Monday, July 20, 2009

ESTABLISH RUBBER DEVT BOARD (PAGE 22, JULY 18)

THE Rubber Outgrowers and Agents Association (ROAA) has appealed to the government to establish a Rubber Development Board to manage the affairs of the rubber industry in the country.
That, the association felt, would enable the rubber farmers to access new planting materials from the other rubber-producing countries and also to manage the day-to-day activities of the rubber sector, since the Ministry of Food and Agriculture was too busy in managing many other activities.
It said establishment of the board would also facilitate the setting up of a Rubber Research Institute, which is long overdue as all the rubber- growing countries had research institutes purposely for the production of rubber.
These were contained in a petition the association presented to the government through the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, when he visited some of the rubber farms in the Western Region.
The Chairman of the association, Nana Asaa Kofi III, who presented the petition to the minister, said despite the success story of the Rubber Outgrowers Project launched in January, 1995, rubber, known as a strategic commodity in most of the Asian countries, was relatively unknown to the Ghanaian populace.
He said an attempt was once made for the establishment of the board, but it did not materialise.
Nana Asaa said another issue threatening outgrower farms under the project was the activities of the mining companies in the region.
He said it had come to the notice of the association that certain mining companies prospecting for gold in the course of their activities had entered into some rubber outgrower farms and destroyed some of the rubber trees.
Nana Asaa mentioned some of the farms affected in the region as those at Morrison Junction and Asuboi in the Ahanta West District, Ankyernyin and Kudublofo in the Nzema East Municipality, Nkakaa in the Amenfi West District and Benso and Attakrom in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality .
“As a matter of fact, the affected farmers are highly aggrieved and are poised for instant justice if such nefarious acts continue,” he emphasised.
“We, therefore, wish to use this opportunity to appeal to you to liaise with the Ministry of Lands and Forestry to stop those prospecting companies from causing harm to the rubber farms,” Nana Asaa stressed.
He expressed the hope that the minister would act promptly on the issues to the benefit of members of the association and the entire rubber industry in the country.
According to the chairman, as of December 31, 2008, the rubber farmers had made total repayment of GH¢1,470,454.97 out of the loan contracted from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) for the establishment of the rubber plantations since they started reimbursing the loans in 2003.
He said even though the farmers were supposed to use 12 years to service their loans, they could be sure of full re-payment before the stipulated period.

GHANA'S EDUCATIONAL SYSEM HAS THROUGH REFORMS (PAGE 22, JULY 18)

