The Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) has forwarded a resolution by 40 journalists who attended a day’s seminar on GMOs to Parliament on the need to delay the passage of the Plant Breeders’ Bill. The journalists urged the parliamentarians to thoroughly debate the bill before passing it into law.   Appeal to parliamentarians They appealed to the parliamentarians not to rush the debate on the bill, expressing their belief that “further engagement of all stakeholders will enhance the outcome of the debate in the House and the final legislation will address the fears and anxiety of all Ghanaians.” Seminar on GMOs The journalists were part of media practitioners who attended a day’s seminar, organised by the GCGL  and the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD). The seminar sought to equip the journalists with ample knowledge on GMOs and the Plant Breeders’ Bill to enable them to do in-depth write- ups on the topic. The resource persons took the journalists through the benefits and the risks associated with the GMOs, and the Plant Breeders’ Bill, which is currently before Parliament for consideration and its implications if passed into law. Need for thorough debate The journalists said many Ghanaians were uncertain about the relationship between the passage of the bill and the introduction of GMOs in the country. They said all Ghanaians must subject the bill and issues concerning GMOs to further interrogation so that Ghanaians would make the best choice.  Concerns of PUSAG In a related development, the Private Universities Students’ Association of Ghana (PUSAG) has also called on Parliament to vote out the Plant Breeders’ Bill. It further advised Ghanaians to reject any attempt by any group of people to adopt GMO foods, which would be propagated in the unlikelihood event of parliament approving the bill. These were contained in a statement jointly signed by Benjamin Panlogo-Logodam and Raphael Apetorgbor, the National President and National Media Relations Officer respectively of PUSAG. The Plant Breeders’ Bill and its implications The statement cautioned that the passage of the Plant Breeders’ Bill would allow the importation and exportation of genetically engineered or genetically modified seeds. The bill is yet to be p[assed  by Parliament. It said among others that the passage of the bill would be detriment to national development and would ultimately surrender the economy to the multinational companies.  The statement said GM seeds are contract barring seeds, meaning that farmers cannot replant from the same seeds they have used but would have tocontinue to buy from the seed companies.  “This would cause more hardship to our farmers and also cause the devaluation of our cedi,” the statement said. It contended that assenting to the plant breeders’ bill would be closely associated with the Bond of 1844, paving up way for neo-colonialism.

The General Manager of Kubator Labs Company, Dave Nii Danso, has been remanded in police custody by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing GH¢750,000 from the vault of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB). Danso is said to have fraudulently transferred GH¢750,000 from the vault of the GCB into the accounts of three of his employees and succeeded in cashing GH¢51,000 through one of the accounts. He was charged with conspiracy to steal and stealing. Danso pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the court. He is to reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, on February 5, 2014. Danso’s arrest brings to two the number of persons arrested and remanded in police custody in connection with the fraudulent money transfer from the GCB’s vault.  Facts Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) A. Dery, said the accused person was the General Manager of Kubator Labs Company, a computer software development firm. He said in December, 2013, the accused requested three of his employees to give him their GCB account details for him to transfer some money into them and the employees complied. On December 20, 2013, GH¢250,000 was transferred into the three accounts and Danso requested the account owners to cash the money for him. One of them cashed GH¢51,000 over the counter and from an automated teller machine (ATM) for the accused person. The GCB later realised that the money had fraudulently been transferred into those accounts. The account owners were arrested when they attempted to cash some money from their accounts. DSP Dery said investigations led to the arrest of Danso, who admitted having received GH¢51,000 from one of his employees. Upon interrogation, Danso mentioned one Fred Humphrey, a Nigerian, as the one who transferred the money into the three accounts.  Background The GCB has been faced with the fraudulent wiring of huge sums of money from its vault into private accounts in recent times. About two weeks ago, a national service person was arrested for allegedly wiring huge sums of money from the GCB’s vault into some private accounts. Writer’s email: [email protected]

