A top church leader has said Mr Nelson Mandela’s awesome peace-loving disposition, which created and maintained comradeship among the various races in South Africa after the demise of apartheid, is a quality African leaders should be craving after. Rt Rev. Francis Amenu, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, said this in a sermon at the thanksgiving service on Sunday to crown the centenary celebration of the Agotime-Afegame EP Church at Agotime-Afegame.        He said African political leaders should be harnessing segments of society towards tackling the developmental problems of their countries and not acting to divide them. Rt Rev. Amenu said Mr Mandela’s life was a remarkable one for all African leaders to emulate. He urged Ghanaians to reflect on the life of Mandela and resolve to do the right thing, honour taxes and levies, eschew corruption and stop smuggling. The EP church was founded in that community in 1907 along with formal education. Rev Richard Mawutor Buamah, Associate District Pastor, said ethnic and political differences should not be wedges, preventing the different segments of society from working together. “The future of our dear Church depends on faithful individuals of today, willing to sacrifice time, talent and wealth,” he stated. He said it was his prayer that the historic celebration did not manifest only in the merrymaking but also show in “an inner rejuvenation and re-dedication to God the Father Almighty”. Nene Mahumansro XIV, Le Mantse of Agotime-Afegame, said the centenary of the Church was in fact a community affair as the church coming along with education had produced “many prominent citizens that have made significant impact on the national and international scene in diverse areas.”

Public-Private partnership is needed to sustain residential homes for orphaned children. The government has developed a set of national standards for residential homes for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) to ensure that the homes meet minimum standards. The standards require that orphanages improve nutrition and food supplementation, enhance the basic health and hygiene situation of the homes and empower and train caregivers, so that they can deliver better services to the children in their care. This was made known by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, at a forum in Accra to deliberate on how to sustain the supply of basic needs to orphaned and vulnerable children in residential homes. Nana Lithur emphasised that although institutionalised care for vulnerable children was not the objective of the government, some children found themselves in those facilities through no fault of theirs. Those children, she said, encountered various challenges in the orphanages, sometimes through genuine challenges faced by the management of the institutions. “Key among these challenges is funding, which manifests in various forms, including poor nutritional supply and health concerns for the children in these facilities,” Nana Lithur said. The forum was to create an avenue for the ministry to partner the corporate sector, in line with the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) policy to sustain the supply of their basic needs, which is fundamental to their existence. Rationale for the forum It was necessitated by the need to find a means to sustain a five-year programme, which started in 2011 and titled -”One Child, One World” (OCOW), to address malnourishment and limited access to necessary nutritional requirements for normal growth and development in residential homes for OVCs. The programme, which ends in 2015, is being implemented by AmeriCares, a United States organisation, and two local bodies, Hope for All Foundation (HOFA) and the Youth and Social Enterprise Fund (Y-SEF). The partnership was formed to respond to the financial difficulties faced by orphanages due to the increase in the number of orphaned children, sometimes resulting in malnourishment and limited access to necessary nutritional requirements for normal growth and development.  The project addresses the nutritional and health needs of 1,500 orphans and vulnerable children and their over 319 caregivers living in 30 homes in nine out of the 10 regions of the country. Baseline Assessment In a presentation of the programme at the meeting, Ms Elikem Tomety Archer, the Director of Mid-East and Africa Partnerships of AmeriCares, said the OCOW programme was launched in July 2011  and a baseline assessment completed in December 2011. Thirty homes were fully vetted and approved by the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) to participate in the survey. It was observed during the baseline study, she said, that the proportion of children in homes who were considered underweight or wasting was about twice the levels found among Ghanaian children outside the homes A significant proportion of children are fed less than two times a day and majority caregivers and  proprietors said food/nutrition was the biggest unmet need for the children in the homes, followed by financial support, healthcare costs, educational/school fees and training of caregivers. Accomplishments to date Ms Archer said since 2011, AmeriCares had delivered 11 shipments of nutritional supplements, infant formula, and hygiene products worth US$1,045,186 to these homes. One hundred and one caregivers in the 30 homes had also been trained in basic nutrition, health and hygiene practices and funds to train an additional 109 caregivers had been granted, she added.  Programme Sustainability She pointed out that majority of proprietors and caregivers of the homes, as well as other stakeholders, had lauded the programme as having gone a long way to meet some of the unmet needs of children in the homes, hence the need to sustain it beyond the programme period had become imperative.  “As we enter the third year, there are plans to scale up the programme to at least 100 homes. This will require about GH¢500,000-GH¢800,000 in kind and in cash donations from corporate bodies who would love to adopt those homes as part of their corporate social responsibility,” Ms Archer said. The idea, she said, was to ensure that participating companies benefited as they gave, as part of a “cause-related marketing relationship” by enhancing the brand image of their products, while at the same time supporting the initiative to raise the necessary funds to support the OCOW programme and thereby address a huge socio-economic issue that afflicted thousands of Ghanaian children.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Kumasi seeking to overturn a High Court ruling that ordered the assembly to vacate the Kejetia Bus Terminal in five days. It has also filed an application for stay of proceedings of all cases concerning the Kejetia terminal that are before the High Court pending the determination of the appeal. Filed on behalf of the assembly by Mr Thaddeus Sory of Sory@Law, an Accra-based law firm, the assembly contended that the ruling of the High Court was not grounded in law. It said the High Court decision that the KMA was in contempt for refusing to vacate the Kejetia terminal was erroneous. Again, it alleged that the evidence by Freko Limited that the KMA had been served with the interlocutory injunction, which was upheld by the High Court, was fabricated. Mr Sory will move the appeal when the Court of Appeal reconvenes in Kumasi in February 2014. On Thursday, December 5, 2013, the Commercial Division of the High Court in Kumasi gave the KMA five days to leave the Kejetia terminal, which it took over from Freko FD Enterprise, the private company that had managed the facility for about 12 years. The court, presided over by Mr Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, said the assembly must purge itself of contempt for failing to abide by an earlier 10-day limited injunction it pronounced, following an ex-parte motion filed by Freko Enterprise. Meanwhile, the KMA was still in control of the terminal as of yesterday.  Mr Sory explained to the Daily Graphic that legally the assembly was still clothed with the power to manage the facility.

