ANGLOGOLD Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine) Limited has constructed a three-unit classroom block and teachers’ quarters for the Wangarakrom/Badukrom Lower Primary School in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality in the Western Region at the cost of $64,000.
The construction of the infrastructure will save the young pupils from trekking about 15 kilometers to Teberebe to attend school.
Last year, the company invested over $100,000 in education from its social and economic development budget.
The company will also improve the structures of a private Early Childhood Development Centre in Wangarakrom/Badukrom as part of its medium and long term plan.
It also intends to build additional classrooms to raise the status of the Abompuniso Primary School to a junior high school level and construct some teachers’ quarters at Abompuniso and Adieyie, all in the municipality.
At the inaugural ceremony, the Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine) Limited, Mr David Kwesi Renner, stressed that the importance of education could not be underestimated at this time and age and that development of the child at the lower primary level was crucial for shaping the foundation for which the child could achieve greater heights in future academic pursuits.
“It is for this reason that AngloGold Ashanti is happy to be associated with bringing education nearer to the children within the communities,” he explained.
Mr Renner noted that currently 19 students in senior high schools and technical schools were on the managing director’s scholarship scheme.
Mr Renner said to assist the teeming community youth who were looking for skills to make a living and improve their lives, AngloGold Ashanti had aided nine youths, to master mechanics, hair dressing salons and art workshops to acquire employable skills.
Mr Renner emphasised that participation and ownership were quite important in creating successful community development programmes and therefore implored the community to take ownership of the facility and ensure regular maintenance. The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Director of Education, Ms Catherine Davies, appealed to the company to provide the school with a kingdergaten.
The Gyaasehene of the Apinto Stool, on whose land the mining company is located, Nana Ntsiful, advised parents to take keen interest in their children’s education.
The Odikro of Wangarakrom, Nana Kingsley Awudu, commended the mining company for undertaking many development projects for communities within its catchment area.
The Assembly Member for the Teberebe Electoral Area, Mr Ernest Amoateng advised parents to enrol their children who had reached school age.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
GHACEM STARTS PROSPECTING FOR LIMESTONE...In Jomoro District (PAGE 20)
THE Ghana Cement Works (GHACEM) has begun prospecting for limestone in the Bonyele-Nawule Limestone Concession in the Jomoro District in the Western Region to ascertain the quantity and the quality of the limestone deposit in the concession. Limestone is used for the production of cement.
The 21-square mile concession was acquired about 20 years ago by the Western Limestone Products.
The limestone project is located in five communities, namely Kabenla Suazo, Bonyere, Egbazo, Ndum Suazo and Nawule.
The top management of GHACEM, Western Limestone Products and the chiefs and representatives of the towns held a meeting at Kabenla Suazo at the weekend after a tour of the project site.
The Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director of GHACEM, Dr George Dawson Ahmoah, told the Daily Graphic after the tour that GHACEM was carrying out the prospecting and if the result was positive, it would manage the quarry in accordance with the laws, regulations, permissions and approval from the appropriate agencies.
“All things being equal, mining will start before July 2009 with an estimated maximum quantity of 2,000 tonnes delivered to the Takoradi GHACEM factory annually for the production of quality cement,” he said.
“It is expected that this component of raw material will form an average of 25 per cent of the total production of cement,” he added.
Dr Ahmoah said GHACEM was committed to the use of local raw materials in the production of cement in the country.
He appealed to members of the affected communities to be patient since the company was aware of the payment of compensation to people whose crops would be affected by the mining of the limestone, adding that GHACEM was law-abiding.
Dr Ahmoah assured the people that both skilled and unskilled workers would be recruited from the communities located in the project’s catchment area.
“But we will not condone malpractice. We have an experience from where we are coming from, so we need your co-operation so that the work will go on,” he stressed.
The Chief Executive Officer of Western Limestone Products, Dr J.A. Addison, was happy that after 20 years of negotiations and the signing of the agreement with the chiefs and people in the area, the exploitation of the mineral was coming to fruition.
He said the visit of the top management of GHACEM was a clear indication that the project would become a reality.
Dr Addison noted that the project would lead to the rapid development of the affected communities and therefore called for their co-operation with GHACEM to create a congenial environment for work to progress smoothly.
The Managing Director of GHACEM, Mr Morten Gade, said the meeting with the chiefs and the people in the area marked a very important day, since it marked the beginning of the development of GHACEM factory in Takoradi, as well as the communities in the project area.
