Operations of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) took centre stage in the deliberations of Parliament on the 2014 budget estimates of the government machinery. Two ventures by SADA — the promotion of high-tech production of guinea fowls for local consumption and export; and the planting of five million trees in the three northern regions as well as parts of the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions — generated a lot of heat in the House. The Finance Committee of Parliament stated in its report that SADA entered into a joint venture agreement with the Asongtaba Cottage Industries to promote high-tech guinea fowl rearing. While SADA contributed GHC12 million towards the project and an additional GHC3 million to promote out-grower schemes in the SADA zones, Asongtaba contributed GH¢15 million. The committee stated that progress had been made in the construction of ultra-modern facilities that would promote an out-grower guinea fowl scheme with the potential to create employment for 10,000 farm families. On the tree planting scheme, the committee said the programme ran into challenges due to the long dry season and bush fires. But the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, said even though the idea to produce high-tech guinea fowls on a commercial basis was laudable, its implementation left much to be desired. But some Majority MPs, particularly Mr Alban Bagbin (Nadowli-Kaleo) and Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan (Mion), said since guinea fowls were delicate birds, they required a conducive atmosphere to survive, hence the investment in infrastructure. On the tree planting venture, Mr Nitiwul said whoever took the decision to plant the trees during the dry season had done a disservice to the country. "It was intentional for those who planted the trees to do so during the dry season, so that they will die," he said. But when he was unable to show evidence that those who planted the three did so during the dry season in order to kill the plants, the Speaker, Mr Edward Adjaho, prevailed on him to withdraw that aspect of his submission.   National Pension Regulatory Authority The Finance Committee reported to the House that the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRC) had so far engaged 11 private pension fund managers and registered 50 trustees to help manage contributions of workers to the Second Tier Occupational Pension Scheme. The second tier Private Pension Fund has grown significantly, with total assert value of GHC1.179 billion. But the Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, raised issues with the management of the fund and called for transparency. Dr Akoto Osei called for measures to invite officials of SSNIT, the NPRA and the BoG to Parliament to answer questions relating to the fund. The Majority Leader, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, promised that efforts would be made to ensure that officials of the three institutions appeared before the committee to give further explanations to issues raised on the floor of the House.   Other issues The Minority also raised issues with an amount of GHC600,000 that has been earmarked in the budget of the Government Machinery for the Brand Ghana Office. Dr Akoto Osei argued that since the office was not created by Parliament and operated as a non-governmental organisation, it was not proper for the House to approve the amount.

 Seventy-two youth at Agbogbloshie, a neigbourhood in Accra, have received training in employable skills to better their lives. The youth received three month training in computing, tie-dye, bead making, dressmaking, liquid soap making and hairdressing. The hairdressers went through 11 months of intensive training. The programme was organised by the Self-Help Initiative Support Services (SISS), a non-governmental organisation responsible for the training of the youth in the area. Speaking at the ceremony, the Project Manager of SISS, Mr Yaw Asante, indicated that the beneficiaries received training in other fields such as savings, hygiene and sanitation, civic rights and responsibilities.   Beneficiaries receive free training He said SISS, over the years, received funding from Comic Relief in the UK, hence the free training for the youth. While expressing appreciation to the donors, he  called on them to do more so that it could expand the initiative to all the regions in the country. To help beneficiaries start up their own businesses, Mr Asante disclosed that the trainees would benefit from flexible loans from SISS. He said he was optimistic that the beneficiaries could do well on the job market. Mr Asante encouraged the trainees to be ambassadors of their communities wherever they found themselves.    Beneficiaries advised  The head pastor of the Hope Community Chapel and Orphanage, Rev. Randolph Ashlley, advised the youth to eschew laziness, pride and arrogance and challenged them to be positive thinkers and prepared to make a change in the country. He further charged them to save towards the future to avoid being dependent on society, adding that “society must benefit from you.”  The trainees were awarded certificates of participation. Eight of them received special awards for outstanding performance.