  The Executive Director of Food Sovereignty Ghana, Mr Ben Guri, has cautioned the government not to rush into adopting genetically modified (GM) food because of its long-term side effects. He said there was ample scientific proof that there was long-term side effect of GM food, adding, “Today, those side effects may not show, but give it the next 50 years and they will begin to show on our health and that is why I think that GM food may have its good sides but it is too early to adopt it.” Mr Guri, who gave the caution in an interview, pointed out, “Even in Europe of all places, as at now GM food is banned.” Touching on the Seed Breeders Bill which had been passed by the Parliament, he cautioned that if the bill was allowed to go through, “the danger here is that if I have my own seeds, by law GM seeds should never come into my field. Even if the pollens are blown into my field, I will be charged”. “What is happening is that they are trying to get our local seeds extinct and replace them with GM seeds, which is what is called the modernisation of agriculture. Usually the first year, you may get a good yield but the following year you have to buy new seeds again if you want to have a good yield because you cannot even select from those seeds to grow again. It is not allowed by the bill that has been passed,” he pointed out. He explained that the Seed Breeders Bill was meant to protect breeders in such a way that they might reap back what had been invested.  Mr Guri described the move to introduce GM food as another form of re-colonisation and a “dangerous weapon” because Africa would have to become 100 per cent dependant on their food. “It is a very dangerous weapon because if they control our food, they control our lives because if they refuse to give us the seeds when we lose all our local seeds, we will die out,” he warned. Touching on the Seed Breeders Bill that had already been passed by Parliament, he said, the bill was “sneaked” into Parliament because Parliament did not open it up for discussion, saying even most of the parliamentarians did not understand what it was all about. He reminded politicians that they had the responsibility of feeding Ghana by passing the right bills that would support farmers in the country. Mr Guri said he was happy that with pressure from civil society, “they are going to be very cautious about the bill, although it is passed”. He congratulated farmers, especially those who won awards during this year’s Farmers Day, and stressed that the day was an important one because it gave the opportunity to showcase the people who were making Ghana what it was.  