THE country’s educational system has gone through a series of reforms, from basic through secondary schools to the tertiary level over the past 20 years.
Basic and secondary schools went through some reforms in the late 1980s, a time when junior secondary school (JSS) and senior secondary school (SSS) systems were introduced with a three-year duration at each level.
Recently, the names of the JSS and the SSS were changed to Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS), with the duration of the latter being increased to four years.
Now, teacher training colleges in the country are also undergoing similar transformation to keep abreast of the changing trends in the educational system towards improving academic standards.
The country has gone through a chequered history in ensuring quality education. As a result of that successive governments have embarked on many reforms in order to achieve the educational aspirations and the needs of the country.
Teacher education has also gone through tremendous changes ever since, with Wiawso College of Education (WATICO), at Sefwi Wiawso, in the Western Region not being an exception.
The training colleges in the country have, for the past five years, been offering professional training, leading to the award of Diploma in Basic Education; the colleges are at the threshold of becoming tertiary education.
The current reforms and the transition of training colleges from certificate to diploma awarding institutions place numerous challenges on all categories of people who are engaged in the teacher training institutions.
The Anamoah Mensah Committee Report on Review of Education Reform in Ghana described tertiary education as one offered after secondary level at a university, polytechnic and specialised institutions offering training leading to the award of a diploma and degree qualifications.
Wiawso College of Education, which was established in February 1952 in Kumasi, is currently in transition to a tertiary level, just like all other teacher training colleges in the country.
The college was established with 29 pioneer male students and three tutors in September 1964. The then Minister of Education directed that the college be moved to its permanent buildings at Sefwi Wiawso.
The first batch of female students was admitted in September 1974. It now has a total student population of 2,054 with teaching and non-teaching staff of 95.
A total number of 165 students were admitted as the first batch to begin the diploma programme in October 2004, during the 2004/2005 academic year with 162 students completing the programme successfully, while three students could not complete it.
In the 2005/2006 academic year, 200 students were admitted as the second batch to pursue Diploma in Basic Education Programme, but 193 of the students successfully completed the course.
WATICO recently held its second graduation ceremony for students who were offered Diploma in Basic Education, on the theme: “Transition to tertiary education—Challenges for training college administrators, staff and students”.
At the ceremony, the Principal of the college, Mrs Georgina Lartey, said one of the challenges confronting the institution in its transition to tertiary status was inadequate physical infrastructure for both academic and social purposes.
“The need for more lecture rooms, workshops, big auditoriums, library, science laboratory, staff and student accommodation readily comes to the fore,” she added.
Mrs Lartey said it had, therefore, become imperative to complete the ongoing projects as soon as possible, while the required new projects were at the planning stage.
The Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education, Mr Paul Effah, said the foremost challenge the administrators would face was the development of a new consciousness of managing the colleges as tertiary institutions.
“It is necessary that those who manage Colleges of Education upgrade and enhance their skills to reflect the new status as tertiary institutions,” he emphasised.
Mr Effah stressed that the capacities of heads of the various Colleges of Education needed to be strengthened to ensure effective supervision of the institutions.
“Administrative heads would now be expected to have visions critically relevant to the entire college and what the colleges stand to achieve so that they, sectional heads, staff and students work together towards that objective,” he stated.
Mr Effah further emphasised that academically, it was no longer enough to entrust the detailed execution of administrative policies and the provision of technical services to amateurs and generalists.
He added that the new College of Education required experts of proven professional competence to man its administrative duties.
“The administration capacity needed for the transition should be of the highest order, thus the accountants, librarians, secretaries, office administrators, laboratory assistants, purchasing officers and many others are required to possess the required skills and the needed competencies,” he said.
The executive secretary said the head of the institution faced the phenomenal challenge of getting the needed staff in order to ensure smooth and quality running of the institutions.
Mr Effah stressed that in spite of those daunting challenges, the government and the people of Ghana were upgrading the existing teacher training colleges to the status of tertiary institutions.
He said knowledge had become a key driver of growth and development, and that countries with higher skill levels were better equipped to face new challenges and master technological discoveries.
Mr Effah said because skills for the knowledge economy were built at the tertiary education level, improving and increasing tertiary education system should be high on the country’s development agenda.
“Ghana government, National Council on Tertiary Education and policy makers, by upgrading teacher training colleges to tertiary level, ensure that the workforce in Ghana’s educational system acquires the skills to compete, innovate and respond to complex social, technological, environmental and economic situations,” he explained.
“It is, however, to be emphasised that the transition to tertiary institution is not meant to undermine the ethical fabric of the teaching profession, but it is to strengthen its academic needs and lay a stronger moral formation for those who pass through it,” he stated.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Busumtwi-Sam, said the previous government embarked on educational reforms from the basic to the tertiary level for the improvement of the educational system in the country.
She mentioned the school upgrading programme, under which a considerable number of school infrastructure had been developed to solve accommodation problems.
Ms Busumtwi-Sam said the Capitation Grant had also relieved parents and guardians of the burden of paying school fees at the basic level, and that had resulted in the increase of enrolment in basic schools, while the School Feeding Programme was enhancing learning in the schools.
The deputy minister said it was the intention of the current government to continue with all those interventions to enhance education delivery in the country.

NO PLANS TO CHECK FLOODING IN NZEMA AREA....Omanhen observes (PAGE 23, JULY 18)

