chief Inspector Addai's promotion letter from the rank of Inspector to the rank of Chief Inspector arrived two days after he passed on to the other side of the world indicating that the letter was sent while he was on his sick bed at the police hospital.
The 52 year- old Police officer who was popularly known within the Teshie Nungua community as Addai, was recruited into the Ghana Police Service in 1981 after he dropped out of the Oppong Memorial Secondary School at Kokofu in form two due to financial difficulties.
In spite of his plight at the time, he started farming in the village at the age of 20 to help his parents who were also farmers at the time to take care of the family.
After three years on the farm, Inspector Addai stopped farming because he was not making the needed income and joined his uncle who was a police officer at the time in Accra.
Sources at the Kpeshie Divisional Police Headquarters indicate that his first duty post was at Ho in the Volta Region where he stayed briefly and was transferred back to Accra .
He started directing traffic within Teshie Nungua and its environs about 12 years ago when he volunteered to do the work because of the noted misconduct of some commercial drivers in that community.
His presence alone, most people said, brought sanity on the roads in the community . The drivers stopped driving on the shoulders of the road for they knew not where Addai could emerge.
Addai would make you return to join the traffic or make you park and wait for long hours before letting you go if you misconducted yourself. Not even the plea of passengers would make him change his mind. He was a strict on the road.
At the end of the dual carriage where he stood every evening, sources indicate that he regulated the trafdfic by counting the cars. He allowed ten cars from each lane and moved to 20 then to 40 when the traffic became extra heavy.
Police sources at Nungua indicate that almost all Inspector Generals of Police (IGP) have awarded him since he was transfered to Accra for his dedication to duty.
Chief Inspector Addai has also been awarded by the Regional Police Administration and some corporate entities and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
The Police Administration has directed that a full military burial be accorded him.
His colleagues will keep wake on March 25, 2009 at the Nungua Police Barracks. The body will be laid at the same venue on Friday March 27 where he spent most of his life as a police officer in the early hours of the day.
The body will then be moved from there to his hometown, Bekwai Assumegya in the Ashanti Region for burial on March 28, 2009.
Meteo advises farmers on crop planting
THE Ghana Meteorological Agency has advised farmers not to plant immediately after the onset of the rains, as they may experience crop failure.
It said the planting period for crops should start between four and six weeks after the onset of the rainy season when the dry spells, which are the periods between one rainfall and another, were expected to be relatively shorter.
This was contained in the agency’s seasonal forecast. It has predicted an average-to-above-average rainfall over the entire country during the main rainy seasons.
The release said average-to-above-average rainfall was expected in areas in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions and the northern half of the Volta Region during the main rainy season from July to September.
Also areas in the middle part of the Volta Region, the entire Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Ashanti, Western and Central regions, except the coastal strip, would experience average rainfall during the main season from April to June.
For the rest of the country, that is, the coastal strip of the Central Region, stretching through to the Greater Accra Region and the Volta Region, average amounts of rainfall are expected from April to June.
The coastal belt, which stretches from the Central Region to the Volta Region, is expected to experience average rainfall during the major season.
The start of the rainy season, which is expected between the first and second weeks of March, is expected to be characterised by long dry spells of about 10 days, especially during the first four to six weeks after the onset of the rains.
The forest zone, which includes parts of the Volta and Central regions, and the entire Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Western regions will experience average rainfall during the major season, which is expected to start from the first to the second week of March.
The Northern Region of Ghana is expected to experience average rainfall during the rainy season, starting from the first week of April.
The forecast, however, added that within the first four weeks after the onset, there was the likelihood of the areas experiencing some periods of dry spells lasting between five and 10 days within the northern regions.
The Upper East and Upper West regions are expected to experience average-to-above-average rainfall during the major season, with the onset expected in the last week of April and a dry spell of between five and 10 days likely to occur during the first four weeks after the onset.
The Head of the Research Department of the agency, Mr Charles Kwaku Yorke, gave the summary of the average rainfall in the major season as: Coastal belt, 710mm between March and October; forest belt, 110mm from March to October; Northern belt, 980mm from April to October, and Upper East and Upper West, 960mm and 963mm, respectively, from April to October.
It said the planting period for crops should start between four and six weeks after the onset of the rainy season when the dry spells, which are the periods between one rainfall and another, were expected to be relatively shorter.
This was contained in the agency’s seasonal forecast. It has predicted an average-to-above-average rainfall over the entire country during the main rainy seasons.
The release said average-to-above-average rainfall was expected in areas in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions and the northern half of the Volta Region during the main rainy season from July to September.
Also areas in the middle part of the Volta Region, the entire Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Ashanti, Western and Central regions, except the coastal strip, would experience average rainfall during the main season from April to June.
For the rest of the country, that is, the coastal strip of the Central Region, stretching through to the Greater Accra Region and the Volta Region, average amounts of rainfall are expected from April to June.
The coastal belt, which stretches from the Central Region to the Volta Region, is expected to experience average rainfall during the major season.
The start of the rainy season, which is expected between the first and second weeks of March, is expected to be characterised by long dry spells of about 10 days, especially during the first four to six weeks after the onset of the rains.
The forest zone, which includes parts of the Volta and Central regions, and the entire Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Western regions will experience average rainfall during the major season, which is expected to start from the first to the second week of March.
The Northern Region of Ghana is expected to experience average rainfall during the rainy season, starting from the first week of April.
The forecast, however, added that within the first four weeks after the onset, there was the likelihood of the areas experiencing some periods of dry spells lasting between five and 10 days within the northern regions.
The Upper East and Upper West regions are expected to experience average-to-above-average rainfall during the major season, with the onset expected in the last week of April and a dry spell of between five and 10 days likely to occur during the first four weeks after the onset.
The Head of the Research Department of the agency, Mr Charles Kwaku Yorke, gave the summary of the average rainfall in the major season as: Coastal belt, 710mm between March and October; forest belt, 110mm from March to October; Northern belt, 980mm from April to October, and Upper East and Upper West, 960mm and 963mm, respectively, from April to October.
Monday, March 16, 2009
American Airlines steps up operations in Ghana
American Airlines has relaunched its services in the country with a training workshop for travel and tour operators to give them a better understanding of the airline’s operations.
The airline is operating an offline office in Ghana as a member of the Oneworld carriers alliance. An offline office means the carrier will not operate a direct flight from Ghana but will rely on its partner airlines that fly into the country, such as British Airways.
The Country Director, Mr Ekow Paintsil, told the Daily Graphic in an interview after a presentation at the workshop that the events of September 11 had affected the operations of the airline worldwide and called for such strategic partnerships and alliances for survival.
“As one of the world’s biggest airlines, we need to position ourselves and prove our worth in the industry in times of difficulty”.
Mr Paintsil said the offline office in Ghana served as the hub of other West African countries stretching from Senegal to Angola.
“Management decided on the relaunch with its accompanying innovations and changes to recapture its markets in the airline industry,” he added.
American Airlines flies more than 250,000 people a day to over 250 cities in 40 countries. That, he said, was made possible by the combined effort of the Oneworld alliance and other airline partners, adding “our total network includes more than 800 destinations worldwide.”
The other presenter at the workshop, Mr Joseph Abbey Mensal, told Daily Graphic in an interview that the relaunch was necessary to reassure their clients of their commitment to serve them better.
“We have for sometime in the past lost contact with our most cherished customers; we think it is important to re-establish link with them,” he emphasised.
The airline is operating an offline office in Ghana as a member of the Oneworld carriers alliance. An offline office means the carrier will not operate a direct flight from Ghana but will rely on its partner airlines that fly into the country, such as British Airways.
The Country Director, Mr Ekow Paintsil, told the Daily Graphic in an interview after a presentation at the workshop that the events of September 11 had affected the operations of the airline worldwide and called for such strategic partnerships and alliances for survival.
“As one of the world’s biggest airlines, we need to position ourselves and prove our worth in the industry in times of difficulty”.
Mr Paintsil said the offline office in Ghana served as the hub of other West African countries stretching from Senegal to Angola.
“Management decided on the relaunch with its accompanying innovations and changes to recapture its markets in the airline industry,” he added.
American Airlines flies more than 250,000 people a day to over 250 cities in 40 countries. That, he said, was made possible by the combined effort of the Oneworld alliance and other airline partners, adding “our total network includes more than 800 destinations worldwide.”
The other presenter at the workshop, Mr Joseph Abbey Mensal, told Daily Graphic in an interview that the relaunch was necessary to reassure their clients of their commitment to serve them better.
“We have for sometime in the past lost contact with our most cherished customers; we think it is important to re-establish link with them,” he emphasised.
Remain resolute, unite in defeat — Akufo-Addo
THE opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday held a thanksgiving service to offer gratitude to God for seeing it through the December 2008 general election. Hundreds of supporters, clad in the party's paraphernalia, thronged the Trade Fair Centre in Accra to participate in the service; they were highly in jubilant mood, making one to hardly accept the fact that their party had recently lost the general election.