The Ghana National College of Physicians and Surgeons has recognised and honoured three scholars as honorary fellows for their outstanding contribution to medical education research, especially at the postgraduate level. They are Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, Professor Dr Rolf Horstmann and Professor Aaron Lawson. Another group of physicians also received recognition for meritorious, outstanding and distinguished service to the college at an awards dinner organised later in the day to climax the 10th anniversary celebration of the college. In an address, the Rector of the College, Professor David Ofori-Adjei, expressed the hope that the new fellows and members would carry out their professional responsibilities in a manner that would enhance the image of the college and abide by the tenets of the pledge they have taken. He said the college, since its inception, has enrolled 1,018 residents into membership training and 174 in fellowship training and, so far, 438 have been awarded membership qualification and another 15 fellowship qualification.   Challenges in attracting specialists According to Prof. Ofori-Adjei, the college continues to have challenges in attracting residents into specialties such as Anaesthesia, Family Medicine, Laboratory Medicine, Psychiatry, among others, and added that the college would continue to pursue avenues to enhance interest in these specialties and improve on the mix of specialists. Professor Ofori-Adjei asserted that it was important for the health sector to strengthen its human resource database to allow for prompt tracking of specialists and other health personnel for healthcare planning and training purposes. He announced that the college had obtained data on projected graduate output for the next five years from all the medical and dental schools in the country.   Medical institutions in districts The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, Mr P. V. Obeng, who represented President John Mahama, announced that government was considering putting up medical institutions in the various districts to provide easy access to the increasing demand for quality healthcare delivery. He said effective modern methods in healthcare delivery would also be provided in the districts, and urged the doctors to expand the scope of monitoring to encourage more investors to the health sector. He said the, government alone could not fund all health activities and called for public private partnership in the sector in order for the country to meet the health needs of the people.

 A Japanese company, Toyota Housing Corporation, is to construct a $25-million fabricating factory in Tema which will form the basis for the construction of the 200 senior high schools announced by the government. Currently, a team of technical experts is in the country to conduct feasibility study of local materials available, their specification and pricing. That came to light when members of the team called on their Ghanaian counterparts, Ghana Japan Oil  (GJO), in Accra last Wednesday. Japanese technical experts The study is the third in a series of visits to Ghana by the Japanese technical experts on behalf of Ghana Japan Oil’s interest in the construction of several significant infrastructural projects in the country. Briefing journalists, the Managing Director of Ghana Japan Oil, Mr Leslie Tamakloe, said the team would visit several Ghanaian construction/building material factories, fabricators and suppliers of cement, steel, and concrete blocks among others.   Construction of schools under trees He said the team would also visit a couple of basic schools, particularly “schools under trees”, and community senior high schools in the sub-urban areas of Accra. “The visit will inform the conclusion of GJO’s infrastructural development proposals to the government for the delivery of very high quality, modern, internationally rated infrastructure initially for primary and high schools for the renaissance of the country’s development,” he said.   Training of local technicians Mr Tamakloe announced the training of a new breed of building technicians and engineers in collaboration with several polytechnics in the country and Japan and also support the training of selected local Ghanaian contractors who had the skill in the use of rapid construction technologies. The technology, he noted, would see the construction time per school decrease to a couple of months, fully equipped and turnkey.   Fully equipped schools “Each school is proposed to have the full complement of fully equipped science and computer laboratories, vocational training centre, canteen, library, dispensary and multipurpose auditorium, with full accommodation for teachers as flats and bungalows for heads of institution,” Mr Tamakloe said. Due diligence The Manager Planning Group, Special Project Division of Toyota Housing Corporation, Mr Shinji Tajima, who led the Japanese, gave the assurance that due diligence would be done to ensure that quality work was delivered.