THE people of the Western Nzema Traditional Area in the Jomoro District have observed that although the area is the wettest part of the country previous governments did not adopt strategic plans to address the effects of flooding in the area.
They said heavy rains had come and gone since time immemorial, and that the attention of people in power had always been drawn to the havoc that such heavy rains caused to existing infrastructure such as roads, bridges, culverts and buildings but the response had always been negative.
Addressing a news conference in Takoradi, the Omanhen of the Western Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye III, said this year’s rains could repeat the same havoc as was the case about five years ago when palliative measures with no lasting effects were hurriedly put in place.
“The heavy rains of the past few weeks have again left an irreparable damage to residential areas, roads, football parks, marketplaces, lorry stations, premises of banks and tourist sites to the extent of making some of these areas inaccessible to vehicles, local residents and visitors,” he explained.
Awulae Annor Adjaye further stated that the news conference was to bring to the attention of the relevant government departments and agencies the plight of the people.
 He said communities as well as tourist sites which were on record to have been denuded were Nzulezu, the village on stilt, which has become a tourist site, Beyin, Bonyere, Edobo/Atwebanso, Half Assini, Anlomatuope, Azuleti, Ebonloa and parts of Elubo.
According to Awulae Annor Adjaye, apart from the unspecified number of property destroyed by the rains, the direct results of the floods had also been one death recorded at Bonyere.
He added that many residents of Nzulezo and Azuleti had been displaced and dislocated adding that, the Tikobo Number One-Beyin-Eikwe and the Takinta-Adusuazo and the Nvelenu-Eboloa roads were virtually impassable.
Awulae Annor Adjaye said as a result of the devastation caused to Nzulezu, visitor inflow was now on the decline.
“The unmotorable road network, such as the Tikobo Number One-Beyin-Eikwe one has made it impossible for sick people and pregnant women to access the Eikwe Catholic Hospital facilities, the only well equipped and effective health delivery facility”, he said.
Awulae Annor Adjaye further said the road between Adusuazo and Takinta had virtually been cut off, making movement between Adusuazo and other communities impossible.
The paramount chief further explained that the news conference was to alert the present government to the plight of hundreds of Ghanaians living in that part of the country because it was geographically positioned in a low-lying area,and therefore needed well- designed infrastructure.
He requested the decentralised ministries, departments and agencies to cause an immediate audit of the harm caused to infrastructure in the Jomoro District, like road networks, bridges, culverts, residential accommodation and school buildings, to enable the responsible authorities to make an appropriate and adequate intervention.
Awulae Annor Adjaye called on the authorities to stop resorting to palliative and crisis management antidotes and quickly provide permanent solutions to the problems of displaced persons, loss of properties and impassable road networks.
He stressed that resources meant for flood victims should be properly coordinated, monitored and efficiently handled to enable those affected by the natural disaster to benefit from non-governmental organisations and state intervention strategies.

Friday, July 3, 2009

ASSEMBLY TO SPONSOR MORE TEACHER TRAINEES (PAGE 23)

THE Wassa Amenfi West District Assembly in the Western Region will widen its current scope of sponsorship to enable more qualified applicants to gain admission to Colleges of Education to reduce the number of untrained teachers and improve academic standards in the district.
This is against the backdrop that academic performance of schoolchildren in the district over the years has not been encouraging.
Last year, the district presented 2,540 candidates for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), out of which only three candidates got aggregate six, 157 candidates had aggregates between seven and 15, while 1,198 candidates got between aggregates 15 and 30.
Five schools scored zero per cent, meaning that no candidate obtained a pass in the five schools.
In all, the entire district scored 54 per cent pass, with the remaining 46 per cent failing.
The Wassa Amenfi West District Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Victor Meisu, announced this at the 3rd quadrennial district conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) at Asankrangwa.
He urged the teachers to rekindle their efforts to reverse the trend by coming out with strategies and plans that would help to improve on the low standard of education in the district.
Mr Meisu also advised the teachers to address certain negative practices such as frequent absenteeism on the part of both teachers and students, indiscipline, alcoholism, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy as well as other anti-social activities which affected effective teaching and learning.
He said the government was committed to quality education delivery in the country.
That, he explained, was the reason why the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had been at the forefront in the provision of infrastructure and other logistic support for public schools across the country.
The Wassa Amenfi West District Director of Education, Ms Vida Odoom, stressed that until the teaching profession was accorded dignity and respect, quality of life for teachers and other educational workers and the quest for quality education would be a mirage.
“In the face of all these constraints, however, permit me to appeal to my fellow teachers to live beyond reproach,” he emphasised.
“Let’s always perform our duties to the best of our abilities for the education of the Ghanaian child cannot wait”, he added.
Ms Odoom stressed that posterity would not forgive the teachers if they shirked their responsibilities of educating the child.
“It is our combined abilities to move education in the right direction that will propel our association to fight legitimately for our legitimate concerns,” she said.
The District Director advised the teachers to avail themselves of the numerous opportunities offered by tertiary institutions to upgrade themselves.