Five envoys Tuesday presented their letters of credence to President John Dramani Mahama at the Flagstaff House and pledged to promote co-operation between their respective countries and Ghana. They are the German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr John Rudiger; the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Jean Aarie Speich; the Ambassador-designate Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mali, Mrs Konandji Aissata Coulibaly; the Jamaican High Commissioner to Ghana, Madam Lylen Ann Marie Scott, and the Ambassador of Vietnam, Mr Hoang Ngoc Ho. Welcoming the envoys, President Mahama commended them for their appointment and urged them to work hard at achieving their objectives. Germany On Germany, the President said the long relationship between Ghana and Germany had grown over the years, saying Germany was now one of Ghana’s strongest allies in terms of development support. In their various responses, the heads of missions praised Ghana for the strides it had made in its development, as well as its hospitality. They pledged to promote co-operation between their countries and Ghana. {gallery}ambassadorletters{/gallery}

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UT Holdings Limited, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, and a lawyer suffered a setback at the Circuit Court in Accra yesterday when the court ordered them to open their defence in a fraud case brought against them by the state. Dismissing a submission of ‘no case’ filed on their behalf by their lawyers, the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the two to warrant them to open their defence. They are, therefore, expected to open their defence on February 11, 2014. The two left the court premises in low spirits, while the complainant looked elated. The Offences Amoabeng has been accused of releasing title deed documents of the complainant, Naa Otuah Sawyne, which were in the custody of his bank to one Alexander Adjei, now deceased, to secure a loan of GH¢1,279,000 from the HFC Bank. His accomplice, John Aidoo, is also alleged to have altered the title deeds of the complainant to reflect Adjei’s name without recourse to the complainant. Amoabeng has pleaded not guilty to one count of fraud, while Aidoo has pleaded not guilty to one count of abetment of crime.  Both have been admitted to bail. The prosecution called five witnesses who testified against the two accused persons but the two filed submissions of ‘no case’ after the prosecution had closed its case. They had argued that the prosecution had failed to prove their guilt and for that reason the court must set them free. Open your defence Giving reasons for dismissing the submissions of ‘no case’, the court held that the prosecution was able to establish that the documents Adjei used in securing the loan at the HFC Bank did, indeed, belong to the complainant. The court held that the prosecution was also able to establish that Amoabeng wrote to the State Housing Company (SHC) requesting the SHC to transfer the documents into the name of Adjei without the consent of the complainant. It further ruled that the prosecution was able to prove that Amoabeng gave the document to Adjei to secure a loan at the HFC Bank without the complainant’s permission. Evidence against lawyer The court said Aidoo, who was the Solicitor Secretary of SHC at the time of the commission of the offence, knew that the complainant had not given her consent for her documents to be used as collateral for Adjei but he still went ahead to give approval for the document to be altered to bear the name of Adjei. Based on those pieces of evidence adduced by the prosecution, the court held an overall view that the accused persons needed to open their defence to state their side of the story. Facts of the case A Deputy Superintendent of Police, Aidan Dery, prosecuted the case. According to the facts of the case, as presented by the prosecution, Ms Sawyne is a novelist residing at Dansoman in Accra. In October 2005, the complainant decided to sell her house at Number 23 Ringway Estate in Accra and thus entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Adjei. Per the agreement, the complainant and Adjei agreed on $280,000 as the purchase price, which was to be paid in three instalments in October, November and December 2005. Adjei paid $100,000 on October 14, 2005, as agreed, but failed to pay the remaining amount. The prosecution said the complainant was billed to travel to the UK and for that reason she borrowed GH¢25,000 from UT Financial Services and used the title deed of her house as collateral. As part of the loan agreement, the complainant prepared and signed a deed of assignment conditionally in respect of sale transaction with the understanding that the final transaction would be witnessed by her lawyer, Martin Nwousu, and handed over to the buyer upon full payment of the purchase price. “Closed-door” transactions However, on May 22, 2006, Adjei allegedly used the complainant’s title deed, which was then in the custody of Amoabeng, to obtain a loan facility from the HFC Bank. On September 27, 2007, the prosecution indicated, Amoabeng, without recourse to the complainant, allegedly wrote a letter to the SHC informing it that Adjei had purchased the complainant’s house and, therefore, asked SHC to assign the property to Adjei. According to the prosecution, Aidoo, then the Solicitor Secretary of SHC, having records that the complainant owned the property in question, signed a letter of consent and gave consent to mortgage property on July 23, 2009, an act which he (Aidoo) had no capacity to carry out. Writer’s email: [email protected].