He attributed the situation to the foresight of Dr Addison, whom he described as one of the great industrialists in Ghana.
The managing director said Dr Addison contributed immensely to the establishment of GHACEM in Ghana about 41 years ago.
Mr Gade called for co-operation to ensure meaningful development in the communities, adding, “The more you co-operate, the more benefit you will derive from the project”.
“We are looking forward for your co-operation to enable GHACEM to help build Ghana,” he added.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Western Limestone Products, Mr J.H. Mensah, noted that the limestone project was a very big one which would benefit the people and the country as a whole.
The chief of Kabenla Suazo, Nana Kabenla Tendenle V, noted with delight that the project which was started a long time ago had become a reality.
He expressed optimism that the project would yield results for the benefit of both parties.
The 21-square mile concession was acquired about 20 years ago by the Western Limestone Products.
The limestone project is located in five communities, namely Kabenla Suazo, Bonyere, Egbazo, Ndum Suazo and Nawule.
The top management of GHACEM, Western Limestone Products and the chiefs and representatives of the towns held a meeting at Kabenla Suazo at the weekend after a tour of the project site.
The Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director of GHACEM, Dr George Dawson Ahmoah, told the Daily Graphic after the tour that GHACEM was carrying out the prospecting and if the result was positive, it would manage the quarry in accordance with the laws, regulations, permissions and approval from the appropriate agencies.
“All things being equal, mining will start before July 2009 with an estimated maximum quantity of 2,000 tonnes delivered to the Takoradi GHACEM factory annually for the production of quality cement,” he said.
“It is expected that this component of raw material will form an average of 25 per cent of the total production of cement,” he added.
Dr Ahmoah said GHACEM was committed to the use of local raw materials in the production of cement in the country.
He appealed to members of the affected communities to be patient since the company was aware of the payment of compensation to people whose crops would be affected by the mining of the limestone, adding that GHACEM was law-abiding.
Dr Ahmoah assured the people that both skilled and unskilled workers would be recruited from the communities located in the project’s catchment area.
“But we will not condone malpractice. We have an experience from where we are coming from, so we need your co-operation so that the work will go on,” he stressed.
The Chief Executive Officer of Western Limestone Products, Dr J.A. Addison, was happy that after 20 years of negotiations and the signing of the agreement with the chiefs and people in the area, the exploitation of the mineral was coming to fruition.
He said the visit of the top management of GHACEM was a clear indication that the project would become a reality.
Dr Addison noted that the project would lead to the rapid development of the affected communities and therefore called for their co-operation with GHACEM to create a congenial environment for work to progress smoothly.
The Managing Director of GHACEM, Mr Morten Gade, said the meeting with the chiefs and the people in the area marked a very important day, since it marked the beginning of the development of GHACEM factory in Takoradi, as well as the communities in the project area.
He attributed the situation to the foresight of Dr Addison, whom he described as one of the great industrialists in Ghana.
The managing director said Dr Addison contributed immensely to the establishment of GHACEM in Ghana about 41 years ago.
Mr Gade called for co-operation to ensure meaningful development in the communities, adding, “The more you co-operate, the more benefit you will derive from the project”.
“We are looking forward for your co-operation to enable GHACEM to help build Ghana,” he added.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Western Limestone Products, Mr J.H. Mensah, noted that the limestone project was a very big one which would benefit the people and the country as a whole.
The chief of Kabenla Suazo, Nana Kabenla Tendenle V, noted with delight that the project which was started a long time ago had become a reality.
He expressed optimism that the project would yield results for the benefit of both parties.
WR RECORDED 168 FIRE OUTBREAKS IN 2008 (PAGE 20)
THE Western Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) recorded a total of 168 fire outbreaks in 2008.
The total estimated cost of damage caused by the fire outbreaks was GHc1,355,647.59.
There were 77 domestic ,14 vehicular, 19 electrical, 10 commercial, 19 bush and 20 industrial fires with nine other unspecified ones.
The Western Regional Commander of the GNFS, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Nana Ekow Abban told the Daily Graphic that the command intensified its fire safety programmes, which benefited a number of organisations and institutions.
He said more than 25 institutions obtained fire certificates for their operations, while a considerable number also renewed their fire certificates.