ZOOMLION TO TRAIN 420 TO FIGHT MOSQUITOES (PAGE 21, JUNE 30)

ZOOMLION Ghana Limited, a waste management company, is to train 420 people who are to be grouped into spraying gangs in the Western Region, to specifically undertake periodic spraying and larviciding of mosquito breeding sites in the region.
The company, in collaboration with metropolitan, municipal and district environmental officers in the region, have already surveyed and mapped out all the mosquito breeding sites in the region for the exercise.
Each metropolis, municipality and district has selected 20 people to undergo the training and form the spraying gangs for the exercise, which is part of a nation-wide mosquito control programme.
The Western Regional Operations Supervisor of Zoomlion, Mr Felix Boankrah, made this known to the Daily Graphic in Takoradi.
He explained that the exercise would target public places of convenience, urinal sites, container sites, drains and ditches, stagnant waters, marketplaces and final refuse disposal sites.
Mr Boankrah said the programme was intended to control disease vectors.
 

Thursday, July 2, 2009

MAN, 23, HELD FOR ROBBERY (PAGE 54, JUNE 29)

THE Enchi Police in the Western Region have arrested Desmond Adams, a 23-year old man, suspected to be among seven armed robbers from Takoradi, who robbed occupants of two 207 Mercedes Benz buses at gun point on the Kumasi-Enchi road last Tuesday night.
The robbers took away the mobile telephones of the passengers and various sums of money, as well as one of the buses, but no passenger was hurt.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Western Regional Police Command, Chief Inspector Olivia Adiku, explained that about 12 midnight on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, passengers of the two 207 Mercedes Benz buses with registration numbers AW 2471 Y and GR 1722 V were attacked by armed robbers on the Kumasi-Enchi road.
She said the armed robbers, who were about seven, blocked the road with timber logs at Akyemfo and robbed the passengers of their phones and various sums of money.
After the robbery, the robbers took over one of the buses with registration number AW 2471 Y and headed towards Enchi.
Chief Inspector Adiku said a Policeman on duty at the Enchi barrier was alerted and the vehicle was intercepted at the barrier, but the occupants fled vehicle, leaving behind one short gun.
She said a search was conducted in the surrounding villages and the suspect Desmond Adams was arrested.
She said a search on him revealed three cell phones and GHc487.00.
Chief Inspector Adiku said that the suspect alleged during interrogation that he and six others from Takoradi were involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, the suspect, Adams is in Police custody pending further investigation and efforts were being intensified to arrest the accomplices.

100,000 TONNE WAREHOUSE FOR KAJEBIL (PAGE 22, JUNE 27)

THE Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is constructing a 100,000-tonne capacity warehouse complex at Kajebil near Apowa in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region, for the storage of dried cocoa beans. This will help reduce the periodic congestion at the Takoradi Harbour and other areas in Takoradi during peak cocoa seasons.
The Takoradi Harbour has been experiencing congestion caused by articulated trucks loaded with bags of dried cocoa beans during the main cocoa season every year, with some of the trucks being delayed at the harbours for months.
The construction of the warehouse complex which has just begun on a 100-acre land, is expected to be completed in August, next year.
It comprises seven ware -houses; five for storing cocoa and two for discrepant cocoa, residential accommodation for staff, a clinic and administration blocks for COCOBOD and cocoa licensing companies.
Others are a laboratory, fumigation and changing rooms, a canteen, a guest house for drivers and their mates, parking for trucks and private vehicles.
The parking lots can accomodate 600 trucks at a go.
A Senior Quality Control Officer of the COCOBOD, Mr Addai Wusu, made this known to the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, when he paid a working visit to the offices of the COCOBOD and the Cocoa Marketing Company at the Takoradi Harbour .
Mr Wusu stated that the Quality Control Division would ensure that the quality of cocoa from the country was sustained on the international market was not compromised.
He said they working very hard to contribute their quota towards the development of the country.
The regional minister was happy that COCOBOD was expanding its warehouse and other facilities.
He called on COCOBOD to consider the welfare of the ordinary farmer in order to sustain the cocoa industry.