Cocoa farmers in the Gwira Traditional Area in the Western Region have expressed their displeasure at a move to cut down their cocoa tress to pave way for gold mining. They contended that cocoa farming had been the major vocation they inherited from their ancestors which had helped them feed themselves and their children over a century and it would be unwise to trade it for gold.  The spokesperson for the farmers, Opanyin Cephas Kwame, said the amount of compensation being paid per cocoa tree was woefully inadequate. The farmers expressed these sentiments at a public forum organised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for West Star Mining and Blue River Mining companies. The assessment forms part of the process of the proposed lower Ankobra basin alluvial gold mining project. Opanyin Kwame suggested that instead of the two companies paying a meagre one-off compensation to the farmers, they should rather pay the farmer every month till the land was reclaimed and returned to the farmer. He wanted to know what he would be doing (at his age) if today he was paid a meagre one-off payment and in future he wallowed in abysmal poverty, while the gates of the mining company would be shut to the farmers. According to him, the one-off payment that would be given to farmers was not enough to assist them acquire the same size of land elsewhere. Besides, there would be no money left to cultivate the new land to the stage it had reached now. He said it would be wrong for the mining companies to destroy their lifetime investment passed on to them from generation to generation. For his part, the Managing Director of the two mining companies, Mr Simon Enison, acknowledged the concerns raised by the farmers and assured that the company would ensure them the farmers did not lose their source of livelihood completely. He said the compensation package would be such that the farmers could have an alternative and sustainable source of livelihood despite losing the cocoa farm. An official of the EPA indicated that West Star Mining Company Limited and Blue River Mining Company Limited would limit land clearing to the immediate mining site and that future mining sites would not be cleared. The consultant to the companies, Mr Bright Afum of the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT), said the companies were prepared to pay compensation to all the farmers who would be affected by the exercise. He said the company would establish an alternative and sustainable livelihood programme that would support the farmers in the catchments areas where the company would operate, adding that special attention would be given to the farmers whose lands fell within the concession zone allocated to the mining companies. Mr Afum said a committee would be established to draw up a comprehensive compensation package, which would be 10 per cent more than the compensation package that was demanded by the government to be given to the affected communities. According to him, a Corporate Social Agreement (CSA)  would also be signed between the company and the traditional area.  The CSA would include an educational fund, health fund, employment quota, among others.