  The Vice-President of  Global Leadership Network (GLN), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Professor Samuel  Lartey, has stressed the need for Ghanaians to eschew the growing blame game tendency in the national body politic. He said instead of looking for loopholes and resorting to the blame game, it was important for Ghanaians to use their expertise to team up with governments to initiate policies and programmes that would enhance the accelerated socio-economic development. He was speaking at a workshop organised by the GLN to sensitise the public to appreciate the essence of being supportive in harnessing human and natural resources in a meaningful way. Prof Lartey expressed concern over the growing tendency among Ghanaians to apportion blame on all issues pertaining to national development. He said that attitude rather undermined effective and sustainable socio-economic development and said the GLN  was established not only to grow and support leaders in the various sectors of the economy but also to demand responsible and accountable leadership. It was also to sensitise  the public to be more nationalistic, instead of promoting their selfish tendencies. On how to harness the human and natural resources in the country to support accelerated development, Prof Lartey said  it was important for leaders in the various sectors of the economy to be visionaries, people-oriented, work as a team and be culturally sensitive. He said good leaders were not only always focused on their desire to execute their vision for the benefit of the larger society but also encouraged the public to work as a team and collaborate in all endeavours by devising means to realise the desired objective of accelerated development The President of the GLN, Mr Mark Kakraba Ampeh, urged the public to always provide better alternatives to put the development initiatives of the country on track. “Our mission is to transform and regenerate our nation through self-actualisation of its citizens, irrespective of sex, age, tribe and social association,” he explained. Expounding the operations of the GLN, he said, “While we need to raise leaders to respond to the immediate challenges of our time, it is even more important to raise leaders who will take over from us and, even more importantly, lay a solid foundation for the development of leadership for generations to come.”  

  The Supreme Knight of the Knights of Marshall, Sir Knight Joseph Ekow Paintsil, has challenged Christians to muster courage to expose corruption in society. According to him, “corrupt acts are becoming the norm rather than an aberration”, saying that it was “being perpetrated in both high and low places”. Addressing members of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall after the dedication of an oratory for Council 10 and Court Five at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, Okponglo, last Saturday, Sir Knight Paintsil said the current state of corrupt acts, which had become a canker in the Ghanaian society, should be a source of concern to Catholics and Marshallans. The GH¢1.2 million oratory has a seating capacity of 750 and was dedicated by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle. Sir Knight Paintsil entreated Marshallans never to condone corrupt practices. “Marshallans occupy very many leadership and sensitive positions at their workplaces and in their communities. We have to let the people we serve and relate to see us as different types of leaders who are disciplined, not corrupt and incorruptible,” he stated. He also reminded Marshallans of their duty to practicalise the motto of the society, ‘Charity, unity, fraternity and service’ in the church and their communities, stressing, “We have to do more to let the church feel our presence in all aspects.” On the use of the oratory, Sir Knight Paintsil said it would serve as a place of worship, deeper learning and understanding of the faith and also a rallying point for Marshallans to understand their mission as Catholic knights in serving the church and the community. Palmer-Buckle In his sermon, the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle reminded Marshallans of the four principal teachings of the church — understanding the Scriptures, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers. He explained that those four teachings were the foundation teachings of the Apostles. He said reading the Bible would enable Marshallans, and for that matter Christians, to understand the Scriptures, while practising fellowship would enable them to reach out not only to members of the church but also the entire community. The Most Rev Palmer-Bukcle said the breaking of bread could be found in the celebration of the Eucharist and receiving other sacraments in a worthy manner, stressing that the prayer component of believers made them to achieve greater things. He urged Marshallans to help make young people more useful to the church by engaging and guiding them in their development. Writer’s email: [email protected]  