Former Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and party big wigs attended the ceremony.
The Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, called on all party faithful and supporters to still remain resolute and united in defeat.
He said, “This is the best opportunity for all party supporters to come together and demonstrate their commitment to the leadership and the philosophy of the party.”
Expressing his appreciation to the supporters of the party for their massive support during the 2008 elections at a non-denominational thanksgiving service, Nana Akufo-Addo thanked Ghanaians for their vote and support in the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The party lost to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a keenly contested election.
He said the party still had a massive support base across the country and was optimistic that the party would win the 2012 elections, saying that “we shall be back in 2012”.
The former President, Mr J.A. Kufuor said the opportunity to be in opposition offered the party and the leadership a chance to reflect on the past activities of the party and fashion a new way forward.
He added that Ghanaians would also have the opportunity to compare the eight years administration of the NPP and that of the NDC and decide which party should be given the opportunity to govern the country again.
“We have set the best examples ever as to what good governance was and have also provided the needed infrastructure on which to build a strong economy,” he said. With this, the former President hoped that Ghanaians would have the chance once again, come 2012, to give the mantle of leadership of the country to the NPP.
In his sermon, Rev. Father Prof. Appiah Poku told the congregants that “what has happened was the best for the country. I want to encourage all party supporters not to fold their arms and be staring at the heavens, because you are defeated”.
Quoting the words of the prophet Isaiah, Rev. Appiah Poku encouraged members of the party not to be troubled in their hearts, adding “what God will give you is in the future, your time will come and God will crown your efforts”.
When the National Chairman of the party, Mr Peter Mac Manu, took his turn, he challenged those who thought the party was in disarray to revise their notes, adding “the spirit of the party is still alive”.
To the party supporters, the chairman said, “This is not the time for us to play the blame game, let’s forge ahead in unity and we will be back again.”
He emphasised that the best any party member could do in times like this would be to stand firm with the party as they await the next elections in 2012.
The leadership of the party had a hectic task controlling the numerous supporters who thronged the Trade Fair Centre in their party colours to catch a glimpse of Nana Akufo-Addo and the former President Mr J.A Kufuor.
Some of the supporters carried placards with the inscriptions, “No congress for Nana”, Nana All The Way”, “Oh Nana, Ghana Needs You”.
Prayers were offered to thank God for the peaceful elections, for the party and also for the leadership of the party.
Former Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and party big wigs attended the ceremony.
The Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, called on all party faithful and supporters to still remain resolute and united in defeat.
He said, “This is the best opportunity for all party supporters to come together and demonstrate their commitment to the leadership and the philosophy of the party.”
Expressing his appreciation to the supporters of the party for their massive support during the 2008 elections at a non-denominational thanksgiving service, Nana Akufo-Addo thanked Ghanaians for their vote and support in the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The party lost to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a keenly contested election.
He said the party still had a massive support base across the country and was optimistic that the party would win the 2012 elections, saying that “we shall be back in 2012”.
The former President, Mr J.A. Kufuor said the opportunity to be in opposition offered the party and the leadership a chance to reflect on the past activities of the party and fashion a new way forward.
He added that Ghanaians would also have the opportunity to compare the eight years administration of the NPP and that of the NDC and decide which party should be given the opportunity to govern the country again.
“We have set the best examples ever as to what good governance was and have also provided the needed infrastructure on which to build a strong economy,” he said. With this, the former President hoped that Ghanaians would have the chance once again, come 2012, to give the mantle of leadership of the country to the NPP.
In his sermon, Rev. Father Prof. Appiah Poku told the congregants that “what has happened was the best for the country. I want to encourage all party supporters not to fold their arms and be staring at the heavens, because you are defeated”.
Quoting the words of the prophet Isaiah, Rev. Appiah Poku encouraged members of the party not to be troubled in their hearts, adding “what God will give you is in the future, your time will come and God will crown your efforts”.
When the National Chairman of the party, Mr Peter Mac Manu, took his turn, he challenged those who thought the party was in disarray to revise their notes, adding “the spirit of the party is still alive”.
To the party supporters, the chairman said, “This is not the time for us to play the blame game, let’s forge ahead in unity and we will be back again.”
He emphasised that the best any party member could do in times like this would be to stand firm with the party as they await the next elections in 2012.
The leadership of the party had a hectic task controlling the numerous supporters who thronged the Trade Fair Centre in their party colours to catch a glimpse of Nana Akufo-Addo and the former President Mr J.A Kufuor.
Some of the supporters carried placards with the inscriptions, “No congress for Nana”, Nana All The Way”, “Oh Nana, Ghana Needs You”.
Prayers were offered to thank God for the peaceful elections, for the party and also for the leadership of the party.
NDC MP urges calm as party works to fulfill promises
THE Member of Parliament for the Ledzekuku Constituency, Nii Nortey Dua, has called on supporters of the National Democratic Congress [NDC] nation wide to be calm and confident as the government puts in place the needed structures to fulfil the promises made during the 2008 electioneering.
He said, the NDC was very appreciative of the support they got from the electorate during the elections and would do its possible best to improve on the living standard of Ghanaians.
Speaking during a thanksgiving rally at Teshie on Sunday, Nii Nortey said, “now that the elections are over we must forget about the NDC, NPP factions in the constituency, rather “let us come together in unity to make Teshie and its environs a better place to live in”.
“I have come this far because of your support, your trust in me and the fact that I am capable of changing the fortunes of the constituency,” he indicated.
The MP, later told the Daily Graphic that he had already contacted some NGOs in Canada, Germany and UK who have expressed their readiness to help in the development of the Ledzekuku constituency.
On the water situation in Teshie, Nii Nortey said, he had contacted the Ghana Water and Sewage Corporation and the Teshie Water Board who have also promised to help solve the problem.
“My initial investigations on the water situation in the community revealed that previous MPs did not have the needed political will to change the situation,” adding that with the help of experts in the field he would be able to improve the situation.
Commenting on roads in the Teshie township which is noted for its traffic jam all day, the MP said that other linking roads in the constituency would be made functional to ease traffic congestion.
He also said he would in the next few months form an interactive platform to be known as the Ledzekuku Parliament explaining that “there is the need for me to go back to the very people who voted for me, have a better understanding of their problems and help in solving them”.
Nii Nortey also expressed his appreciations to all the previous MPs in the constituency and said that their experiences would be a useful lesson during his tenure as an MP.
He said, the NDC was very appreciative of the support they got from the electorate during the elections and would do its possible best to improve on the living standard of Ghanaians.
Speaking during a thanksgiving rally at Teshie on Sunday, Nii Nortey said, “now that the elections are over we must forget about the NDC, NPP factions in the constituency, rather “let us come together in unity to make Teshie and its environs a better place to live in”.
“I have come this far because of your support, your trust in me and the fact that I am capable of changing the fortunes of the constituency,” he indicated.
The MP, later told the Daily Graphic that he had already contacted some NGOs in Canada, Germany and UK who have expressed their readiness to help in the development of the Ledzekuku constituency.
On the water situation in Teshie, Nii Nortey said, he had contacted the Ghana Water and Sewage Corporation and the Teshie Water Board who have also promised to help solve the problem.
“My initial investigations on the water situation in the community revealed that previous MPs did not have the needed political will to change the situation,” adding that with the help of experts in the field he would be able to improve the situation.
Commenting on roads in the Teshie township which is noted for its traffic jam all day, the MP said that other linking roads in the constituency would be made functional to ease traffic congestion.
He also said he would in the next few months form an interactive platform to be known as the Ledzekuku Parliament explaining that “there is the need for me to go back to the very people who voted for me, have a better understanding of their problems and help in solving them”.
Nii Nortey also expressed his appreciations to all the previous MPs in the constituency and said that their experiences would be a useful lesson during his tenure as an MP.
I’ll liase with oil experts for growth — Darko-Mensah
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi Constituency, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has said he would liaise with experts in the oil industry to put in place measures to manage the inflow of people to the constituency and its related problems.
He said oil boom in many countries had bred corruption, underdevelopment, social conflict and damaged the environment which must serve as lessons for us in Ghana.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Darko-Mensah said “even as we give examples of oil troubled countries like Nigeria, we must also consider the likes of Scotland who have use the oil in their country to accelerate national development.”
“There is a need for transparent revenues payment practices, open and competitive contract bidding, and participation of the community in the oil business.”
Mr Darko-Mensah said the creation of a website for the constituency to collate data that would be needed for policy formulation and provide vital information was under way.
He said the lack of information in some oil rich countries had been identified as one of the challenges these countries face.
He stressed further that when policies are formulated and made known to all stakeholders, it would prevent fraudulent people from entering the market thereby allowing trustworthy individuals to do businesses that would create the enabling environment for other businesses to flourish.
Mr Darko-Mensah again told the Daily Graphic that a data would also be collated on all investment potential in the constituency which would later be linked to potential investors who would be interested in investing in the constituency.