Nana Abban entreated all defaulting institutions to use the opportunity to go and register for certification.
He said the rural fire unit had been carrying out its outreach programme to educate the various communities on the prevention of bush fires.
Nana Abban said with the advent of the harmattan season, the regional command had ordered all district commanders of the GNFS to intensify their education on the prevention of bush fires and place men on the alert.
“We also entreat the public to be vigilant and cautious in the handling of fire during this period”, he cautioned.
Nana Abban said the advice had become imperative “because rampant bush fires could dissuade potential investors from doing business in the region.
The total estimated cost of damage caused by the fire outbreaks was GHc1,355,647.59.
There were 77 domestic ,14 vehicular, 19 electrical, 10 commercial, 19 bush and 20 industrial fires with nine other unspecified ones.
The Western Regional Commander of the GNFS, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Nana Ekow Abban told the Daily Graphic that the command intensified its fire safety programmes, which benefited a number of organisations and institutions.
He said more than 25 institutions obtained fire certificates for their operations, while a considerable number also renewed their fire certificates.
Nana Abban entreated all defaulting institutions to use the opportunity to go and register for certification.
He said the rural fire unit had been carrying out its outreach programme to educate the various communities on the prevention of bush fires.
Nana Abban said with the advent of the harmattan season, the regional command had ordered all district commanders of the GNFS to intensify their education on the prevention of bush fires and place men on the alert.
“We also entreat the public to be vigilant and cautious in the handling of fire during this period”, he cautioned.
Nana Abban said the advice had become imperative “because rampant bush fires could dissuade potential investors from doing business in the region.
FARMERS TO BE ASSISTED TO PRODUCE RICE IN WESTERN REGIONS (PAGE 20)
RICE is rapidly becoming a staple food in the country.
This food is consumed in every household, as well as educational institutions with boarding or hostel facilities.
As a result of its high patronage, the country is spending much hard earned foreign currency to import rice to satisfy the domestic requirement.
The government has, therefore, thought it wise to help improve rice production in the country by soliciting assistance in the form of loan from the African Development Bank to help address some of the challenges confronting rice farmers.
This is the genesis of the Inland Valleys Rice Development Project started in 2004.
The project is being implemented in five regions in the country, namely Western, Central, Eastern , Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo.
A total of 17 districts have been selected from the five regions with eight of them being in the Western Region.
The eight districts in the Western Region are the former Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Area (now the project is located in the newly created Shama District), the Mpohor Wassa East District, Nzema East Municipality, Wassa West District, now Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, Wassa Amenfi West District, Aowin Suaman District, Sefwi Wiawso District and Bia District.
The main aims of the project are to contribute towards food security and to reduce rice imports by the country with specific objectives of increasing incomes of small holder rice producers, rice traders and rice processors.
The project has five main components, which are land management, credit for crop development, capacity building, adaptive research and surveys, as well as co-ordination.
At the end of the project, 4,500 hectares of valley sites should have been surveyed, designed and developed.
The development includes land clearing, levelling, terracing and construction of water control structures, with 200 kilometres of feeder road spots improved and 80 kilometres of access tracks upgraded.
The project is also giving support by way of credit to rice producers/farmers, millers and processors. The support for the farmers is in the form of improved seeds, fertilisers and agro-chemicals, while the traders are benefiting from inventory credit, which means they are given loans to purchase paddy from the farmers for storage for some period before they dispose of the commodity.
The project is also to help construct storage structures, drying floors and provision of tarpaulins, rice threshers, power tillers, mini rice reapers and mini rice mills for stakeholders.
The activities being undertaken under its capacity building programme include the formation and training of farmers, traders and miller groups.
The project, in collaboration with the Crop Research Institute, is carrying out adaptive research trials in various project sites to come out with a rice variety which is suitable for each site.
Other activities being carried out under the adaptive research and surveys are soil improvements or nutrient management, rice-based cropping systems or integrated crop and pest management, baseline survey and ethno-botanical survey.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Takoradi, the Western Regional Officer of the Inland Valleys Rice Development Project, Mr Kofi Ayiah, said the project was being co-ordinated by a National Steering Committee, while at each regional level, it had a regional technical committee.
He said the project had other collaborators such as the Ministry of Health and the Department of Feeder Roads.