 A retired Supreme Court judge, Mr Justice Stephen A. Brobbey, has suggested a comprehensive judicial training for traditional rulers to enable them to properly handle arbitrations in their areas of jurisdictions. He also called for the modernisation of traditions and customs to conform to present-day societal needs. Those measures, he stated, would help advance society’s cause. Mr Justice Brobbey made the remarks when he delivered a lecture to mark the 2013 Akwantukese Festival of the chiefs and people of New Juaben at Koforidua yesterday. The Akwantukese Festival is to commemorate the migration of the people from Juaben in Asante to New Juaben in the 1870s. According to Justice Brobbey, changes in society, as a result of modernisation, demanded that traditional rulers must be educated and trained in judicial matters because apart from the courts, they also arbitrated on issues brought before them in their respective palaces and also served on public boards. Speaking on the topic, “Evolution of Chieftaincy in Ghana: Harmonising Tradition,” he said although he was not of the view that the qualification for the installation of a chief should be solely based on education, it was ideal that prospective chiefs must be educated to be able to lead their people.   “Traditional rulers, apart from presiding over the adjudication of cases, also serve on public boards, with English as the medium of expression, and how do you expect a stark illiterate chief, who is only abreast of traditional norms in his area, to adjudicate cases and contribute during board meetings?” Justice Brobbey questioned.   Installation  Concerning the making of a chief, Justice Brobbey said although every  society had its own rules, eligible candidates should be competent and financially sound, since they would be catering for those in their palaces, as well as their families; otherwise, they would be tempted to do what was not expected of them such as selling stool lands or paraphernalia to meet such obligations. “Modern life demands that a chief dresses well to appear in public, accompanied by his entourage who must be fed and transported at his expense, and how does he do all these without the necessary funds?” Justice Brobbey asked.   ‘Kasapreko’ With regards to the traditional concept that no one should speak after a chief had spoken, he said although there were no built-in procedures for corrections after the chief had spoken, that might not apply to areas where decisions had been taken after committee meetings and elders had carefully dealt with the issues before the chief was asked  to make the ultimate pronouncement which reflected the decision of the majority.   Abolition of chieftancy  Touching on the abolition of chieftancy as perceived by a section of the public on the grounds that it had become anachronistic, Justice Brobbey expressed a dissenting view, with the explanation that its establishment had been guaranteed and entrenched in the 1992 Constitution and, therefore, would be difficult for an individual to advocate such a move.   Akwantukese  Earlier, the Omanhene of New Juaben, Daasebre (Prof) Oti Boateng, in his welcome address, said the Akwantukese Festival, as had been continuously celebrated over the years, is aimed at promoting the socio-economic development of the community by educating the youth on their origin, traditions and customs, as well as serving as a tourist attraction for people all over the world.   Unity Apart from that, Daasebre Oti Boateng said the festival had also reinforced unity between Asante and New Juaben. He called on traditional rulers to work together in the traditional councils, regional and national houses of chiefs to address chieftancy problems for peace and tranquility.

 A six-week training workshop on information and communication technology (ICT) has been held for 40 members of the Wood Cluster Initiative in Kumasi and its environs. The participants were taken through lessons in the various microsoft programmes, how to use Auto CAD to design furniture, internet usage and e-commerce among other topics. The Wood Cluster Initiative is a collection of small and medium scale furniture and wood working firms in and around Kumasi. The training, sponsored by the Council of Technical Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), was aimed at developing and enhancing the growth of the member companies through innovation and capacity building in order to make them more efficient. A functional workshop website for the members under the cluster was developed where information on the various members and their products will be  posted. Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Mankrado of Tutu-Akwapim, Nana Ohene Wumtumi II, who was the chairman of the function commended COTVET for recognising the need to upgrade the skills of the artisans on ICT training to enhance their operations. He challenged the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to consider giving contracts relating to wood works to the wood artisans in their various districts to create jobs for the carpenters and other artisans. This, according to him, would help reduce poverty in the various districts. Nana Wumtumi II who is also a member of the Forestry Commission said with the current competitive nature of the global market, there was the need for businesses to be able to network with the appropriate people or stakeholders who could help in the development or marketing of their products  He expressed the hope that the participants would be able to make good use of the new skills they had acquired to make them more efficient and more competitive to eliminate the cheap Chinese wood products from the Ghanaian market. “Take advantage of the new skills to enhance your designing and construction skills to produce the best of products to beat your competitors in the market”. He said. The participants were presented with certificates, 20 laptops and 20 desktop computers to enhance their operations at their various institutions. Each of the computers was installed with Auto CAD and other software’s to facilitate their operations in the designing of furniture and other wood products.