The MP mentioned to the Daily Graphic that one of his topmost priorities at the moment was to put in place structures that would help the youth in the constituency get employable skills to take them off the street.
“We must create other educational and vocational opportunities aside the universities and the polytechnics for those who are unable to make good grades to enter into the universities and polytechnics,” he said.
He said oil boom in many countries had bred corruption, underdevelopment, social conflict and damaged the environment which must serve as lessons for us in Ghana.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Darko-Mensah said “even as we give examples of oil troubled countries like Nigeria, we must also consider the likes of Scotland who have use the oil in their country to accelerate national development.”
“There is a need for transparent revenues payment practices, open and competitive contract bidding, and participation of the community in the oil business.”
Mr Darko-Mensah said the creation of a website for the constituency to collate data that would be needed for policy formulation and provide vital information was under way.
He said the lack of information in some oil rich countries had been identified as one of the challenges these countries face.
He stressed further that when policies are formulated and made known to all stakeholders, it would prevent fraudulent people from entering the market thereby allowing trustworthy individuals to do businesses that would create the enabling environment for other businesses to flourish.
Mr Darko-Mensah again told the Daily Graphic that a data would also be collated on all investment potential in the constituency which would later be linked to potential investors who would be interested in investing in the constituency.
The MP mentioned to the Daily Graphic that one of his topmost priorities at the moment was to put in place structures that would help the youth in the constituency get employable skills to take them off the street.
“We must create other educational and vocational opportunities aside the universities and the polytechnics for those who are unable to make good grades to enter into the universities and polytechnics,” he said.
Ho West MP urges creation of cottage industries
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho West Constituency, Mr Emmanuel K. Bedzrah, has pointed out that the solution to the rural-urban migration is to create cottage industries in the villages.
Mr Bedzrah explained that most of the youth migrate to the cities because they want jobs, so “if these jobs can be provided for them in their towns and villages they will have no reason to come to the cities, particularly the capital”, he added.
The MP for Ho West was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview where he underscored the importance of providing the youth in the villages with employable skills.
Mr Bedzrah said his main priority would be to provide the youth with job avenues not only in Accra. “You will be surprised where most of these youth sleep in the cities most of whom have comfortable places in their home towns”, he stated.
Mr Bedzrah said development could only take place if majority of the youth were employed.
Outlining how he was going to achieve this, he said he would partner vocational schools to provide vocational training for the youth in his constituency.
Those who might not have the opportunity to undergo the training but are already in a trade will be helped with loan facilities to help them expand their businesses.
Mr Bedzrah also said he would be in contact with the chiefs in the area to make land available for the youth in agriculture project that would start soon in the constituency.
The member again said there were some tourism centres in the constituency and he intended to link up with the Minister for Tourism on possible ways of developing them into income- generating activities for the youth in the area.
He therefore called for the support of all stakeholders, particularly community-based organisations to help to achieve this agenda for the community.
“As the government is putting in place the needed learning environment I also want to advise the youth in the constituency to take their education seriously”, he admonished.
Mr Bedzrah explained that most of the youth migrate to the cities because they want jobs, so “if these jobs can be provided for them in their towns and villages they will have no reason to come to the cities, particularly the capital”, he added.
The MP for Ho West was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview where he underscored the importance of providing the youth in the villages with employable skills.
Mr Bedzrah said his main priority would be to provide the youth with job avenues not only in Accra. “You will be surprised where most of these youth sleep in the cities most of whom have comfortable places in their home towns”, he stated.
Mr Bedzrah said development could only take place if majority of the youth were employed.
Outlining how he was going to achieve this, he said he would partner vocational schools to provide vocational training for the youth in his constituency.
Those who might not have the opportunity to undergo the training but are already in a trade will be helped with loan facilities to help them expand their businesses.
Mr Bedzrah also said he would be in contact with the chiefs in the area to make land available for the youth in agriculture project that would start soon in the constituency.
The member again said there were some tourism centres in the constituency and he intended to link up with the Minister for Tourism on possible ways of developing them into income- generating activities for the youth in the area.
He therefore called for the support of all stakeholders, particularly community-based organisations to help to achieve this agenda for the community.
“As the government is putting in place the needed learning environment I also want to advise the youth in the constituency to take their education seriously”, he admonished.
Takoradi MP calls for youth in agric projects
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi,Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has called for the establishment of youth in agriculture projects to engage the youth meaningfully across the country.
Mr Darko-Mensah said Ghana was endowed with a lot of arable land which could be put to good use by the youth to prevent them from leaving the rural communities for the cities in search of non existent jobs.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the MP said the youth in agriculture project must be at the heart of every stakeholder in youth development in the country.
Mr Darko-Mensah said Ghana could not continue to import food when it had the manpower and resources to cultivate all her food needs.
He added that the continuous importation of food from other countries meant that Ghanaians would be creating jobs for other countries.
Mr Darko-Mensah emphasised that the time had come for Ghana to move away from the importation of every single item and begin to export to those countries the country to also earn some foreign exchange.
The MP said most of the youth were unemployed because they all wanted employment from the central government,a situation which did not help the economy.
Touching on oil, Mr Darko-Mensah said structures must be put in place such that persons and groups that may be directly affected by the operation of the oil companies, particularly fishermen, could also benefit from the oil in one way or the other.
Mr Darko-Mensah stressed that laws must be enacted to protect the interest of fishermen within the catchment areas of the oil find.
“Fishermen, particularly the young ones, in our rural areas are often disadvantaged. By this I mean they are isolated that is being far away from assistance, have no money to satisfy their basic needs, and have no voice in decision making,” he said.
Mr Darko-Mensah said Ghana was endowed with a lot of arable land which could be put to good use by the youth to prevent them from leaving the rural communities for the cities in search of non existent jobs.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the MP said the youth in agriculture project must be at the heart of every stakeholder in youth development in the country.
Mr Darko-Mensah said Ghana could not continue to import food when it had the manpower and resources to cultivate all her food needs.
He added that the continuous importation of food from other countries meant that Ghanaians would be creating jobs for other countries.
Mr Darko-Mensah emphasised that the time had come for Ghana to move away from the importation of every single item and begin to export to those countries the country to also earn some foreign exchange.
The MP said most of the youth were unemployed because they all wanted employment from the central government,a situation which did not help the economy.
Touching on oil, Mr Darko-Mensah said structures must be put in place such that persons and groups that may be directly affected by the operation of the oil companies, particularly fishermen, could also benefit from the oil in one way or the other.
Mr Darko-Mensah stressed that laws must be enacted to protect the interest of fishermen within the catchment areas of the oil find.
“Fishermen, particularly the young ones, in our rural areas are often disadvantaged. By this I mean they are isolated that is being far away from assistance, have no money to satisfy their basic needs, and have no voice in decision making,” he said.
Community libraries need support
THE running of some community libraries in the Greater Accra Region has been hampered as a result of financial problems being faced by the operators.
These libraries are in Nungua, Osu and Nima-Maamobi. The libraries are supposed to have some support from the communities but this has not been forthcoming.
Those who work in the libraries are mainly service men and women and some volunteers. They are paid something, but this is woefully inadequate.
The Canadian philanthropist, Mrs Kathy Knoles, who put up the libraries, has, therefore, called for support from the Ghana Education Service (GES), the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, as well as the local people, towards resourcing the community libraries to make them more functional.
The Assistant Librarian at the Nima-Maamobi Community Library, Ms Kate Akwa, told the Daily Graphic that the people in the community had promised, during the construction of the facility, to support its operations but they had since not made any contributions.
She said the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) was paying the salaries of some of the staff but expressed worry that it was inadequate.
Despite those challenges, she said, the libraries which were located near government schools were making a definite impact on the community, especially on the pupils and students in the area.
The Nungua Community Library, which is located within the Nungua Cluster of Schools, is also facing similar problems.
The Librarian there, Mrs Abigail Elisha, said most of the pupils went there at the close of school or during library periods as part of their curricula.
These libraries are in Nungua, Osu and Nima-Maamobi. The libraries are supposed to have some support from the communities but this has not been forthcoming.
Those who work in the libraries are mainly service men and women and some volunteers. They are paid something, but this is woefully inadequate.
The Canadian philanthropist, Mrs Kathy Knoles, who put up the libraries, has, therefore, called for support from the Ghana Education Service (GES), the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, as well as the local people, towards resourcing the community libraries to make them more functional.
The Assistant Librarian at the Nima-Maamobi Community Library, Ms Kate Akwa, told the Daily Graphic that the people in the community had promised, during the construction of the facility, to support its operations but they had since not made any contributions.
She said the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) was paying the salaries of some of the staff but expressed worry that it was inadequate.
Despite those challenges, she said, the libraries which were located near government schools were making a definite impact on the community, especially on the pupils and students in the area.
The Nungua Community Library, which is located within the Nungua Cluster of Schools, is also facing similar problems.
The Librarian there, Mrs Abigail Elisha, said most of the pupils went there at the close of school or during library periods as part of their curricula.