The people of Prestea Tuesday protested against what they described as the deplorable state of the town and worsening economic conditions. Led by the chief of the town, Nana Nteboah Pra IV, the residents hit the streets of the town, wearing red armbands and carrying placards with various inscriptions which summed up some of their worries. Some of the placards read: “Surface mining will kill us”, “What are you doing with our mines, Mahama?”, “Prestea is not Afghanistan”, “Bring back processing mining plant”, Prestea Boys abre”, “Prestea-Himan deserves better roads” and “Himan-Prestea, Yempenee ooo!’’ According to the demonstrators, the bad roads, the wanton use of military personnel to harass residents, poor conditions of the Prestea underground mine and unemployment were making life unbearable for them. Grievances The demonstrators said the town had been abandoned by succeeding governments, resulting in its deplorable state. They also cited the failure of Golden Star Resources Limited to reopen the underground mine which it had closed for maintenance for almost 12 years. They said the once-vibrant Prestea had now become a ghost town due to the inactivity of the underground mine and its deteriorating infrastructure. After the demonstration, the protestors, through Nana Pra, submitted a petition to President John Mahama through the District Chief Executive, Mr Wisdom Cudjoe. One of the demonstrators, Mr Shaibu Demo, said 12 years of the closure of the underground mine was enough to elicit the government's intervention. He said the closure of the mine had rendered more than 5,000 people unemployed, making them and their families wallow in poverty. A visibly angry woman, who gave her name only as Maame Abena, called for the immediate reopening of the mine. "If Golden Star Resources cannot reopen the underground mine, the government should take it back and hand it over to another company to employ our men," she said. Nana Pra asked for the immediate rehabilitation of roads in the area and the reactivation of the Prestea underground mine to provide employment and livelihood for the people. The DCE Mr Cudjoe promised to submit the petition to the Presidency. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea-Huni Valley, Mr Francis  Adu Blay–Koffie, commended the demonstrators for the disciplined and peaceful manner in which they conducted themselves during the demonstration.

Jislah Financial Services, a leading non-bank financial institution in the country, has held its annual 'Kick-start Breakfast Meeting' in Accra, amid thanksgiving for a successful business year in 2013. The meeting, the fourth of its kind, is a platform where the company assembles its staff, clients and partner bodies, including banks, to thank God for His mercies throughout the previous year and to usher in the new business year. It is also a way for the company to show appreciation to its clients for their loyalty in the previous year, and to rally them into the New Year in oneness and dedication. In his welcome address, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of JISLAH, Mr Kofi Polley, acknowledged the strides the company made in 2013 and paid glowing tribute to the invaluable contributions made by the staff and clients. "We, as management, use this occasion to say a big thank you to all our clients, partners and staff for your dedication and loyalty in a very successful business year," he said. He said the company was committed to offering "excellent short-term bridge financing and investment opportunities to individuals and institutions, as well as maximise stakeholders’ interests.  Mr Polley gave thanks to God for a successful year (2013) and called on the company's clients and partners to "prepare yourselves to be challenged, excited and inspired" in 2014. The Chief Executive Officer of Jislah, Mr Emmanuel T. Obeng, noted the importance of the event on the company’s calendar, stressing that it accorded management the opportunity to meet Jislah’s partners and join hands to express gratitude to God for a good year and ask for His guidance as the new year begins. “2013 was, indeed, great for Jislah as the company’s provisional profit for the year was more than double that of 2012. Thanks to Mr Polley, and Senior Treasury Manager, Mr Kofi Apatu, who joined our group with rich experience, as we seek to continue to employ highly skilled persons to enrich our company,” he said. The three branches of the company (Makola, Tema and Takoradi), he announced, were made business units with fully engaged managers and resources from their former status as customer centres.  Jislah Financial Services, Mr Obeng reiterated, had a focus on creating opportunities for its partners to see growth in their business and “having maintained our membership of Ghana Club 100, we will not renege on such promise to uphold our credibility,” he said.