  Participants in a discussion on “A decade of medical postgraduate specialist training in Ghana” have observed and deplored a serious disparity in the distribution of medical specialists in the country. They said there was high concentration of medical specialists in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, with the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital having a chunk of them. “The three northern regions have the least number of medical specialists with the Upper East Region being the most deprived,” Professor Felix Asante of the ISSR told the gathering at the 10th anniversary public lecture at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS). He said, for instance, that the Greater Accra Region could boast nine consultants, 205 specialists and 72 senior specialists, while the Upper East had, four specialists and two senior specialists without even a consultant. Doctor population On doctor population ratio, Prof. Asante said there had been a significant improvement in that direction for all the regions in the country with the exception of the three regions in the northern sector and attributed it to the continuous persistent refusal of doctors to be posted there. He said the doctor to population ratio fell from a high of 17,899 individuals to one doctor in 2005 to 10,034 individuals to one doctor in 2011 and attributed it to the increase in the production of doctors and a reduction in migration of doctors to the Western world.  Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons Professor Asante was happy that the postgraduate intake into the GCPS, including both membership and fellowship, had increased markedly from a total of 78 doctors in 2004 to 202 doctors by 2012, adding that 87 doctors were scheduled to graduate from the GCPS in 2013 in various areas of specialisation. He said the establishment of the GCPS appeared to have slowed down the medical brain drain in Ghana, as more and more doctors availed themselves of the local opportunities and said the college needed to be supported effectively in order to continue to be a strong incentive for the retention of doctors in the country, apart from helping to staff hospitals with the much needed specialists.  Solutions to emigrations Professor Asante suggested that in addressing the negative effects of health worker emigration there was the need for better health workforce retention, especially in rural and remote areas. “There is also the need for a stronger protection and fairer treatment of health workers, who may face difficult and often dangerous working conditions and poor pay,” he added.  Impact of the College  Speaking on the topic, “A decade of postgraduate specialist medical training in Ghana: Impact on the public health, the Omanhene of the Asokore Traditional Area, Nana Susubribi Dr S.K.B. Asante, said the impact of the college on health delivery had been significant, “and the Council Fellows and staff of the college deserve our deepest appreciation”. He said he was aware of the severe constraint the college faced in health delivery in the rural communities, explaining that formal medicine had to contend with pervasive supervision. Appreciation The Provost of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Professor Yao Tettey, who chaired the lecture, was grateful to the planning committee and the resource persons for accepting to present their papers. He urged fellows of the college to take note of the issues raised so that they could be discussed at various levels for solutions.  

  President John Dramani Mahama has commended the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church for its contribution to national development. In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Julius Debrah, at a thanksgiving service held in Accra to climax the 125th anniversary of the church, the President lauded the church’s role in education, health and social relief interventions through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). According to President Mahama, the SDA Church, through its activities, had brought relief to many afflicted people in various communities in the country.  “Indeed, the church is always with the people whenever help is needed,” he said.   He urged the church members to show brotherly love towards one another to ensure peaceful and harmonious co-existence in the country. The President pledged the government’s commitment to provide an enabling environment for the church to execute its mission in the interest of Ghanaians. The church service was attended by people from other religious groups in the country. Solidarity messages In a solidarity message, the religious bodies praised the SDA Church for its contributions to the development of the country, especially in the area of health care and education. They encouraged the church to not relent in its efforts at saving lives for Christ, particularly at a time when the country and the world were confronted with many socio-political and moral challenges. Speaking on the theme: “Proclaiming living the Christian life”, the Vice-President of the General Conference of SDA, Pastor Delbert Baker, urged the church to give thanks to God for how far He had brought the church. He encouraged the members to stand firm in the advent faith in times of hardship, saying, “God can take the problems and turn them into blessings.” Development projects Since its inception, the SDA Church has made numerous contributions to the development of the country in the areas of health care, education and social interventions. According to the President of the Ghana Union Conference of the SDA Church, Pastor Dr Samuel Adama Larmie,  the church currently had 675 basic schools, 14 senior high schools, one college of education, three nursing training schools and one university. He also stated that plans were far advanced to establish another college of education in the Agona area in the Central Region. In the area of healthcare delivery, he said the church, under the Adventist Health Service, had established 25 hospitals and clinics across the country. He said the church, for the past 30 years and through ADRA Ghana, had provided relief services for Ghanaians across the country. It had also been very active in the area of food security, improving the skills of farmers to increase food production and many other activities for the benefit of Ghanaians.   

The Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Mrs Patience Ashorkor Quaye, and the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) have been honoured by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for their contribution to the campaign against gender-based violence in the country. The honouring ceremony, which was held in Accra, formed part of activities marking this year’s 16 Days Activism Against Gender-based Violence. Speaking at the ceremony in Accra, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, said DOVVSU had recorded a high number of cases of sexual abuse, particularly defilement of girls.   Nana Lithur further stated that with the support of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and DOVVSU, awareness of gender-based violence had been created, leading to increased  reporting of those cases. She was optimistic that more could be achieved, especially now that several laws had been passed to protect women from the subtle forms of gender-based violence.  “I have high hopes that protecting the dignity of Ghanaian women and girls is getting even better as we continue to see improvement in your services through constant capacity building and legal intervention,” she said  According to her, “the relentless efforts made by our committed personnel in protecting our women, leading to invaluable outcomes, deserve to be acknowledged”. She pledged the ministry’s commitment to collaborate with the two units to champion the cause of women. In her remarks, Mrs Quaye said as the head of her unit, her ultimate concern was to give her best. She thanked the ministry for the honour done her and dedicated her award to the Ghana Police Service in general and the CID and staff of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in particular for their support. The National Co-ordinator of DOVVSU, ACP Elizabeth Dasseh, commended the ministry for establishing the unit.  She indicated that though her outfit was facing many infrastructural challenges, it was doing its best to ensure that domestic violence was eradicated. She congratulated her staff on their hard work, adding,“We could not have come this far without them.”