Maritime University needs training vessel
THE lack of a training vessel for the Regional Maritime University (RMU) to train its students poses a challenge to maritime education, the graduates and the profession, the Executive Chairman of ANTRAK Ghana Limted, Alhaji Dr Asoma Abu Banda has stated.
He said, “for me as a ship owner, I can recommend them for employment, however I cannot force the captain to employ them because they don’t have the needed experience to work with.”
Alhaji Banda made this state ment at the second graduation ceremony of RMU where a total of 156 students graduated in various programmes of study at both the degree and diploma levels.
He expressed his willingness to personally partner with the government, the RMU and all maritime stakeholders to provide a training vessel for the training of students of the university. Alhaji Banda noted that the provision of relevant and quality maritime education and training was a prerequisite for the improvement, safety and security of our waters, ports and harbours, and that our waterways were mainly man-made and could be drastically curtailed if they insisted on appropriate training and strict compliance of safety rules and regulations.
He urged the RMU and its Board to introduce courses that will enhance multimodal transport, which include the effective and efficient linkage between sea, rail, land and air.
Alhaji Banda explained that multimodal transport accelerated trade , and it was more cost-effective and could be a powerful vehicle for the socio-economic cooperation of the West and Central African sub-region.
The Minister for Transport and a member of the governing board of the RMU, Mr Mike Hammah, acknowledged the importance of maritime transport to the country’s economy, since the economy was largely dependent on international trade which was mainly sea borne.
Maritime education had its strategic importance to the economy, he said, adding that “Our ports and related companies, shipping and fishing organisations and inland waterways all require well trained maritime personnel for both off shore and ashore operations”.
Mr Hammah noted that there was a school of thought which held the view that since most of the nation’s shipping lines were either no more or were only shadows of themselves, struggling under the scorch of commercial non-viability , there was no need for continued emphasis on maritime education and training especially, in the case of shipboard officers.
“Contrary to this view, many nations have found it most profitable to train shipboard officers for supply to the international shipping industry such as the major maritime nations which have high demand for these officers,” he stated.
He called on member countries of the university to be more committed to their obligations to the university by supporting it through these critical times.
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of RMU, Mr Binyah Kesselly said RMU’s ranking on the International and African stage far outweighed its size and ranking.
Mr Kesselly said students from RMU were out there, onshore and offshore, working on the problems and finding solutions to shipping and maritime transport, fishing, port administration and other maritime-related service delivery truly supported by globalisation and international trade.
The Rector of the RMU, Captain Aaron Turkson said the authorities of the university decided to merge the system of cadetship and non-cadetship programmes to ensure that both industry specifics and individual needs of the students were met.
Captain Turkson disclosed the intention of the university to register its presence in the oil and gas industry through collaborations with some universities and companies with whom a timetable for training of the first batch of oil and gas safety trainees had been agreed and will commence soon at the RMU.
The Rector tasked the graduands to be good ambassadors of the university as they were going into the world and urged them to be committed to their profession and to remember that they owed it a duty to the renowned university to succeed.
He said, “for me as a ship owner, I can recommend them for employment, however I cannot force the captain to employ them because they don’t have the needed experience to work with.”
Alhaji Banda made this state ment at the second graduation ceremony of RMU where a total of 156 students graduated in various programmes of study at both the degree and diploma levels.
He expressed his willingness to personally partner with the government, the RMU and all maritime stakeholders to provide a training vessel for the training of students of the university. Alhaji Banda noted that the provision of relevant and quality maritime education and training was a prerequisite for the improvement, safety and security of our waters, ports and harbours, and that our waterways were mainly man-made and could be drastically curtailed if they insisted on appropriate training and strict compliance of safety rules and regulations.
He urged the RMU and its Board to introduce courses that will enhance multimodal transport, which include the effective and efficient linkage between sea, rail, land and air.
Alhaji Banda explained that multimodal transport accelerated trade , and it was more cost-effective and could be a powerful vehicle for the socio-economic cooperation of the West and Central African sub-region.
The Minister for Transport and a member of the governing board of the RMU, Mr Mike Hammah, acknowledged the importance of maritime transport to the country’s economy, since the economy was largely dependent on international trade which was mainly sea borne.
Maritime education had its strategic importance to the economy, he said, adding that “Our ports and related companies, shipping and fishing organisations and inland waterways all require well trained maritime personnel for both off shore and ashore operations”.
Mr Hammah noted that there was a school of thought which held the view that since most of the nation’s shipping lines were either no more or were only shadows of themselves, struggling under the scorch of commercial non-viability , there was no need for continued emphasis on maritime education and training especially, in the case of shipboard officers.
“Contrary to this view, many nations have found it most profitable to train shipboard officers for supply to the international shipping industry such as the major maritime nations which have high demand for these officers,” he stated.
He called on member countries of the university to be more committed to their obligations to the university by supporting it through these critical times.
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of RMU, Mr Binyah Kesselly said RMU’s ranking on the International and African stage far outweighed its size and ranking.
Mr Kesselly said students from RMU were out there, onshore and offshore, working on the problems and finding solutions to shipping and maritime transport, fishing, port administration and other maritime-related service delivery truly supported by globalisation and international trade.
The Rector of the RMU, Captain Aaron Turkson said the authorities of the university decided to merge the system of cadetship and non-cadetship programmes to ensure that both industry specifics and individual needs of the students were met.
Captain Turkson disclosed the intention of the university to register its presence in the oil and gas industry through collaborations with some universities and companies with whom a timetable for training of the first batch of oil and gas safety trainees had been agreed and will commence soon at the RMU.
The Rector tasked the graduands to be good ambassadors of the university as they were going into the world and urged them to be committed to their profession and to remember that they owed it a duty to the renowned university to succeed.
IPS, Valley View University to enforce dress code
AUTHORITIES of the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) and the Valley View University (VVU) are determined to enforce the principles of the dress codes of the institutions to ensure that the students dress appropriately and also to fit corporate standards.
This measure has been necessitated by the kind and style of dressing by some of the students on the campuses, particularly the ladies, a situation which has become a great concern by the school authorities.
The two institutions state clearly in their dress codes what the students are expected to wear on campus, but the two authorities have their dress codes which are embodied in the student’s handouts and which the students are expected to abide by, but unfortunately, they don’t and instead dress in their own way.
At the IPS both men and women are expected to ensure that their dressing is always neat, modest, not distracting and consistent with the dignity of scholarship and professionalism.
According to the IPS dress code, a student, alleged to be improperly dressed, or having an inappropriate outfit, shall be reported to the head of department. If the incident occurs in a lecture hall, the lecturer may ask the student to leave the lecture hall and/or take note of the incident as witnessed by other members of the class and later report to the head of department.
A student who is reported for inappropriate dressing for more than twice, shall face disciplinary action which shall result in suspension for one semester.
The process of assessment shall not be biased or challenge the student’s taste or fashion sense provided it fits the institute’s business casual dress standard.
For the women, their clothing will be considered inappropriate when it is sleeveless, strapless or backless, while dresses, skirts and shorts must be knee length or longer.
They are expected to avoid excessive ear piercing, as more than one is regarded inappropriate and all other body piercing are not acceptable.
Revealing attire is also not acceptable and by this, it is meant exposing the tummy, waistline, chest, breast and underwear.
Even though some may see torn jeans and dirty jeans as fashionable, the institute does not accept them.
The men are required to wear trousers and shirts with collar and tie or decent African wear, and it is also not acceptable for them to wear sleeveless ‘T’ shirts with potentially offensive words, terms, logos and pictures.
A female student said some lecturers sent students who did not dress well out of the lecture halls, adding that though the institute always had a dress code, the authorities had not been able to enforce it.
The Registrar of IPS, Mr William Boamah Dapaah, said the action had become necessary because the dressing of students, particularly that of the women, had become a source of worry to the administration.
Mr Boamah Dapaah said the authorities would not entertain any indecent dressage from the students.
On their part, the authorities of VVU will not accept any shorts, tight-fitting slacks, bare shoulders, spaghetti straps and revealing skirts, since they are considered immodest.
For female students, skirts must be long enough to avoid indecent exposure, while transparent, sheer or tight-fitting blouses, and tube tops or skirts are not permitted.
Again dresses with low necklines or the type which does not fully cover the shoulders and armpit, are not permitted in the school.
Noticeable make-ups, coloured nail polish, and obtrusive unnatural hair, coloured or weave-on must be avoided as much as possible.
Men's dress or general campus wear should consist of trousers and shirt, while belts must not be worn below the waist.
Men may not go bare footed or without shirts when in public places such as classroom, library or cafeteria.
The hairstyles for both males and females must be neat, clean and well groomed at all times, while T-shirts or tops with cartoons are not acceptable as regular school wear except outdoor recreational activities, and dresses with obscene or insulting messages and pictures cannot be worn on campus.
The Vice-President for Students Life and Services of the VVU, Dr Daniel Opoku-Boateng, said it was the desire of the school authorities to ensure that students dress to fit the corporate standards.