The Western Regional Police Command have embarked on a proactive and democratic policing to involve the public in the fight against crime and other forms of lawlessness. The command has, therefore, slated February as the month to educate the public on various aspects of the criminal law that are commonly flouted by Ghanaians. The Regional Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, told the Daily Graphic that the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and other units in the region would embark on the educational drive. He said during the month, the police would visit various communities and lorry parks in the region to provide them with certain important security tips and sensitise them to basic laws concerning crime, and police activities. DCOP Boakye said the drivers would be taken through the importance of observing road traffic regulations, the need to change dysfunctional break lights, traffic indicators, basic tools, and how to be defensive on the road, among others.   He said the aim was to ensure that crime and all forms of indiscipline on the roads were reduced to the barest minimum, if not eliminated, adding that other police units under other regional commands would also take policing to the doorstep of members of the public. The regional commander mentioned that traditional rulers, religious leaders, heads of civil society organisations, transport unions and members of the general public would all be involved in the education to ensure success. “It is important to note that criminals and other law breakers live within the communities as friends, neighbours, family members, among others; therefore,  if we want a lawful and just society, as citizens, we have to expose them not because we don’t like them but because we want to shape society,” he said. On the issue of robbery in the region, he said even though there was an improvement, there was still much work to be done, adding that most of the robberies occurred at places where the telecommunication networks were not working, which makes it difficult for residents to call for help. DCOP Boakye said while various discussions were being held with the telecommunication companies for improved service, the police usually mounted check points in the identified areas. He said currently, the police was collaborating with district assemblies to establish additional barriers in crime-prone areas such as Atabokrom, Sekobokrom, Dabiso, Adabokrom, Sewfi Asawhiso and Sewfi Bekwai, Wassa Amenfi and Asankrakwa. “We want the communities or the public to be part of the police and have the sense of ownership and belonging, which creates a platform for the constant flow of information without fear of being arrested, since the community would work in tandem with the police,” he said. To further enhance this, he said, a community relations desk would be created at police stations in the region to handle community policing and neighbourhood watchdog activities.

The government has promised to pursue policies to improve the well-being of the elderly. The policies, some of which are operational and others in the pipeline, include free rides on public transport systems, priority access to health services and banking services, and subsidised water and electricity tariffs. The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, announced this at a reception for more than 100 elderly people in the Keta municipality at Keta. She presented the senior citizens with gifts made up of pieces of cloth, food and non-alcoholic beverages. The event was the second after the one held in Accra, and would be held in nine other areas chosen for such donations, under a pilot project of assisting and caring for the aged in the country. The minister said with the collapse of the traditional family care system, which hitherto protected its elderly, leaving them vulnerable, the government was ready to build a resolute safety net for their welfare. She said her ministry was collaborating with other related agencies to draft a bill for parliament towards establishing the National Council on Ageing for the implementation of the national ageing policy, to address the dimensional issues on ageing. “We are also working towards piloting an aged project of free services in transportation, health, electricity and water subsidies along the coastal belt,” she said. The minister said training of geriatric health care professionals would soon start and relevant facilities put in place to mainstream geriatric care in the health care delivery system. Nana Oye Lithur said an “Ageing Desk,’ to be established at the ministry, would be replicated in the local assemblies to address the concerns of the elderly. She said the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) and the Livelihood Against Poverty (LEAP) were geared towards enhancing the lot of the aged. Commending those who supported the ministry with the items for the aged, the minister appealed to the media to help highlight aged-related issues including policy programmes in the country. Responding to a request by the Keta Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Sylvester Tornyeava, the minister announced that the LEAP coverage would be expanded, stipends would increase and beneficiaries would also be paid regularly. Togbi Sri III, Awoamefia of Anlo, during a courtesy call on him by Nana Oye Lithur at his Anloga palace, commended the government for its programmes to support the aged. GNA 