  The Textiles, Garments and Leader Employees Union (TEGLU) has expressed disappointment at what it calls the “unilateral decision” by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to suspend the operations of the National Anti-Textile Piracy Taskforce. It said without recourse to other stakeholders, a Deputy Minister, Mr Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, last Wednesday suspended the activities of the taskforce, a development which had emboldened “the perpetrators of the illicit trading activities”. A statement signed by the General Secretary of the Federation of Labour, Mr Abraham Koomson, said “As far as TEGLU is aware, there is no iota of truth in the allegations by the traders that the taskforce has been violent in the execution of its mandate.” The Ministry of Trade and Industries on Tuesday, December 3 suspended the operations of the Anti-Piracy Textile Taskforce to, according Mr Vanderpuije, allow for a meeting of all stakeholders to streamline its operation. Last Monday A day before the Ministry of Trade and Industries announced the suspension, the taskforce had confiscated 1,035 pieces of pirated textiles, made up of both fancy and wax prints, at the 31st December Market in Accra which it intended to destroy to serve as a deterrent to others. It took the action following threats by workers in the textile industry to go on a demonstration through some principal streets of Accra to draw public and the government’s attention to the impact of pirated imported textiles on the industry and their jobs. The taskforce was set up by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to clamp down on the activities of pirates and tax evaders of textiles. It comprises representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ghana Revenue Authority, textile manufacturing companies and the police.  Suspension The TEGLU said it was concerned about and committed to seeking the wellbeing of workers and the citizenry and, therefore, supported moves by the government to build a stronger economy to create jobs. However, the union said it abhorred “measures of government which subvert industrial growth and demonstrate complicity in criminal activities of traders”. Quoting portions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, the union stated that the law provided that the government of Ghana must protect intellectual property rights and create a congenial environment for manufacturing industries to grow and retain jobs. WTO rules Article 61 of the TRIPS agreement states: “Members shall provide for criminal procedures and penalties to be applied at least in cases of willful trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy on a commercial scale. Remedies available shall include imprisonment and or monetary fines sufficient to provide a deterrent, consistently with the level of penalties applied for crimes of a corresponding gravity. “In appropriate cases, remedies available shall also include the seizure, forfeiture and destruction of infringing goods and of any materials and implements the predominant use of which has been in the commission of the offence.”  

  The National President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), Mrs Shola Safo-Duodu, has urged organisations to make customer needs a priority in order to achieve success in their business. She said organisations needed to adopt strategies and approaches such as marketing orientation which sought to focus on discovering and meeting the needs and desires of customers.  “Organisations with marketing orientation recognise the importance of placing the needs of customers at the heart of their business and believe that identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements is the quickest and effective way of achieving their long term goals,” she stated. The ceremony Mrs Safo-Duodu was speaking at the CIMG’s 24th Annual Presidential Dinner Dance at the Accra International Conference Centre last Saturday. On the theme, “Marketing: Getting the board on board”, the Presidential Dinner Dance was the last public engagement that brought the CIMG’s activities of the year to a close. The ceremony was also used to induct new members into the institute and recognise candidates who graduated from the Executive School and the Ghana School of Marketing. Customers needs Mrs Safo-Duodu said recent research on small medium enterprises indicated that there was a positive relationship between placing customer needs first and various measures of organisational performance.  For instance, she said the marketing orientation when, adopted, would also define a way of conducting business in an environment which focused on the customer and the shareholder’s interest. Therefore, she urged business owners and board members to adopt a marketing orientation approach to enhance their businesses. Equal prominence  In addition, Mrs Safo-Duodu called on the board of directors and the executive management of companies to recognise that all levels and departments of organisations were equally important to ensure the success of a business. She indicated that the right board of directors with the right mix of experiences and expertise were also invaluable resources that provided the guidance needed to have an edge in the highly competitive local and global markets. “For marketers to succeed, they must also work co-operatively with the board to oversee the complexity of the function of an organisation and ensure that it continues in the best interest of stakeholders,” she stated. Mrs Safo-Duodu announced that the institute was no longer going to serve as a tuition centre for the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom because plans were ongoing to introduce a locally affiliated marketing qualification next year. The Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education, Professor Mahama Duwiejua, assured the institute of the council’s support to promote the ideas and enhance the opportunities to train and contribute towards nation building.  