Dr Opoku-Boateng said the dress code was part of the holistic, physical, and spiritual philosophy of the school's educational policy.
This measure has been necessitated by the kind and style of dressing by some of the students on the campuses, particularly the ladies, a situation which has become a great concern by the school authorities.
The two institutions state clearly in their dress codes what the students are expected to wear on campus, but the two authorities have their dress codes which are embodied in the student’s handouts and which the students are expected to abide by, but unfortunately, they don’t and instead dress in their own way.
At the IPS both men and women are expected to ensure that their dressing is always neat, modest, not distracting and consistent with the dignity of scholarship and professionalism.
According to the IPS dress code, a student, alleged to be improperly dressed, or having an inappropriate outfit, shall be reported to the head of department. If the incident occurs in a lecture hall, the lecturer may ask the student to leave the lecture hall and/or take note of the incident as witnessed by other members of the class and later report to the head of department.
A student who is reported for inappropriate dressing for more than twice, shall face disciplinary action which shall result in suspension for one semester.
The process of assessment shall not be biased or challenge the student’s taste or fashion sense provided it fits the institute’s business casual dress standard.
For the women, their clothing will be considered inappropriate when it is sleeveless, strapless or backless, while dresses, skirts and shorts must be knee length or longer.
They are expected to avoid excessive ear piercing, as more than one is regarded inappropriate and all other body piercing are not acceptable.
Revealing attire is also not acceptable and by this, it is meant exposing the tummy, waistline, chest, breast and underwear.
Even though some may see torn jeans and dirty jeans as fashionable, the institute does not accept them.
The men are required to wear trousers and shirts with collar and tie or decent African wear, and it is also not acceptable for them to wear sleeveless ‘T’ shirts with potentially offensive words, terms, logos and pictures.
A female student said some lecturers sent students who did not dress well out of the lecture halls, adding that though the institute always had a dress code, the authorities had not been able to enforce it.
The Registrar of IPS, Mr William Boamah Dapaah, said the action had become necessary because the dressing of students, particularly that of the women, had become a source of worry to the administration.
Mr Boamah Dapaah said the authorities would not entertain any indecent dressage from the students.
On their part, the authorities of VVU will not accept any shorts, tight-fitting slacks, bare shoulders, spaghetti straps and revealing skirts, since they are considered immodest.
For female students, skirts must be long enough to avoid indecent exposure, while transparent, sheer or tight-fitting blouses, and tube tops or skirts are not permitted.
Again dresses with low necklines or the type which does not fully cover the shoulders and armpit, are not permitted in the school.
Noticeable make-ups, coloured nail polish, and obtrusive unnatural hair, coloured or weave-on must be avoided as much as possible.
Men's dress or general campus wear should consist of trousers and shirt, while belts must not be worn below the waist.
Men may not go bare footed or without shirts when in public places such as classroom, library or cafeteria.
The hairstyles for both males and females must be neat, clean and well groomed at all times, while T-shirts or tops with cartoons are not acceptable as regular school wear except outdoor recreational activities, and dresses with obscene or insulting messages and pictures cannot be worn on campus.
The Vice-President for Students Life and Services of the VVU, Dr Daniel Opoku-Boateng, said it was the desire of the school authorities to ensure that students dress to fit the corporate standards.
Dr Opoku-Boateng said the dress code was part of the holistic, physical, and spiritual philosophy of the school's educational policy.
Central University introduces dress Code
In line with its efforts at ensuring that the students dress decently on campus, the authorities of the Central University College (CUC) have introduced a dress code for the students.
Clothes and hairstyles of the ladies, under the code, are to emphasise their unique and sacred identity.
According to the code, dresses that expose the breast, upper thighs, loins and panties are regarded as indecent.
"By these, we mean transparent, sheer or tight-fitting blouses, sweaters and sleeveless tops (spaghetti strap), while T-shirts are not permitted," the code indicated, adding that short blouses and dresses with low neck lines were also not permitted.
The students are not allowed to wear shorts and tight-fitting slacks, because they are considered inappropriate for lectures, while skirts and trousers with stylish cuts are also disallowed.
They are also not allowed to wear anklets, while wearing of more than one pair of earrings is prohibited, just as it is offensive to wear T-shirts with offensive inscriptions.
The men are required to wear trousers and shirts with collar and tie or decent African wear, and it is also not acceptable for them to wear sleeveless T-shirts. The men can only wear shorts for sporting and recreational activities and they cannot wear earrings, nor can they braid their hair.
The code also prescribed various sanctions to first, second and third-time offending students.
So far, two students (a male and a female) of the university have been cautioned by the Dean of Students and their pictures published on the university’s notice boards.
The Head of the Public Relations Department, Rev Tetteh Djangmah, said the action taken by the school was to address the issue of indecent dressing among the youth.
Rev Djangmah said the dress code for the CUC was developed based on the philosophy of the university, which he mentioned as faith, integrity and excellence.
He explained that numerous complaints from students and lecturers necessitated the code.
Rev Djangmah said training at the university was geared towards the industries and noted that the kind dressing by some of the students needed to be shaped properly.
Clothes and hairstyles of the ladies, under the code, are to emphasise their unique and sacred identity.
According to the code, dresses that expose the breast, upper thighs, loins and panties are regarded as indecent.
"By these, we mean transparent, sheer or tight-fitting blouses, sweaters and sleeveless tops (spaghetti strap), while T-shirts are not permitted," the code indicated, adding that short blouses and dresses with low neck lines were also not permitted.
The students are not allowed to wear shorts and tight-fitting slacks, because they are considered inappropriate for lectures, while skirts and trousers with stylish cuts are also disallowed.
They are also not allowed to wear anklets, while wearing of more than one pair of earrings is prohibited, just as it is offensive to wear T-shirts with offensive inscriptions.
The men are required to wear trousers and shirts with collar and tie or decent African wear, and it is also not acceptable for them to wear sleeveless T-shirts. The men can only wear shorts for sporting and recreational activities and they cannot wear earrings, nor can they braid their hair.
The code also prescribed various sanctions to first, second and third-time offending students.
So far, two students (a male and a female) of the university have been cautioned by the Dean of Students and their pictures published on the university’s notice boards.
The Head of the Public Relations Department, Rev Tetteh Djangmah, said the action taken by the school was to address the issue of indecent dressing among the youth.
Rev Djangmah said the dress code for the CUC was developed based on the philosophy of the university, which he mentioned as faith, integrity and excellence.
He explained that numerous complaints from students and lecturers necessitated the code.
Rev Djangmah said training at the university was geared towards the industries and noted that the kind dressing by some of the students needed to be shaped properly.
ipr gets new council
THE Institute of Public Relations (IPR) has inducted new executives and new council members into office for a two-year term.
The new president of the institute, Mrs Vicky Wireko-Andoh, who took over from Mr Kojo Yankah, promised to lead the team to build a better image for Public Relations (PR) and the communication profession in the country.
She said it had become apparent that PR had not been properly understood and so one found employers confusing their management and stakeholders by interchanging roles and responsibilities of the PR outfit.
The president explained further that employers, particularly those in the public sector, are employing non qualified personnel to occupy PR or communication vacancies and yet it did not cross their minds to do same for functions such as finance or legal.
“It is a clear case of putting round pegs in square holes. At the end of the day what they receive on their tables are uncompleted information,” she added.
Commenting on last year’s political campaign, she said it was one of the most keenly contested elections in the history of Ghana, but added that the campaign messages lacked the proper sequence to make the messages effective.
“The meaning of the messages got affected by a host of things that watered down the impact of the messages,” she said. Though all candidates stood on the platform of building a better nation, the messages communicated to the electorate ended up creating division among Ghanaians.
According to Mrs Wireko-Andoh, rather than promoting the ideas of the political parties the campaign messages turned out to be propaganda and insults, and media management during the campaign process turned out to be “media chaos”.
She again said “there were too many spokespersons each wanting to be heard in the media. Most of the time, those engaged with the responsibility to help process and co-ordinate information, mounted the stage themselves and at the end got themselves into endless debates on air trading insults and accusations at each other”.
Mrs Wireko-Andoh said the importance of the role of PR and communications could not be underestimated by any individual or company worth its sort, and for that reason, the president pledged the readiness of IPR to put its services at the disposal of both the public and private sector to help in building a credible and respected corporate image for their organisations.
She, therefore, stressed, “We will consolidate our relationship with our existing corporate members and forge a much closer and mutually beneficial alliance with them and assist in whatever way to support their organisation’s PR and communications needs”.
The president said the immediate priority of her team would be to redefine, reconstruct and reconnect with three main pillars to drive their agenda.
She said they would connect with their regional colleagues, while extending corporate membership to establishments with head offices outside Accra and Tema.
According to her, the team would also embark on a crusade to unveil the dignity and respect of IPR as a professional body in the country, adding that “we will use every available platform to talk about the institute and its work”.