ENCOURAGE CULVITATION OF RUBBER (PAGE 22, JUNE 27)

“PLAN your future, plant a rubber tree.” This is the slogan for the development of rubber plantations by individuals in the Western Region and elsewhere in the country.
‘Hevea brasiliensis’ is the botanical name for rubber and areas suitable for its production include forest zones of Western, Central, Eastern and Ashanti regions with minimum rainfall of 1,200 millimetres per annum relatively, evenly distributed on lower slopes, uplands, and flatlands.
Rubber plantation development is one of the lucrative farming ventures in the Western Region, but its importance in the alleviation of poverty seems to have been downplayed.
Besides cocoa, oil palm and coconut, rubber now stands out as one of the most profitable farming activities, even though it takes a long time, about six years, to mature.
Now, coconut farmers whose farms were affected by the Lethal Yellowing Disease (LYD) are cutting down their coconut trees to make way for the development of rubber plantations in the region.
The latex from the rubber tree is collected and processed into natural rubber. About 90 per cent of the natural rubber produced is used by tyre manufacturers.
Africa produces less than five per cent of the rubber worldwide, with Cote d’lvoire leading the production with 300,000 tonnes per annum, followed by Liberia.
Presently, Ghana produces 15,000 tonnes of rubber per year and could reach 50,000 tonnes by the year 2020.
Rubber cultivation and planting are labour intensive but the farm gives a regular monthly income for up to 30 years. The drawback is that it takes six years to mature.
The Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) was established in 1968 as a joint venture between the government and Firestone when 7,000 hectares of rubber was planted to signify the genesis of the cultivation of rubber in the Western Region and the country as a whole.
But Firestone opted out of the venture in 1981 and the greater part of the plantation was abandoned. GREL was rehabilitated between 1988 and 1996 during which 4,000 hectares of rubber was planted.
A Rubber Outgrower Plantations Project (ROPP) was launched on January 1, 1995 with the vision to spearhead economic empowerment through rubber cultivation for sustainable rural community development to alleviate poverty.
The project also has a mission to deliver quality extension services to rubber outgrowers through advance and innovative technology by motivated staff of GREL, to enable outgrowers to enjoy sustainable income, better living and to contribute to national development.
Under the phase one of the project from 1995 to 1999, 400 outgrowers were assisted to plant a little over 1,200 hectares over a five-year period, while 3,500 hectares of old rubber plantations of individuals and co-operatives were rehabilitated as against the target of 1,300 hectares.
Forty-one kilometres of roads were rehabilitated under the first phase of the project and that was financed by Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), IDA/World Bank and the government with an amount of 1.6 million euros.
Phase two of the project, which was launched on September 14, 2000 and ended in 2005, was financed by AFD and the government to the tune of 6.09 million euros.
The achievements chalked up by that phase of the project were that 2,855 hectares of rubber trees were planted instead of 2,800 hectares by the 500 outgrowers who were selected for that phase of the project.
A total of 20 kilometres of roads were rehabilitated.
A new company, Rubber Outgrowers and Agents Association (ROAA), was organised to become a major stakeholder in the rubber industry through a contract agreement with Institution and Development, a non governmental organisation.
Phase three of ROPP became operational in January, 2006 and it is being funded by the AFD, KFW and the government to the tune of 19.9 million euros.
The project would involve the selection of additional 1,750 outgrowers from the Western and Central regions to plant 7,000 hectares of rubber trees between 2006 and 2010.
A total of 1,250 outgrowers were selected from the Western Region to plant 5,000 hectares while 500 outgrowers were selected from the Central Region to plant 2,000 hectares of rubber trees.
The achievements of the third phase as of October 31, 2008 are that a total of 1,250 outgrowers have been assisted to plant 3,794.05 hectares of rubber in the Western Region while 500 outgrowers have been assisted to plant 1,081.45 hectares in the Central Region.
Cumulatively, 1,750 rubber outgrowers have been assisted to plant a total of 4,875.50 hectares in the Western and Central regions.
The financial operator of the whole project is the National Investment Bank Limited while the technical operator is the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL).
Under the three phases of the project, a total number of 2,650 outgrower farmers have been assisted to plant 11,055 hectares of rubber at a total cost of 26.4 million euros while 688 outgrower farms involving 1,885.95 hectares are being tapped.
The socio-economic benefits of rubber plantations include diversification of agricultural products, increase in income levels for farmers and relatives, employment opportunities in the project area, thereby checking rural/urban drift and supplying raw materials to the local factories dealing with rubber products.
Other benefits include the boosting of rubber export, thus earning foreign currency for the country, participation of women in the project, thereby enhancing women economic emancipation, development of access roads in the operating communities to assist other farmers to transport their goods to the marketing centres and supplying rubber wood to the timber industry, thereby saving the scarce forest reserve.
Some weeks ago, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, paid a two-day working visit to the rubber plantations and nurseries as well as coconut seed gardens at Apemenim, Abura and Bonsaso, all in the Western Region.
The Managing Director of Ghana Rubber Estates Limited, Mr Marc Genot, who briefed the minister, said the AFD was ready to finance a fourth phase of the project with a new approach.
He said the fourth phase was under study and that it was expected that 3,750 farmers from the Western, Central and Eastern regions would be assisted to plant 15,000 hectares of rubber.
Mr Genot stated that rubber cultivation was spreading fast in the country as a result of exceptional cooperation between stakeholders in the industry, including the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, AFD, the outgrowers, banks and GREL.
He said the major risk for its stability was unfair competition and that the government, the financial operators and GREL would all lose if unfair competition started. He added that phase four of the project would depend on the position of the government.
The Director of the Outgrower Plantations Project, Mr Emmanuel Akwasi Owusu, mentioned some of the challenges facing the project whcih include disputes on land acquisition, socio-cultural problems, and conflicts of land use, that is, agriculture versus mining others are interest rate on loans granted to farmers, pest and diseases control, wind damage, fire outbreak, as well as oversubscription of the project.
The fact is that the development of rubber plantations in the Western Region would be fast if the outgrower farmers are motivated and encouraged by way of  granting them soft credit facilities and other inputs to boost production.
This will help increase the annual production of rubber for export and will also be seen as one of the leading foreign exchange earners for the country, apart from contributing to poverty alleviation, particularly in the rural farming communities in the country.
 