  Jhpiego, an international non-profit health organisation and an affiliate of the John Hopkins University has presented 251 home visiting bags containing health kits to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), to be distributed to 197 community health volunteers and 54 community health officers in 25 CHPS zones in six coastal districts in the Western Region. The NGO, which is implementing a five-year Supportive Technical Assistance for Revitalising Community-based Health Planning and Services (STAR CHPS), is funded by the Jubilee Partners in collaboration with the GHS. According to Madam Joyce Ablordeppey, Senior Technical Advisor and Team Leader for the STAR CHPS project,  the mission of the programme was to strengthen communities and boost performance and efficiency at CHPS Zones in the coastal districts in the region to increase access to high quality primary healthcare to over a million residents. She said Jhpiego in 2011 received a grant from the Jubilee Partners to work over the next five years to increase access to quality Primary Health Care services in the six coastal districts by improving access to quality integrated health services through the STAR CHPS Project.  Madam Ablordeppey said currently Jhpiego was implementing a programme to reduce newborn mortality in Ghana with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  

  Over the years, efforts by most countries, including Ghana, to address high maternal and infant mortality rates as a step to meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Four and Five have yielded some results. Although Ghana has a high maternal mortality rate of 340 per 100,000 live births, there have been efforts to strengthen its healthcare system, with focus on making emergency obstetric care available to women to ensure that more women have supervised delivery and access to antenatal care, and improving immunisation targets to reduce preventable child deaths. However, the challenges of inadequate access to healthcare, institutional problems resulting from inadequate infrastructure and human resource;  institutional delays; and socio-cultural problems still undermine efforts to provide quality healthcare to women and children, particularly in the rural areas. According to the Vice President and General Manager, Philips Healthcare Africa, Mr Peter van de Ven, the company has launched a campaign known as the Fabric for Africa to promote strategic partnership with organisations, governments and relevant ministries to provide innovative solutions that can deal with the complexity of healthcare in Africa, adding that the increasing focus is on maternal and child health. Media Briefing Speaking at a regional media session with a group of six media representatives from Africa at the just-ended 99th Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) at the McCormick Place in Chicago in the US, he said presently in East and West Africa, Philips was taking a long-term approach aimed at fostering collaboration with local and international partners that have strong engagement in the issues of healthcare. Mr de Ven said the organisation was working with the Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria and Kenya governments to revitalise medical facilities and refurbish obstetric and newborn care units to make maternal health sustainable. Responding to a question as to whether Philips was making an impact in the areas mentioned, he said the company had a mission to grow in Africa and was also committed to continue collaborating with African governments to strengthen healthcare systems to meet the growing needs of the people, particularly those in the rural communities, to ensure that people have immediate access to healthcare in areas where they were located, to ease pressure on facilities in the urban centres. Philips in Africa He said Philips held a leading position in Africa, which he described as having the fastest growing market. He added that apart from its support to build medical facilities, the organisation also undertakes training programmes for healthcare staff in the use of ultrasound equipment and also trains clinical staff to develop an innovative approach to medical care to ensure that patients have access to the best possible care with the lowest possible cost. Mr de Ven said it was necessary to think of how to reduce mortality resulting from non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, stroke and hypertension, trauma and mother and child’s poor health and also use innovative technologies to develop a more patient-friendly approach to healthcare.  