The outgoing president, Mr Kojo Yankah, thanked members for their support and advice during his tenure as president. He tasked the new administration to build on the strong foundation of IPR to make the body a respected one in the country.
Mr Yankah said Ghana’s political development depended on the professionalism exhibited by members of IPR and called on members not to fail in this regard.
The other members of the council are Major Albert Don-Chebe (retd), Emmanuel Essilfie Conduah, Mrs Adwoa Boatemaa Sono, Mrs Sylvia Annoh. The rest are Nabanyin Pratt, Perry Ofosu, Elaine Kwami, Florence Onny, Lionel Asare and Mavis Essandoh.
There were congratulatory messages from presidents of sister professional bodies like the Ghana Journalists Association, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, Advertising Association of Ghana and the Ghana Institution of Engineers. Present at the ceremony were, a circuit court judge, Mrs Elizabeth Ankamah, who administered the oath of office, Ms Joyce Aryee, a fellow of the institute, and some members of IPR.
The new president of the institute, Mrs Vicky Wireko-Andoh, who took over from Mr Kojo Yankah, promised to lead the team to build a better image for Public Relations (PR) and the communication profession in the country.
She said it had become apparent that PR had not been properly understood and so one found employers confusing their management and stakeholders by interchanging roles and responsibilities of the PR outfit.
The president explained further that employers, particularly those in the public sector, are employing non qualified personnel to occupy PR or communication vacancies and yet it did not cross their minds to do same for functions such as finance or legal.
“It is a clear case of putting round pegs in square holes. At the end of the day what they receive on their tables are uncompleted information,” she added.
Commenting on last year’s political campaign, she said it was one of the most keenly contested elections in the history of Ghana, but added that the campaign messages lacked the proper sequence to make the messages effective.
“The meaning of the messages got affected by a host of things that watered down the impact of the messages,” she said. Though all candidates stood on the platform of building a better nation, the messages communicated to the electorate ended up creating division among Ghanaians.
According to Mrs Wireko-Andoh, rather than promoting the ideas of the political parties the campaign messages turned out to be propaganda and insults, and media management during the campaign process turned out to be “media chaos”.
She again said “there were too many spokespersons each wanting to be heard in the media. Most of the time, those engaged with the responsibility to help process and co-ordinate information, mounted the stage themselves and at the end got themselves into endless debates on air trading insults and accusations at each other”.
Mrs Wireko-Andoh said the importance of the role of PR and communications could not be underestimated by any individual or company worth its sort, and for that reason, the president pledged the readiness of IPR to put its services at the disposal of both the public and private sector to help in building a credible and respected corporate image for their organisations.
She, therefore, stressed, “We will consolidate our relationship with our existing corporate members and forge a much closer and mutually beneficial alliance with them and assist in whatever way to support their organisation’s PR and communications needs”.
The president said the immediate priority of her team would be to redefine, reconstruct and reconnect with three main pillars to drive their agenda.
She said they would connect with their regional colleagues, while extending corporate membership to establishments with head offices outside Accra and Tema.
According to her, the team would also embark on a crusade to unveil the dignity and respect of IPR as a professional body in the country, adding that “we will use every available platform to talk about the institute and its work”.
The outgoing president, Mr Kojo Yankah, thanked members for their support and advice during his tenure as president. He tasked the new administration to build on the strong foundation of IPR to make the body a respected one in the country.
Mr Yankah said Ghana’s political development depended on the professionalism exhibited by members of IPR and called on members not to fail in this regard.
The other members of the council are Major Albert Don-Chebe (retd), Emmanuel Essilfie Conduah, Mrs Adwoa Boatemaa Sono, Mrs Sylvia Annoh. The rest are Nabanyin Pratt, Perry Ofosu, Elaine Kwami, Florence Onny, Lionel Asare and Mavis Essandoh.
There were congratulatory messages from presidents of sister professional bodies like the Ghana Journalists Association, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, Advertising Association of Ghana and the Ghana Institution of Engineers. Present at the ceremony were, a circuit court judge, Mrs Elizabeth Ankamah, who administered the oath of office, Ms Joyce Aryee, a fellow of the institute, and some members of IPR.
CJ stresses need to recognise local expertise— In construction and oil industries
THE Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, has advocated the introduction of local expertise in the Bui City Project and the emerging oil industry.
In line with that, she said, the necessary legislation should be passed to make it mandatory for any foreign consulting firm to be associated with a Ghanaian consultant.
Justice Wood said this in a speech read on her behalf by a Justice of the Court of Appeal and acting Director of the Judicial Training Institute, Justice J. B. Akamba, at the induction of new executive members of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA).
The Chief Justice said it was important for the government to recognise local consulting capacity in the construction industry and to publicly commit itself to making use of some, either completely or in collaboration with foreign consultants, where necessary.
In the districts, municipal, and metropolitan assemblies, she called for the mandatory participation of building professionals in the development process at all levels.
That, she explained, would provide them with the needed opportunity to offer technical advice as may be needed to prevent manmade disasters such as collapse of buildings, avoidable flooding and building under high tension poles.
While calling for the appropriate recognition to be given to the GIA and other professional bodies, she also urged the GIA to maintain and uphold the highest standard in their work.
The new President of the institute, Mr Osei Kwasi Agyeman, reiterated the commitment of the leadership of GIA to partner governmental agencies to help in the development process of the country.
He said members of GIA should not only be proud of belonging to a professional body, but must also be proud of the service they render to the nation.
“We are not here to serve our individual interests only, but the interest of others and the nation as well,” he added.
The president assured the membership of the commitment of his team to employ a new course for the institute while playing an active role in the development of society.
Mr Agyeman said the time had come for the members of the institute to get involved and pool resources to make the GIA not only a club that one had to belong to, but also a club of professionals committed to the total development of the nation.
For his part, the former president of the institute, Mr William Nii Teiko, said the work of architects could not be done in isolation, and urged members to be involved in the activities of the institute.
Mr Teiko also challenged members to be voices of excellence wherever they found themselves in order to project the image of the profession in the country and beyond.
He commended some individuals who had helped the institute while he was the president and expressed the hope that the relationship with individuals and sponsors would grow in the coming years.
The night was also used to award some individuals and organisations who had contributed to the success of the institute over the last two years.
There were fraternal greetings from representatives of sister professional bodies and the Nigerian Institute of Architects.
In line with that, she said, the necessary legislation should be passed to make it mandatory for any foreign consulting firm to be associated with a Ghanaian consultant.
Justice Wood said this in a speech read on her behalf by a Justice of the Court of Appeal and acting Director of the Judicial Training Institute, Justice J. B. Akamba, at the induction of new executive members of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA).
The Chief Justice said it was important for the government to recognise local consulting capacity in the construction industry and to publicly commit itself to making use of some, either completely or in collaboration with foreign consultants, where necessary.
In the districts, municipal, and metropolitan assemblies, she called for the mandatory participation of building professionals in the development process at all levels.
That, she explained, would provide them with the needed opportunity to offer technical advice as may be needed to prevent manmade disasters such as collapse of buildings, avoidable flooding and building under high tension poles.
While calling for the appropriate recognition to be given to the GIA and other professional bodies, she also urged the GIA to maintain and uphold the highest standard in their work.
The new President of the institute, Mr Osei Kwasi Agyeman, reiterated the commitment of the leadership of GIA to partner governmental agencies to help in the development process of the country.
He said members of GIA should not only be proud of belonging to a professional body, but must also be proud of the service they render to the nation.
“We are not here to serve our individual interests only, but the interest of others and the nation as well,” he added.
The president assured the membership of the commitment of his team to employ a new course for the institute while playing an active role in the development of society.
Mr Agyeman said the time had come for the members of the institute to get involved and pool resources to make the GIA not only a club that one had to belong to, but also a club of professionals committed to the total development of the nation.
For his part, the former president of the institute, Mr William Nii Teiko, said the work of architects could not be done in isolation, and urged members to be involved in the activities of the institute.
Mr Teiko also challenged members to be voices of excellence wherever they found themselves in order to project the image of the profession in the country and beyond.
He commended some individuals who had helped the institute while he was the president and expressed the hope that the relationship with individuals and sponsors would grow in the coming years.
The night was also used to award some individuals and organisations who had contributed to the success of the institute over the last two years.
There were fraternal greetings from representatives of sister professional bodies and the Nigerian Institute of Architects.
Commitment source of corporate power
THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Ltd, Mr Charles Cofie, has stated that the only source of power in the corporate world is commitment, contrary to the popular myth that “information is power”.
He said genuine commitment served to differentiate managers of similar intelligence and competence from the others. “In the corporate world, nobody is indispensable, but your attitude and level of personal commitment should be such,” he said.
The CEO said this when he addressed members of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) at an interaction platform by the institute dubbed, “An evening with Charles Cofie”, on the theme, “Marketing in the Boardroom — Do you want to be a CEO?”