WESTERN RAILWAY LINE TO UNDERGO REHABILITATION (BACK PAGE, JUNE 27)

Rehabilitation work is to begin on the Western Railway line upon the release of $2 million by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
The short-term, minimum intervention is to resume the haulage of bulk goods such as bauxite and manganese to generate enough revenue for the Ghana Railway Company (GRC).
The Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, announced the rehabilitation work when he met workers of the GRC in Takoradi. He was accompanied by his deputy, Mrs Dzifa Attivor.
He noted that the Western Railway line was the mainstay of the company and that its rehabilitation would help the company to generate revenue, since its internally generated revenue was virtually depleted.
The minister said the Accra-Tema railway system was also being rehabilitated to ease congestion in Accra.
He said in the medium to long term, the Central and the Eastern Railway lines would be rehabilitated to enable the Boankra Inland Port in the Ashanti Region to operate effectively and efficiently.
He noted that with political will and determination, the railway system could be extended to Hamile and Burkina Faso, adding that that vision should not be downplayed, since it could be realised.
Mr Hammah advised the management of the GRC to be transparent, open and accountable, adding, “When there is no transparency and accountability, it creates a recipe for discontent and agitation.”
He also charged the workers to be disciplined, hardworking and committed to their responsibilities.
The acting Managing Director of the GRC, Mr K.B. Amofah, said the railway system today was a pale shadow of its former self, since it was facing many challenges.
He said it needed government support to uplift the railway system to an appreciable level.

CIVIL, PUBLIC SERVANTS MUST BE CONVERSANT WITH NDC MANIFESTO (PAGE 13, JUNE 26)

THE Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Bosumtwi-Sam, has called on civil and public servants in the region to be conversant with the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in order to be able to interprete, implement and meet set targets accordingly.
She said there had been political and administrative changes in the country, and so both civil and public servants owed it a duty to assist the government in the implementation of its policies and programmes.
“Let us help the government of the day to succeed, otherwise, all of us would have failed,” she told them.
Ms Bosumtwi-Sam made the call when the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) met heads of government departments, institutions and organisations in the region in Sekondi.
She urged them to work as a team, irrespective of their political leaning to confront the problems of the region such as poor road network, poverty, diseases and limited health facilities to help uplift the living standards and conditions of the people in the region.
“Let us make sure that our activities positively affect the people in the region,” she added.
Ms Bosumtwi-Sam stressed the need for the civil and public servants to be responsible for and committed to their duties to push the country forward.
The deputy regional minister also urged them to manage their budgets and finances judiciously, since there had been a cut in the budgetary allocations.
She also advised them to prioritise their programmes.
The Western Regional Director of Education, Mrs Rebecca Afiba Dadzie, for her part, called on the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the region to increase the number of sponsorship to the various Colleges of Education to help increase the number of qualified teachers in the region.
She regretted that over 50 per cent of teachers in the basic schools in the region were not professional teachers.
She said out of about 8,117 professional teachers who came out from the colleges this year, the Western Region had only 443, because this was the only number of trained teachers sponsored by all the 17 assemblies in the region.