Mr Ayiah explained that before the project started in 2004, the area developed by rice farmers for rice cultivation in the valleys in the region was about 50 hectares covering three sites at Kobina Anokrom and Antseambua-Badukrom in the Shama District and Dompim Number One in the Mpohor Wassa East District.
He said the project was to develop a total land area of 1,400 hectares in the Western Region.
He, however, stated that the farmers had on their own been able to develop 263.4 hectares in all the nine sites in the eight districts, adding that last year, the farmers were able to crop 243.8 hectares.
Mr Ayiah said as of 2008, the project had been able to give 52 farmer groups support in the form of seed, fertilisers, agro-chemicals and loans totalling GH¢119,782.92.
He added that four marketing groups had benefited from a loan of GH¢53,140 while one processor had been provided with one mini-rice mill.
The regional officer said the farmers had received training in modern technology applied to rice production.
He said the Ministry of Health had also trained communities in the project catchment areas in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, malaria and water-borne diseases.
Mr Ayiah said the major challenge confronting the project in the Western Region was the delay in land development, unreliable rainfall and high cost of agricultural inputs.
“Unavailability of good processing facilities, such as rice mills and graders in most of the project sites in the region and the delay in the repayment of loans by some of the farmers to the banks are two of the problems hindering the progress of the project,” he said.
This food is consumed in every household, as well as educational institutions with boarding or hostel facilities.
As a result of its high patronage, the country is spending much hard earned foreign currency to import rice to satisfy the domestic requirement.
The government has, therefore, thought it wise to help improve rice production in the country by soliciting assistance in the form of loan from the African Development Bank to help address some of the challenges confronting rice farmers.
This is the genesis of the Inland Valleys Rice Development Project started in 2004.
The project is being implemented in five regions in the country, namely Western, Central, Eastern , Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo.
A total of 17 districts have been selected from the five regions with eight of them being in the Western Region.
The eight districts in the Western Region are the former Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Area (now the project is located in the newly created Shama District), the Mpohor Wassa East District, Nzema East Municipality, Wassa West District, now Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, Wassa Amenfi West District, Aowin Suaman District, Sefwi Wiawso District and Bia District.
The main aims of the project are to contribute towards food security and to reduce rice imports by the country with specific objectives of increasing incomes of small holder rice producers, rice traders and rice processors.
The project has five main components, which are land management, credit for crop development, capacity building, adaptive research and surveys, as well as co-ordination.
At the end of the project, 4,500 hectares of valley sites should have been surveyed, designed and developed.
The development includes land clearing, levelling, terracing and construction of water control structures, with 200 kilometres of feeder road spots improved and 80 kilometres of access tracks upgraded.
The project is also giving support by way of credit to rice producers/farmers, millers and processors. The support for the farmers is in the form of improved seeds, fertilisers and agro-chemicals, while the traders are benefiting from inventory credit, which means they are given loans to purchase paddy from the farmers for storage for some period before they dispose of the commodity.
The project is also to help construct storage structures, drying floors and provision of tarpaulins, rice threshers, power tillers, mini rice reapers and mini rice mills for stakeholders.
The activities being undertaken under its capacity building programme include the formation and training of farmers, traders and miller groups.
The project, in collaboration with the Crop Research Institute, is carrying out adaptive research trials in various project sites to come out with a rice variety which is suitable for each site.
Other activities being carried out under the adaptive research and surveys are soil improvements or nutrient management, rice-based cropping systems or integrated crop and pest management, baseline survey and ethno-botanical survey.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Takoradi, the Western Regional Officer of the Inland Valleys Rice Development Project, Mr Kofi Ayiah, said the project was being co-ordinated by a National Steering Committee, while at each regional level, it had a regional technical committee.
He said the project had other collaborators such as the Ministry of Health and the Department of Feeder Roads.
Mr Ayiah explained that before the project started in 2004, the area developed by rice farmers for rice cultivation in the valleys in the region was about 50 hectares covering three sites at Kobina Anokrom and Antseambua-Badukrom in the Shama District and Dompim Number One in the Mpohor Wassa East District.
He said the project was to develop a total land area of 1,400 hectares in the Western Region.
He, however, stated that the farmers had on their own been able to develop 263.4 hectares in all the nine sites in the eight districts, adding that last year, the farmers were able to crop 243.8 hectares.
Mr Ayiah said as of 2008, the project had been able to give 52 farmer groups support in the form of seed, fertilisers, agro-chemicals and loans totalling GH¢119,782.92.