Giving his own experience on commitment, Mr Cofie emphasised said, “I try to show true commitment, make myself available, make my presence felt on the front-line, initiate breakfast meetings with employees drawn from across the company to engage them face to face in real conversations on varied topics, instead of me telling them what to do and handing down instructions.”
He said one’s quest to be the CEO of any company must be measured by one’s personal broad vision for his future. “Being able to pick yourself up and keep moving forward after failure is directly correlated with one’s vision for his life,” he added.
“For the position of CEO, I will say that the most important skills to acquire are diagnostic skills and transformational change management skills, coupled with excellent interpersonal skills,” he said.
For her part, the National President of the CIMG, Mrs Josephine Okutu, said it was the vision of the CIMG to promote high professional standards in the area of marketing and educate the public on marketing and other business related concepts.
According to her, the CIMG had instituted the annual marketing performance award by which the institute promoted and recognised marketing excellence in corporate Ghana.
“Tonight’s programme is one of CIMG’s advocacy programmes where eminent personalities who are authorities in their chosen professions share their knowledge and experience with us,” she added.
He said genuine commitment served to differentiate managers of similar intelligence and competence from the others. “In the corporate world, nobody is indispensable, but your attitude and level of personal commitment should be such,” he said.
The CEO said this when he addressed members of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) at an interaction platform by the institute dubbed, “An evening with Charles Cofie”, on the theme, “Marketing in the Boardroom — Do you want to be a CEO?”
Giving his own experience on commitment, Mr Cofie emphasised said, “I try to show true commitment, make myself available, make my presence felt on the front-line, initiate breakfast meetings with employees drawn from across the company to engage them face to face in real conversations on varied topics, instead of me telling them what to do and handing down instructions.”
He said one’s quest to be the CEO of any company must be measured by one’s personal broad vision for his future. “Being able to pick yourself up and keep moving forward after failure is directly correlated with one’s vision for his life,” he added.
“For the position of CEO, I will say that the most important skills to acquire are diagnostic skills and transformational change management skills, coupled with excellent interpersonal skills,” he said.
For her part, the National President of the CIMG, Mrs Josephine Okutu, said it was the vision of the CIMG to promote high professional standards in the area of marketing and educate the public on marketing and other business related concepts.
According to her, the CIMG had instituted the annual marketing performance award by which the institute promoted and recognised marketing excellence in corporate Ghana.
“Tonight’s programme is one of CIMG’s advocacy programmes where eminent personalities who are authorities in their chosen professions share their knowledge and experience with us,” she added.
Health training institutions lack ICT education
STAKEHOLDERS in the health sector have identified lack of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) education in health training institutions as one of the challenges facing healthcare delivery in the country.
Mr Sam Quarshie of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) lamented the situation at nurses training institutions where student nurses were taught a subject they called “Computer Appreciation” which, he said, was not relevant to the ICT needs of the health sector.
Mr Quarshie made the disclosure at a meeting of stakeholders in Accra at which it was discovered that some doctors were not computer literate, hence their inability to access information on health care on the Internet or interact with other doctors in the developed world on health-related issues.
He told the Daily Graphic that “when a doctor is employed in the health sector, he is put on a particular level and on a particular salary but this is not so for ICT experts, hence their unwillingness to accept positions in the health sector”.
He explained further that “ICT experts in most hospitals are individuals who can only create Power Point presentation, use animation in Word or other software to do presentations”.
He stressed that one’s ability to use Power Point, Word, Excel, among other things, was fundamental in ICT, which everyone in the health sector must know.
For his part, Prof Ofosu-Amaah of the Medical and Dental Council, who chaired the discussions, told the Daily Graphic that health workers could no longer ignore the importance of ICT in healthcare delivery.
“Doctors must share information and ideas on health issues and this can only be made possible with the help of ICT,” he said.
Prof Amaah said the privacy of the patient must be protected, for which reason the current system of keeping information on patients on paper could no longer be allowed to continue.
“We need a comprehensive database on all patients which can be accessed at every level of the delivery process,” he noted.
The Director-General of the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, Dorothy K Gordon, said her centre was prepared to partner all players in the health sector to train practitioners in ICT.
She said the role of ICT in healthcare delivery could not be underestimated in the current era of ICT, adding that for the solution, “we need a broad-base policy on ICT for healthcare delivery in the country”.
Contributing to the discussion, Dr Edem Hiadzi of the Lister Hospital said the solution to the problem was to implement an ICT licensing system for health sector workers, without which one could not practice.
Mr Sam Quarshie of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) lamented the situation at nurses training institutions where student nurses were taught a subject they called “Computer Appreciation” which, he said, was not relevant to the ICT needs of the health sector.
Mr Quarshie made the disclosure at a meeting of stakeholders in Accra at which it was discovered that some doctors were not computer literate, hence their inability to access information on health care on the Internet or interact with other doctors in the developed world on health-related issues.
He told the Daily Graphic that “when a doctor is employed in the health sector, he is put on a particular level and on a particular salary but this is not so for ICT experts, hence their unwillingness to accept positions in the health sector”.
He explained further that “ICT experts in most hospitals are individuals who can only create Power Point presentation, use animation in Word or other software to do presentations”.
He stressed that one’s ability to use Power Point, Word, Excel, among other things, was fundamental in ICT, which everyone in the health sector must know.
For his part, Prof Ofosu-Amaah of the Medical and Dental Council, who chaired the discussions, told the Daily Graphic that health workers could no longer ignore the importance of ICT in healthcare delivery.
“Doctors must share information and ideas on health issues and this can only be made possible with the help of ICT,” he said.
Prof Amaah said the privacy of the patient must be protected, for which reason the current system of keeping information on patients on paper could no longer be allowed to continue.
“We need a comprehensive database on all patients which can be accessed at every level of the delivery process,” he noted.
The Director-General of the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, Dorothy K Gordon, said her centre was prepared to partner all players in the health sector to train practitioners in ICT.
She said the role of ICT in healthcare delivery could not be underestimated in the current era of ICT, adding that for the solution, “we need a broad-base policy on ICT for healthcare delivery in the country”.
Contributing to the discussion, Dr Edem Hiadzi of the Lister Hospital said the solution to the problem was to implement an ICT licensing system for health sector workers, without which one could not practice.
AAG Council visit Graphic
THE Graphic Communication Group Limited (GCGL) and the Advertisers Association of Ghana (AAG) have set up a four member working committee to fashion out appropriate ways of strengthening and promoting professionalism in the advertising industry in Ghana.
The committee is made up of Mr Kwasi Asare, GM Marketing and Public Affairs, and Mr Frank Ofosu Oduro, Advert and Business Development Manager, both of the GCGL and Emmanuel Addo, a past president, and Francis Dadzie Jnr, Executive Director, both of the AAG.
This was the outcome of the 2009 edition of the annual interaction between council members of the AAG and the management of the GCGL held at Graphic last week Thursday.
The committee will, among other things,examine the best practices world wide to bring about innovation, look at AAG-Graphic relationship and suggest areas of improvements, critically assess existing mode of payment and come out with mutually accepted measures to improve payment for advert services as well as efficient and effective placement of adverts.
The two groups had earlier agreed to deepen and strengthen the existing cordial relationship and continue to uphold their shared values and responsibilities for the betterment of their operations.
They emphasised that it was not all doom and gloom as they foresaw marginal growth and increased profitability given the much needed innovation through effective collaboration.
The President of the AAG and Managing Director of MMRS Ogilvy, Mr R.D. Laryea who led the AAG delegation noted with gratitude the efforts of the GCGL to help the AAG even in the midst of the numerous challenges facing it.
Mr Laryea said the association recognised GCGL as a real partner in promoting the advertising business, and called for the use of the needed technology to enhance relations.
“Even though business has not been as brisk as we thought at the beginning of the year, we still think that there are better days ahead of us as we await government's interventions in the economy” he added.
The Managing Director of GCGL, Mr Ibrahim Awal, noted with satisfaction that about 50 per cent of revenue generate by GCGL comes from the AAG. “In this regard we on our part will do everything possible to strengthen the relations between us”.
Mr Awal briefed members of the AAG on projects being undertaken by the company to improve production and thereby serve advertisers better with high quality production.
He reassured the executive of the association of the quest of GCGL to develop mutually beneficial relations with the AAG by granting them very good discounts on all transactions with the company.
Mr Awal spoke about the increasing demand for the latest addition to the GCGL’s stable, Graphic Business, and noted that the Newspaper was fast dominating the market as the most patronised and authoritative financial newspaper in the country.
He, therefore, asked members of the association to prevail on their clients to advertise more in the Graphic Business for better results for their businesses.
To a question by the Chief Executive of Origin8 SAATCHI & SAATCHI, Mr Joel E Nettey, as to how the recession had affected the operations of the company , Mr Awal said measures had been put in place to overcome the challenges associated with the world financial crisis.
Mr Nettey advocated for regular information flow between the agencies and GCGL to make both parties serve their customers better.