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has instituted a ‘Clean Tema Agenda’ and set aside  December 21, 2013 to engage residents in a massive clean-up exercise  to restore Tema to its planned status.  As part of the  exercise a landscaping and  clearing of the central business area at Community One has started. Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview at the work site, the Public Relations Officer of the assembly, Mr Frank Asante,  noted that  the work was being undertaken by workers of the assembly’s works department  .  He explained that the Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten,  had set an agenda to ensure that work that could be done by the department would not be given on contract  to save money for the  assembly . Mr Asante said the clean Tema agenda  would  ensure  environmental cleanliness  and removal of  illegal structures . He said an information van had started  with announcements to  inform  residents of the programmes of the assembly . Mr Asante  stated that as part of the exercise,  all unsightly and illegal structures,  as well as garbage would be evacuated  throughout the metropolis . He noted that the assembly would ensure a regular clean-up  campaign in the metropolis.  Earlier at a meeting with management staff of the assembly,  Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten,  urged them to set good examples  to be emulated by the public . Mr Odamtten  called on them to support the  new initiatives   and work hard to meet  the objectives  set to clean Tema . He was  optimistic that  with their initiatives and hard work ,the assembly and Tema  would have its  past glory restored. He was of the view that  the programme would help residents to celebrate  the festive period in a rejuvenated  environment. 

The 32-year-old worker of Stanbic Bank, who was found dead in her kitchen about three weeks ago, will be laid to rest today at the Osu Cemetery. Family members, friends and sympathisers will gather at the family house of Ms Rosemond Nyampong at Ofankor in Accra for the final funeral rites. Ms Nyampong was murdered in her house at Baatsona on Thursday, November 21, this year. A programme line-up indicates that the body of the deceased would be laid in state at the Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC), Dominion Centre, where she worshipped. The final funeral rites will be followed by a memorial thanksgiving service on Sunday December 15, 2013.   Pool of blood Ms Nyampong’s family members had found her dead in a pool of blood in her kitchen on November 21, 2013 after they had reported to the police that she had gone missing for a while. Before her death, Ms Nyampong, who was a disbursement officer at the head office of the Stanbic Bank, was reported to have gone to work on November 20, 2013 and closed at 5:30 p.m.   Arrest of suspect  A suspect, Abraham Baah Kwame Oyortey, has been arrested at his hideout at Krobo Odumase in the Eastern Region and remanded in prison custody on a provisional charge of murder. He would reappear before the court on December 21, 2013. The police found in the possession of the suspect Ms Nyampong’s vehicle, a television set, a DVD player, a sound system and three speakers. The court heard that the suspect upon interrogation gave the names of his accomplices only as Emmanuel and Kofi. He told the police that it was his accomplices who allegedly robbed and murdered Ms Nyampong and later handed her vehicle and the other items to him. An autopsy report from the Police Hospital in Accra indicated that she had been strangulated.   Suspect  According to a family member, the key suspect who has been arrested by the police is the son of the owner of a shop located in front of the house of the deceased.   The suspect, a 25-year-old welder, lived with his father about three blocks from the apartment of the deceased but was arrested by the police in his home town, Krobo Odumase, in the Eastern Region, where he had gone into hiding. A visit to the house of the deceased, located at Kotobabi Number 2, Lashibi, near Baastona in Accra, showed that a drinking spot with the name “To be a man” was attached to the concrete wall in front of the apartment.  The suspect was said to be assisting his father in the business. The owner of the house of the deceased was said to have kicked against the idea of operating a drinking spot at the frontage of the apartment, but Ms Nyampong allegedly defied the landlord’s advice and allowed the father of the suspect to use the place for his business. The uncle of Ms Nyampong, Mr Sampson Nyampong, said the deceased allowed the drinking spot in front of her house “with the idea that the operators could keep an eye on her place.”   How criminal gained access  According to a police source, the killer might have used a wooden ladder from a church building, which was under construction next door, to gain access to the house of Ms Nyampong who lived alone. The Head of the Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DSP Handson Hove, who inspected the crime scene, explained that the killer, with the help of the ladder, climbed the wall and landed on a mini-sized water storage facility in the house. The cover of a rubber bowl filled with water was found broken beside the water tank, and it is believed that the killer might have stepped on it while jumping down. There were also blood stains at some portions of the compound which the police traced to the kitchen, where Ms Nyampong’s body was found. The police suspect the body was dragged from the compound to the kitchen. “If she was killed by more than one person, her body would not have been dragged,” one police officer observed. An emotional Mr Nyampong observed that the death of Ms Nyampong, who was the first of five children, was a blow to the family. He described Ms Nyampong as an outspoken young lady who was frank but very disciplined and hardworking. Ms Nyampong, he said, took up the role of catering for her mother and other siblings when her father died six months ago.   