After going through a 10-day intensive workshop designed to equip them with new techniques in fashion design and dressmaking, 20 fashion designers from the Afigya Kwabre district have graduated with an assurance to use their new  techniques and skills to improve their livelihood. The workshop, organised by the Afigya  Kwabre Business Advisory Centre (BAC) with financial support from the Rural Enterprise Programme (REP), saw the beneficiary fashion designers going through patterns, shapes, finishing, and traditional  and western designs. The beneficiaries, who can now design both African and Western styles for both males and females with finesse, are bubbling with confidence to use their newly acquired skills to expand their businesses. Ms Grace Afriyie, one of the beneficiaries, told the Daily Graphic  that the workshop had not only improved her technique in designing African wear, but had also improved her finishing style. “I am returning home full of confidence because with the skills acquired,  I will be able to provide the requisite service to my clients with the view to marketing my operations. Very soon, the people in my community will appreciate my handiwork, and will soon flood my shop with materials” she said. Ms Evelyn Donkor, another beneficiary, was sure of imparting the newly acquired skills to her apprentices as a way of winning more customers. Commending the Afigya Kwabre Business Advisory Centre(BAC) for their facilitation role, and the Rural Enterprises Programme for the financial support, in making it possible for them to acquire new techniques in fashion design, Ms Donkor  said  the skills and knowledge acquired would help the development of their businesses,  increase their income, create employment and improve their livelihoods. Addressing the graduands during the closing ceremony, the  Afigya Kwabre District head of BAC, Ms Marina Serwaah Kusi,  urged the beneficiaries to use their newly acquired skills to woo more customers. She also advised them to be more responsive to the needs of their clients by designing their materials on the scheduled time to win their confidence of the customers.

  A youth centre to empower young people to create positive social change that will help in the socio-economic advancement of the country has been inaugurated in Tamale. The centre, which is referred to as Global Platform (GP) was established through the collaborative efforts  of Action Aid Ghana (AAG) and Action Aid Denmark, both non-governmental organiations (NGOs). Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Board Chairperson of Action Aid Ghana, Madam Marilyn Aniwa, said there were other global platforms in Tanzania, Nepal, El Salvador, Jordan, Kenya and Myanmar where approximately 4,000 volunteers and professionals were trained every year. She said all the platforms were founded on experimental and participatory learning techniques that had evolved from the Danish folk high school system and Action Aid Denmark’s focus on empowerment and social change. “The global platforms create social change through training, capacity support, mentoring, networking, cultural exchange and incubation of young people with innovative ideas,” she added. She said the GP in Ghana would be more than just a training centre, as it would focus on girls and young people in AAG local rights programmes in the Northern, Upper East and West, Brong Ahafo, Volta and Greater Accra regions by creating spaces for innovation, solidarity, cultural exchange and growth in a myriad of ways. “The platform will also provide support for other civil society organisations, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and regional co-ordinating councils,” she added. The Deputy Country Director of AAG, Mr Yakubu Mohammed Sanni, said training at the global platforms were developed around topics such as governance, human rights, global citizenship, campaign management, youth mobilisation, social entrepreneurship, volunteerism, communication and new media tools, participatory techniques, project planning and many more. He said the global platforms aimed at being “social laboratories” where dynamic young people could explore and develop methods of changing their communities for the better. He said the platforms also sought to be a catalyst for social and political empowerment by inspiring young people to realise their ability to positively change their lives and those of the people in their communities. The Northern Regional Manager of AAG, Madam Esther Boateng, expressed her gratitude to all stakeholders who had played various roles to make the establishment of the centre a reality. She said what started as a dream between AAG and Action Aid Denmark to establish a world class training centre to empower young people had finally become a reality and expressed optimism that the centre would create the desired change in society.  