For his part, a past President of the association, Mr Emmanuel Addo, underscored the importance of teaming up with GCGL to serve their clients better and added his voice to the request by his colleagues for better incentives to the advertising agencies.
The Managing Director of Lowe Lintas, Mrs Norkor Duah, stressed the need for effective partnership with GCGL to help bring sanity into the advertising industry in Ghana.
Other members of the AAG Council delegation were the Executive Director, Mr Francis Dadzie Jnr, the vice president, Mr Sil Kuwornu, Mr Martin Kwabena Osei, Mr Tim Acqua-Hayford and Orlando Baeta.
The committee is made up of Mr Kwasi Asare, GM Marketing and Public Affairs, and Mr Frank Ofosu Oduro, Advert and Business Development Manager, both of the GCGL and Emmanuel Addo, a past president, and Francis Dadzie Jnr, Executive Director, both of the AAG.
This was the outcome of the 2009 edition of the annual interaction between council members of the AAG and the management of the GCGL held at Graphic last week Thursday.
The committee will, among other things,examine the best practices world wide to bring about innovation, look at AAG-Graphic relationship and suggest areas of improvements, critically assess existing mode of payment and come out with mutually accepted measures to improve payment for advert services as well as efficient and effective placement of adverts.
The two groups had earlier agreed to deepen and strengthen the existing cordial relationship and continue to uphold their shared values and responsibilities for the betterment of their operations.
They emphasised that it was not all doom and gloom as they foresaw marginal growth and increased profitability given the much needed innovation through effective collaboration.
The President of the AAG and Managing Director of MMRS Ogilvy, Mr R.D. Laryea who led the AAG delegation noted with gratitude the efforts of the GCGL to help the AAG even in the midst of the numerous challenges facing it.
Mr Laryea said the association recognised GCGL as a real partner in promoting the advertising business, and called for the use of the needed technology to enhance relations.
“Even though business has not been as brisk as we thought at the beginning of the year, we still think that there are better days ahead of us as we await government's interventions in the economy” he added.
The Managing Director of GCGL, Mr Ibrahim Awal, noted with satisfaction that about 50 per cent of revenue generate by GCGL comes from the AAG. “In this regard we on our part will do everything possible to strengthen the relations between us”.
Mr Awal briefed members of the AAG on projects being undertaken by the company to improve production and thereby serve advertisers better with high quality production.
He reassured the executive of the association of the quest of GCGL to develop mutually beneficial relations with the AAG by granting them very good discounts on all transactions with the company.
Mr Awal spoke about the increasing demand for the latest addition to the GCGL’s stable, Graphic Business, and noted that the Newspaper was fast dominating the market as the most patronised and authoritative financial newspaper in the country.
He, therefore, asked members of the association to prevail on their clients to advertise more in the Graphic Business for better results for their businesses.
To a question by the Chief Executive of Origin8 SAATCHI & SAATCHI, Mr Joel E Nettey, as to how the recession had affected the operations of the company , Mr Awal said measures had been put in place to overcome the challenges associated with the world financial crisis.
Mr Nettey advocated for regular information flow between the agencies and GCGL to make both parties serve their customers better.
For his part, a past President of the association, Mr Emmanuel Addo, underscored the importance of teaming up with GCGL to serve their clients better and added his voice to the request by his colleagues for better incentives to the advertising agencies.
The Managing Director of Lowe Lintas, Mrs Norkor Duah, stressed the need for effective partnership with GCGL to help bring sanity into the advertising industry in Ghana.
Other members of the AAG Council delegation were the Executive Director, Mr Francis Dadzie Jnr, the vice president, Mr Sil Kuwornu, Mr Martin Kwabena Osei, Mr Tim Acqua-Hayford and Orlando Baeta.
NGO Support Korle Bu
THE Chief Executive Officer of Kudja Foundation a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Pastor Josh Laryea has presented a cheque of GH¢ 10,000 to the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The amount is made up of GH ¢5000 from his own contribution and another GH¢ 5000 from ECOBANK.
Presenting the cheque Pastor Laryea said he was touched by an article he read in the Junior Graphic about the condition of some children at the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Hospital by Mrs Hadiza Quansah.
He narrated the situation of a two weeks old babe who had his arm chopped off as a result of a candle burn.
He again told the story of another twelve year old boy whose mother had no money to buy kerosene and therefore decided to use turpentine to light firewood for use in the house which burnt the young boy from head to toe.
He has therefore called on other benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the centre particularly children there.
The amount is made up of GH ¢5000 from his own contribution and another GH¢ 5000 from ECOBANK.
Presenting the cheque Pastor Laryea said he was touched by an article he read in the Junior Graphic about the condition of some children at the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Hospital by Mrs Hadiza Quansah.
He narrated the situation of a two weeks old babe who had his arm chopped off as a result of a candle burn.
He again told the story of another twelve year old boy whose mother had no money to buy kerosene and therefore decided to use turpentine to light firewood for use in the house which burnt the young boy from head to toe.
He has therefore called on other benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the centre particularly children there.
Pharmacists co-operative union holds AGM
THE Ghana Co-operative Pharmacists Credit Union Limited has held its 2007 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Accra with a call on the leadership to put in place measures to increase its membership.
Speaking at the meeting the General Manager of CUA, Mr Emmanuel Oduro Darko, said the influx of both banking and non-banking financial institutions into the country posed a lot of challenges to the operations of the union in the country.
These challenges, Mr Darko said, required that credit unions, particularly the Ghana Co-operative Pharmacists Credit Union recruited more members as its low membership was not helping the union.
Mr Oduro Darko noted that credit unions were being confronted with high competition from commercial and rural banks, NGOs, savings and loan companies and insurance companies, among others, trying to win over their members into their fold.
The end result, he said, was moving members of the unions into economic slavery by these financial and non financial institutions as their only interest is to make profit with their hidden charges on the loans they take from them.
"We must be very careful, we should advise our members to appreciate and support their own financial institution and allow the institution to assist them to grow socially and economically on a sustainable basis" he said.
Mr Oduro Darko encouraged the leadership to increase the volume of business by effectively marketing the credit unions for members and potential members to increase their savings.
He also called for the introduction of new products based on the needs of their members and transparency in their operations.
In his report, the chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr G.A. Boateng, said the performance of the union in the year under review in its core strategic areas was average as most of their operational results fell below the CUA standards and their own projection for the year.
Mr Boateng said the net surplus of the union was GH¢28,747.10, down from GH¢29, 360. 00 in the previous year, representing a two per cent drop.
He said even though their total assets grew from GH¢1,109,133.18 in the previous year to GH¢1,257,333.39, representing a 13 per cent increase, it fell below the projection of the union which was at 20 per cent.
Mr Boateng attributed the fall to some economic factors, such as fuel price hikes, reduction of borrowing rates and high cost of operation,these he said worked against the operations of the union in the year under review.
"The combination of these factors, coupled with our own internal problems, particularly loan delinquency affected the income generating capacity and profitability of the union.
Mr Boateng inform members of the board's intention to introduce a Business Support Loan amed at providing financial support to members to enable them to expand their businesses.
Speaking at the meeting the General Manager of CUA, Mr Emmanuel Oduro Darko, said the influx of both banking and non-banking financial institutions into the country posed a lot of challenges to the operations of the union in the country.
These challenges, Mr Darko said, required that credit unions, particularly the Ghana Co-operative Pharmacists Credit Union recruited more members as its low membership was not helping the union.
Mr Oduro Darko noted that credit unions were being confronted with high competition from commercial and rural banks, NGOs, savings and loan companies and insurance companies, among others, trying to win over their members into their fold.
The end result, he said, was moving members of the unions into economic slavery by these financial and non financial institutions as their only interest is to make profit with their hidden charges on the loans they take from them.
"We must be very careful, we should advise our members to appreciate and support their own financial institution and allow the institution to assist them to grow socially and economically on a sustainable basis" he said.
Mr Oduro Darko encouraged the leadership to increase the volume of business by effectively marketing the credit unions for members and potential members to increase their savings.
He also called for the introduction of new products based on the needs of their members and transparency in their operations.
In his report, the chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr G.A. Boateng, said the performance of the union in the year under review in its core strategic areas was average as most of their operational results fell below the CUA standards and their own projection for the year.
Mr Boateng said the net surplus of the union was GH¢28,747.10, down from GH¢29, 360. 00 in the previous year, representing a two per cent drop.
He said even though their total assets grew from GH¢1,109,133.18 in the previous year to GH¢1,257,333.39, representing a 13 per cent increase, it fell below the projection of the union which was at 20 per cent.
Mr Boateng attributed the fall to some economic factors, such as fuel price hikes, reduction of borrowing rates and high cost of operation,these he said worked against the operations of the union in the year under review.
"The combination of these factors, coupled with our own internal problems, particularly loan delinquency affected the income generating capacity and profitability of the union.
Mr Boateng inform members of the board's intention to introduce a Business Support Loan amed at providing financial support to members to enable them to expand their businesses.
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