Mood at Stanbic Bank  At the head office of Stanbic Bank, where Ms Nyampong until her death worked as a disbursement officer, the mood was somber even though workers went about their duties. Mr Mawuko Afadzinu, Head of Marketing and Communications of Stanbic Bank, said “if you lose a colleague in a normal circumstance you are sad. But this extremely unfortunate incident makes it worst.” He described the late Ms Nyampong as a diligent person who reported to work on time. The Communications Director said workers at Stanbic bank saw themselves as a family, adding that “the horrific passing of a family member makes it even more difficult for us”. He added that the incident had affected the workers emotionally and physically, but added that the company was supporting them through its internal support mechanism.   Friends on Facebook  Some friends of the deceased had taken to social media platforms to express their sympathies. “What a friend and sister she was. I cannot understand why death can be so cruel and go as far as laying its icy hands on queens like this. May your soul rest in peace Rosemond Nyampong” wrote Phylicia Ampadu. Another friend, Bigilzz Naana Agyekum wrote: “Rosemond Nyampong was murdered. There shall be no peace for the wicked. R.I.P.”  A Ghanaian living in London, United Kingdom, had replaced his Facebook profile picture with that of Ms Nyampong. “Your departure is untimely and cruel...RIP,” said Obboh Simon Eric on Ms Nyampong’s facebook page. Another friend, Mavis Agbakli Mawuse,  wrote, “I don’t even know what to say, Rest in peace, Rose.” Ama Kesewa Ofori said “My classmate, what happened to her and when did this happen? I can't believe she is gone too soon. May her soul rest in perfect peace.”

 Organised labour has asked the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to, as a matter of urgency, put a freeze on all negotiations for the takeover of the Merchant Bank. At a news conference in Accra yesterday, organised labour said its different constituents were of the view that it would be prudent for the SSNIT Board and the BoG to suspend the sale of the bank to allow for further investigations into the matter. Organised labour comprises representatives of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG), the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHPA) and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).   Seven-point statement The sale of Merchant Bank to the Fortiz Equity Fund has been embroiled in controversy and series of debates in the media and Parliament.  The group presented a seven-point statement outlining its reasons for the suspension of the sale of the bank to Fortiz. Signatories to the statement were Mr Kofi Asamoah for the TUC; Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusa — General Secretary (GNAT); Mr Eric Carbonu — Vice President (NAGRAT); Mr Felix Eddie Quansah  — National Treasurer (JUSSAG); Mr Stephen Corquaye — National Chairman (GHPA), and Dr Justice Yankson — Deputy General Secretary (GMA). Mr Asamoah is the Spokesperson for organised labour and Secretary General of the TUC, who read the statement, which was signed by the leadership of all the six groups represented at the event, said the demand for the suspension of the deal should be treated with the seriousness it deserved.  However, he would not give a definite timeline for its demand to be met. He did not state either what line of action organised labour would take if its demands were not met. According to Mr Asamoah, the organised labour had not received any communication to the effect that Merchant Bank had been sold to Fortiz. “The BoG will have to do exhaustive due diligence on the whole process,” he said.   Demands Mr Asamoah said the request being made by organised labour was without prejudice to the legal suit currently before the courts. “In the interim, we believe Merchant Bank has a potential to recover from its current distressed position. SSNIT should, therefore, make the necessary arrangements to recapitalise and restructure the bank’s management in particular to ensure its viability,” he said. After putting a freeze on the sale, the group asked that all efforts be made by Merchant Bank to recover all its outstanding loans. “We strongly believe that if these measures are taken, workers’ uproar and the public agitation over the transaction will be minimised and calm restored. Merchant Bank will be in a position to recover,” he stated. Organised labour also called for the identity and sources of funding of Fortiz, which has indicated its desire to buy the ailing bank.    Promise The group promised workers of Merchant Bank that their interests would be protected and their rights fully respected. Organised labour also promised contributors of SSNIT that their interests would be protected at all times and that any attempt to jeopardise the viability and sustainability of SSNIT and pension funds in general would be vehemently resisted. Writer’s email: [email protected]