He added that four marketing groups had benefited from a loan of GH¢53,140 while one processor had been provided with one mini-rice mill.
The regional officer said the farmers had received training in modern technology applied to rice production.
He said the Ministry of Health had also trained communities in the project catchment areas in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, malaria and water-borne diseases.
Mr Ayiah said the major challenge confronting the project in the Western Region was the delay in land development, unreliable rainfall and high cost of agricultural inputs.
“Unavailability of good processing facilities, such as rice mills and graders in most of the project sites in the region and the delay in the repayment of loans by some of the farmers to the banks are two of the problems hindering the progress of the project,” he said.
CIVIC EDUCATION COMPETITION FOR 14 SCHOOLS IN WESTERN REGION (PAGE 11)
CIVIC Education Clubs in 14 junior high and second cycle schools in the Western Region are participating in a regional competition that is designed to help students and youths to develop a rich and varied understanding of government, public policy and citizenship in the country.
The competition is being held under the Project Citizen Ghana, a portfolio-based inter-disciplinary civic education curriculum programme for students and youth to promote competent and responsible participation in local and national government.
The programme also seeks to help young people to learn how to monitor and influence public policy and in the process develop support for democratic values and principles, tolerance and feelings of political efficacy.
The participating schools are the Takoradi Senior High, Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High, Fijai Senior High, Ahantaman Senior High, Saint Mary’s Senior High, Adiembra Senior High, Sekondi College, Bompeh Secodary Technical High, Saint John’s Senior High and Methodist Senior High Schools.
The rest are Bishop Essuah Junior High, Saint Anthony Catholic Junior High, West Ridge Junior High and Katabrah Junior High schools.
The school which emerges first will represent the region in a national competition to be held next month.
Students who go through lessons in Project Citizenship will learn how to develop a public policy to solve a community problem, and how citizens can have power to monitor and influence public policy-making in the community.
They will also develop intellectual as well as participatory skills that promote reasoned investigation, critical thinking, effective communication and reflective thinking.
The participants will, in addition, develop democratic dispositions that encourage the exercise of fundamental rights and responsibilities with commitment and influence.
Project Citizen Ghana, which is being administered by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and Civitas Ghana, in cooperation with the Centre for Civic Education in the United States of America, started on pilot basis in March, 2006 in 20 junior and senior high schools in the Greater Accra and Northern Regions, with a total of 574 students and pupils.
Speaking during the Western Regional showcase of Project Citizen Ghana in Takoradi, the Project Co-Director, Mrs Fanny Judith Kumah, said the outcome of the pilot programmes were highly remarkable with students attesting their ability to research on their own, tolerating each other, working in teams, speaking confidently in public, formulating policies to solve community problems and lobbying implementing agencies to adopt their policies.
Since the pilot scheme, she said teachers from selected schools had been trained, bringing the total number of schools currently participating in the programme to 147. Included are two schools for the blind and three schools for the deaf, comprising 302 teachers, 88 civic educators and about 2,000 students.
Mrs Kumah commended the teachers, students and administrators of the participating schools, for being the pioneers of the programme in the Western Region.
She expressed the hope that “Project Citizen gain firm root in this region and become a beacon of civic education, which will lead our youth to become informed, responsible and committed participants in our democracy".
Mrs Kumah also wanted the four-day regional showcase programme to have an unsurpassed success with its snowball effect giving the participants confidence in advocacy, lobbying, project writing, public speaking, consensus building, cooperative learning, as well as equipping them with the necessary qualities of effective citizenship.
"It is my desire that the best school from this region will excel at the national showcase when they join students from the best schools in the rest of the regions next month, to crown the intensive and extensive work done so far," she said.
The competition is being held under the Project Citizen Ghana, a portfolio-based inter-disciplinary civic education curriculum programme for students and youth to promote competent and responsible participation in local and national government.
The programme also seeks to help young people to learn how to monitor and influence public policy and in the process develop support for democratic values and principles, tolerance and feelings of political efficacy.
The participating schools are the Takoradi Senior High, Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High, Fijai Senior High, Ahantaman Senior High, Saint Mary’s Senior High, Adiembra Senior High, Sekondi College, Bompeh Secodary Technical High, Saint John’s Senior High and Methodist Senior High Schools.