  The Ministry of  Fisheries and Aquaculture Development   is  developing a National Aquaculture  Guidelines  and Code of  Practice to  set minimum standards  for operators  in the aquaculture value chain and also prevent any possible negative impact of   aquaculture  on the environment . Part of the guidelines   will include the  minimum size of  fish to be sold as  fingerlings, minimum distances  between farms  to avoid  spread  of diseases and safeguard  investment  and  also ensure  minimum  amount  of  dust or smaller  particles  to be contained  in a fish feed.  The minister,Mr Nayon Bilijo, stressed that ‘in fact every aspect of fish farming would be comprehensively covered  in the guidelines  to help provide  good, safe ,hygienic  fish food for the populace’.   The Minister who  was addressing the first Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Aquaculture Association (GAA) at Akosombo, therefore, appealed to operators in the fish farming industry to comply  with the regulations of the implementing agencies. He explained that  destruction of  water bodies by galamsey operators  was of concern and, therefore,  would not encourage fish farmers to disobey the rules. Mr Bilijo announced that the implementing agencies include the  Fisheries Commission which would set the standards  required to make aquaculture sustainable  while  the Environmental Protection  Agency   would ensure  that the aquaculture  had no detrimental effect  on the environment.  He commended them for forming a unified front to fight for their needs  and called on them to continue to be together avoiding any splinter groups  Members  appealed to the  government to  commit funds to develop  marketing  systems and structures for  small and  big  producers  of  the industry . According to them, though the  Ghana National Aquaculture  Development  Plan (GNADP)  targets production of 100,000 metric tons of farmed fish  per annum , yet the industry in Ghana was able to produce  30,000 metric tons which they were not able to sell . The imported tilapia,  according to the fish farmers  were bigger in size and sold cheaply. The Chairman of the  Association , Mr Jacob Ainoo- Ansah,   attributed the  inability of members to sell  their fish to the influx of an alleged  cheap and seemingly bigger  tilapia into the country . He said ‘we are immediately concerned with illegal  importation of fish into the country’.   Mr Ainoo-Ansah,  therefore, called for support from the government to open up the industry to become competitive . A major producer of fish feed , Raanan Fish Feed Limited  organised a workshop for the  fish farmers  as part of the general meeting .  The  Commercial  Director  and Aquaculture expert  at the Raanan  Fish Feed Producers , Mr Jacques Magnee,  took members through  fish farm management  to achieve good quality fingerlings  and how they could  solve major challenges in the industry. Mr Magnee advised  the fish farmers to improve on performance to lower cost of production in order to be more competitive and rather increase production  and benefits.  

 A 27-year-old man, suspected to be a member of a group of land guards, who shot and killed a worker of Sally Properties has been arrested. The suspect, Daniel Adjei, attempted to flee with his colleagues but was arrested by the workers of Sally Properties, owners of the land. The body of the deceased, Sulley Amartey, 26, has since been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Freeman Tettey of the Public Affairs Department at the Police Headquarters told the Daily Graphic that the remaining suspects managed to run into the bush.  They are currently at large.  Adjei is said to be assisting the police to track down the other members of the group. Friday shooting incident  Amartey was killed by land guards, while five others sustained various bullet wounds.  Amartey was confirmed dead when he was rushed to the Amasaman Government Hospital. Those who were injured have been identified as Amartey Boiboi, Amarlai Amarkai, Musah Amartei, Ali Darku and Ottu Darku, who were treated and discharged. The deceased and the others were erecting pillars on a plot of land when land guards opened fire on them. According to the Managing Director of Salley Properties, Mr Ibrahim Salley, who led four of the five injured workers to the offices of the Daily Graphic, after an initial confrontation between his workers and about eight land guards who had arrived at his site on motorbikes, the latter left and later emerged from the bush to open fire on the workers.  The fifth injured person was said to be in critical condition and could not join the others to the offices of the Daily Graphic.  The genesis of the land issue Briefing the Daily Graphic, Mr Tettey said police investigations revealed that the said land had been a major bone of contention between Sally Properties and a man whose name was only given as TJ. He said in 1982, the chief and elders of Ayikai Doblo sold the 784-acre land to Sally Properties but one of their own family members, TJ, opposed the sale of the land. According to Mr Tettey, TJ started warning the management of Sally Properties not to step foot on the land, adding that the issue was taken to the Property Fraud Unit. He said after the unit had sat on the matter and came out with its findings, TJ was warned never to step foot on the land or he would face the law.  

An Accra-based businessman and philanthropist, Mr George Kwame Aboagye aka Oluwa, has donated 20 street light bulbs and their fittings worth GH¢5,000 to the people of Akyem Asene, near Oda, in the Eastern Region. Making the presentation at a ceremony at Asene, Mr Aboagye said his gesture was in response to an appeal made to him recently by the assembly member for Asene, Madam Janet Korankye. He urged the people of Asene not to hesitate to call on him whenever they needed assistance.  According to Mr Aboagye, he had constructed a concrete bridge for the Akyem Akroso community at a cost of GH¢45,000 to enable the people to move from the old to the new township and vice-versa. Mr Aboagye stated that he was constructing a modern computer centre for the Atweaman Senior High School (SHS) at Akyem Monso. Madam Korankye, who received the gift, praised the gesture of the donor.