The rest are Bishop Essuah Junior High, Saint Anthony Catholic Junior High, West Ridge Junior High and Katabrah Junior High schools.
The school which emerges first will represent the region in a national competition to be held next month.
Students who go through lessons in Project Citizenship will learn how to develop a public policy to solve a community problem, and how citizens can have power to monitor and influence public policy-making in the community.
They will also develop intellectual as well as participatory skills that promote reasoned investigation, critical thinking, effective communication and reflective thinking.
The participants will, in addition, develop democratic dispositions that encourage the exercise of fundamental rights and responsibilities with commitment and influence.
Project Citizen Ghana, which is being administered by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and Civitas Ghana, in cooperation with the Centre for Civic Education in the United States of America, started on pilot basis in March, 2006 in 20 junior and senior high schools in the Greater Accra and Northern Regions, with a total of 574 students and pupils.
Speaking during the Western Regional showcase of Project Citizen Ghana in Takoradi, the Project Co-Director, Mrs Fanny Judith Kumah, said the outcome of the pilot programmes were highly remarkable with students attesting their ability to research on their own, tolerating each other, working in teams, speaking confidently in public, formulating policies to solve community problems and lobbying implementing agencies to adopt their policies.
Since the pilot scheme, she said teachers from selected schools had been trained, bringing the total number of schools currently participating in the programme to 147. Included are two schools for the blind and three schools for the deaf, comprising 302 teachers, 88 civic educators and about 2,000 students.
Mrs Kumah commended the teachers, students and administrators of the participating schools, for being the pioneers of the programme in the Western Region.
She expressed the hope that “Project Citizen gain firm root in this region and become a beacon of civic education, which will lead our youth to become informed, responsible and committed participants in our democracy".
Mrs Kumah also wanted the four-day regional showcase programme to have an unsurpassed success with its snowball effect giving the participants confidence in advocacy, lobbying, project writing, public speaking, consensus building, cooperative learning, as well as equipping them with the necessary qualities of effective citizenship.
"It is my desire that the best school from this region will excel at the national showcase when they join students from the best schools in the rest of the regions next month, to crown the intensive and extensive work done so far," she said.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
2008 ELECTIONS SUCCESSFUL BUT MOST CHALLENGING (PAGE 16)
THE Director of Human Resource and General Services of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Samuel Yorke Aidoo, has said the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections have been described as the most successful, but also passed as the most challenging.
However, he said collectively the EC and other stakeholders were able to overcome the challenges.
Mr Aidoo was speaking on the topic, "Perspective of political party representatives on the challenges of the December elections" at a special Western Regional Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in Takoradi, to assess the December elections and devise strategies to improve on subsequent elections.
"We have major elections ahead of us and it is going to be tougher. Let us work in a collaborative way,” he said, adding, "Election 2012 will be a difficult task. Let us be seen to be exhibiting the right attitude.”
Mr Aidoo stressed that political expediency would not help the country and bemoaned the situation where political party agents wanted to take over the duties of electoral officers at the polling stations during the December elections.
He also expressed concern about political party agents who were trained by the EC but did not turn up at the polling stations during the polling day, saying "We build the capacity of political party agents and they throw it away.”
"We must begin to search for knowledge for our electoral system to become a standard and example for others to come and learn", he told the political parties.
"We are in a global world that we must use knowledge-based approach in learning our electoral system,” he added.
A Member of the Electoral Commission responsible for the Western Region, Madam Eunice Akweley Roberts, pointed out that rumour-mongering during the December elections was the cause of the major problems the commission encountered.
She also explained that it was the commission which created the position for political party agents, to build more confidence in the electoral system, adding, “It is not found in the electoral laws or the constitution.”
"We created the party agents for a purpose, but not for them to take over from the officers at the polling stations,” she explained
Madam Roberts said the commission would not work again with those party agents who misconducted themselves at polling stations during the elections.
She advised the political parties to get copies of the electoral laws and reforms to educate their members as part of capacity building.
Responding to questions, she said the commission could not use electronic voting system, but would improve on voter registration and that in future the commission would make sure that registration took place long before election day.
She said the EC was in a process of reducing numbers of voters by creating more poling stations.
Madam Roberts urged the political parties not to see the regional and district officers of the commission as enemies, since they were working to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.
"They are not here to put impediments or obstacles in anybody’s way, but they are here to conduct a successful elections,” she added.
The Western Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr K.K. Sam, suggested that the commission should give its calendar on elections to the political parties ahead of time to enable the parties to prepare well and attend the commission’s programmes slated for the parties.
The Western Regional Organiser of the NPP, Mr Kojo Acquah, suggested that the EC should consult its stakeholders before choosing dates for its programmes.
However, he said collectively the EC and other stakeholders were able to overcome the challenges.
Mr Aidoo was speaking on the topic, "Perspective of political party representatives on the challenges of the December elections" at a special Western Regional Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in Takoradi, to assess the December elections and devise strategies to improve on subsequent elections.
"We have major elections ahead of us and it is going to be tougher. Let us work in a collaborative way,” he said, adding, "Election 2012 will be a difficult task. Let us be seen to be exhibiting the right attitude.”
Mr Aidoo stressed that political expediency would not help the country and bemoaned the situation where political party agents wanted to take over the duties of electoral officers at the polling stations during the December elections.
He also expressed concern about political party agents who were trained by the EC but did not turn up at the polling stations during the polling day, saying "We build the capacity of political party agents and they throw it away.”
"We must begin to search for knowledge for our electoral system to become a standard and example for others to come and learn", he told the political parties.
"We are in a global world that we must use knowledge-based approach in learning our electoral system,” he added.
A Member of the Electoral Commission responsible for the Western Region, Madam Eunice Akweley Roberts, pointed out that rumour-mongering during the December elections was the cause of the major problems the commission encountered.
She also explained that it was the commission which created the position for political party agents, to build more confidence in the electoral system, adding, “It is not found in the electoral laws or the constitution.”
"We created the party agents for a purpose, but not for them to take over from the officers at the polling stations,” she explained
Madam Roberts said the commission would not work again with those party agents who misconducted themselves at polling stations during the elections.
She advised the political parties to get copies of the electoral laws and reforms to educate their members as part of capacity building.
Responding to questions, she said the commission could not use electronic voting system, but would improve on voter registration and that in future the commission would make sure that registration took place long before election day.
She said the EC was in a process of reducing numbers of voters by creating more poling stations.
Madam Roberts urged the political parties not to see the regional and district officers of the commission as enemies, since they were working to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.
"They are not here to put impediments or obstacles in anybody’s way, but they are here to conduct a successful elections,” she added.
The Western Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr K.K. Sam, suggested that the commission should give its calendar on elections to the political parties ahead of time to enable the parties to prepare well and attend the commission’s programmes slated for the parties.
The Western Regional Organiser of the NPP, Mr Kojo Acquah, suggested that the EC should consult its stakeholders before choosing dates for its programmes.
Monday, March 2, 2009
DEPRIVED TANO RIVER COMMUNITIES GET FACILITIES (PAGE 53)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF) have completed water and sanitation facilities for 10 deprived communities along the Tano River in the Western Region of Ghana and the Aboisso Prefecture in Cote d’lvoire at the cost of US$500,000.
The facilities, which were provided under the Water and Development Alliance (WADA) through CARE International, is to serve as an incentive to improve water resources management within the Tano River Basin.
WADA, a joint initiative between USAID and the Coca-Cola Company, in collaboration with the Ghana/Cote d’lvoire Transboundary Community Water Management Project, through CARE International, executed the projects, with funding from USAID and the Coca-Cola Foundation.
The beneficiary communities are Edusuazo and Ghana Nungua in the Jomoro District, Pantooso in the Wassa Amenfi East District, Jomoro in the Aowin-Suaman District and Nsawora in the Sefwi Wiawso District, all in the Western Region.
The rest are M’Possa, CI Noungoua, Saykro, Ehania and Kongodjan in Cote d’lvoire.
The projects in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire include the construction of five boreholes fitted with hand pumps, a hand-dug well fitted with a hand pump and a mechanised borehole system.
The project also rehabilitated a hand pump and constructed nine places of convenience fitted with rain harvesting and hand-washing facilities in nine basic schools.
Through the provision of teaching and learning materials, hygiene education will be taught in the basic schools, since hygiene and sanitation training has been conducted for 98 school teachers from five communities each in the Western Region of Ghana and the Aboisso Prefecture in Cote d’Ivoire.
The WADA intervention has increased access to potable water for 12,600 people and improved sanitation for 2,600 pupils in the 10 beneficiary communities and is expected to reduce the incidence of water and sanitation related diseases in the beneficiary communities and also improve afforestation along the Tano River Basin.
Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the projects at Ghana Nungua in the Jomoro District, the Franchise Manager of Coca-Cola Equatorial Limited, Mr Philippe Ayivor, said the company and the TCCAF were pleased to be associated with the water and development alliance.
"With the successful execution of these projects, the primary objective of providing safe water and essential sanitation facilities for the good people of the beneficiary communities is now a reality," he said.
Mr Ayivor said the company recognised that people and the environment were central to all business activities and that the success of all businesses was inexorably linked to the well-being and prosperity of the communities in which they operated.
"Therefore, our community or social investments are not mere gestures but are structured to improve living conditions, empower people and drive sustainable development,” he explained.
Mr Ayivor emphasised that the provision of safe water for the communities was fundamental to the quest for healthy and prosperous communities envisioned under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Programme Co-ordinator of CARE International (Forest and Natural Resource), Mr Albert Katako, thanked the benefactors for the initiative and urged the beneficiary communities to resolve to maintain and keep the facilities working.
The Jomoro District Co-ordinating Director, Mr R.A. Acheampong, said the assembly would create the enabling environment for the development partners to encourage them to assist in the development of the communities.
The Chief of Ghana Nungua, Nana Aboa Ebenle II, asked for more of the water facility to serve the whole community, since the one borehole would not serve the people effectively.
He also appealed to the benefactors to assist the community to implement its electricity project.
The facilities, which were provided under the Water and Development Alliance (WADA) through CARE International, is to serve as an incentive to improve water resources management within the Tano River Basin.
WADA, a joint initiative between USAID and the Coca-Cola Company, in collaboration with the Ghana/Cote d’lvoire Transboundary Community Water Management Project, through CARE International, executed the projects, with funding from USAID and the Coca-Cola Foundation.
The beneficiary communities are Edusuazo and Ghana Nungua in the Jomoro District, Pantooso in the Wassa Amenfi East District, Jomoro in the Aowin-Suaman District and Nsawora in the Sefwi Wiawso District, all in the Western Region.
The rest are M’Possa, CI Noungoua, Saykro, Ehania and Kongodjan in Cote d’lvoire.
The projects in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire include the construction of five boreholes fitted with hand pumps, a hand-dug well fitted with a hand pump and a mechanised borehole system.
The project also rehabilitated a hand pump and constructed nine places of convenience fitted with rain harvesting and hand-washing facilities in nine basic schools.
Through the provision of teaching and learning materials, hygiene education will be taught in the basic schools, since hygiene and sanitation training has been conducted for 98 school teachers from five communities each in the Western Region of Ghana and the Aboisso Prefecture in Cote d’Ivoire.
The WADA intervention has increased access to potable water for 12,600 people and improved sanitation for 2,600 pupils in the 10 beneficiary communities and is expected to reduce the incidence of water and sanitation related diseases in the beneficiary communities and also improve afforestation along the Tano River Basin.
Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the projects at Ghana Nungua in the Jomoro District, the Franchise Manager of Coca-Cola Equatorial Limited, Mr Philippe Ayivor, said the company and the TCCAF were pleased to be associated with the water and development alliance.
"With the successful execution of these projects, the primary objective of providing safe water and essential sanitation facilities for the good people of the beneficiary communities is now a reality," he said.
Mr Ayivor said the company recognised that people and the environment were central to all business activities and that the success of all businesses was inexorably linked to the well-being and prosperity of the communities in which they operated.
"Therefore, our community or social investments are not mere gestures but are structured to improve living conditions, empower people and drive sustainable development,” he explained.
Mr Ayivor emphasised that the provision of safe water for the communities was fundamental to the quest for healthy and prosperous communities envisioned under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Programme Co-ordinator of CARE International (Forest and Natural Resource), Mr Albert Katako, thanked the benefactors for the initiative and urged the beneficiary communities to resolve to maintain and keep the facilities working.
The Jomoro District Co-ordinating Director, Mr R.A. Acheampong, said the assembly would create the enabling environment for the development partners to encourage them to assist in the development of the communities.
The Chief of Ghana Nungua, Nana Aboa Ebenle II, asked for more of the water facility to serve the whole community, since the one borehole would not serve the people effectively.
He also appealed to the benefactors to assist the community to implement its electricity project.
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