The Super Lock Technologies Limited (STL), a manufacturing company in Accra, is partnering the Pamela Bridgewater Project to promote the education of young female porters mostly found in the cities. Known as “Sponsor Kayayei to School programme,” the programme is meant to support 2,000 children to go to school by 2016. The STL, through its sister-printing company in Tema, will produce 2,000 calenders for the programme.  The calender features prominent stop kayayei campaigners, namely,  former presidents JJ Rawlings  and J.A. Kufuor, the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, the UK High Commissioner, Mr Peter Jones, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Sharon Bar-li, the South African High Commissioner to Ghana,  Madame Jeanette Ndlovu, Dr Tony Aubynn, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and others.   Speaking at the launch of the programme in Accra, the Financial Controller of STL,  Mr Sharon Fisher, called on the government and  corporate bodies  to support the education of needy children, including the kayayei. The Communications Director of the Pamela Bridgewater, Mr Bruce Misbahu Bulmuo, said the programme was meant to support 2000 children to go to school by 2016 and appealed to institutions, corporate bodies and philanthropists, to support the programme.  In a related development, the family of Hassana Abdullai, a kayayoo,  who was crushed to death at Okaishie in Accra last year December 12, 2013, has expressed gratitude to the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive,  Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpujie,  for his humanitarian gesture during the burial of their deceased relative. Abdullia, who was operating at Okaishie, was crushed to death by a DAF articulated truck, when she was trapped by a metallic hook at the back of the vehicle and fell under the it. The Pamela Bridgewater, a voluntary organisation concerned with the welfare of ‘kayayei’, contacted  Mr Vanderpuie, who, through the AMA Chief Medical Officer,  Dr Anim Boateng, supported the family to provide the deceased with a befitting burial in line with the Muslim tradition. The Project Director of the Pamela Bridgewater Project, Mr Yahaya Alhassan,  said like every mother’s dream, the wish of the late Hassana was to ensure the education of her daughter, Fadila Maltiti Abdul-Basit and indicated that the girl who turned four in July this year, was now in school at the Gbullung D. A primary school in the northern region of Ghana, under the project’s ‘sponsor kayayei to school campaign’. Mr Alhassan, who is also the founder of Kunata Voluntary Organisation that operates the Pamela Bridgewater Project, thanked the Graphic Communications Group Limited for its support to the organisation in championing the campaign to address the ‘kayayei’ phenomenon  and revealed the launch of the ‘Peter Jones Award’ to honour media houses and journalists who championed the cause of the needy girls.

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has identified ignorance on the part of consumers as one of the constraints to the fight against counterfeit food and medical products in the country. It noted that not knowing the dangers of using sub-standard, spurious, falsified, falsely-labelled counterfeit (SSFFC) products, consumers highly patronised those products. The Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Mr Hudu Mogtari, who expressed the concern, said consumers, therefore, needed intensive education about counterfeit medical products and unwholesome food substances. Training programme Mr Mogtari was speaking at the opening ceremony of a capacity-building programme organised by the FDA for its staff to enable them to detect counterfeit food and medical products. The programme, which was on the topic “Intelligence gathering and analysis on fake and substandard food and medical products,” formed part of measures being taken by the authority to reduce the menace of counterfeit and substandard food and medical products in the country. The programme was sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Capacity Development Mechanism Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance. Mr Mogtari described the programme as timely and crucial in equipping the staff of the FDA with the needed skills and knowledge for the task, since counterfeiters had upgraded their skills and activities, making detection very difficult. He announced that the FDA, in the course of the year, would acquire modern devices for on-the-spot checks and detection of counterfeit products. Effects of fake products Fake drugs have significant negative effects on human health which sometimes lead to death. It also has an impact on the national economy, as well as on pharmaceutical companies, since they lose part of their profits to the unfair competition from counterfeit activities.  “Today, all kinds of food and medical products have been counterfeited. Counterfeit drugs range from medicines for the treatment of life-threatening conditions to inexpensive generic versions of painkillers and antihistamines,” Mr Mogtari stated. Outlining some of the challenges in the quest to rid the country of counterfeit food and drugs, Mr Mogtari said the use of unapproved entry points and cross-border trade in medical products served as the conduit for fake and substandard medical products. He said the sale of medicines at unapproved premises and the peddling of medicines had become channels for the distribution of SSFFC medicine. FDA mandate Notwithstanding these challenges, Mr Mogtari said the FDA would continue to execute its mandate of ensuring safe food and medical products for the public. A Consultant from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the United Kingdom, Mr Gift Minta, said the problem of counterfeiting had become a global issue which could not be eradicated but reduced. He, therefore, called on all Ghanaians to join hands with the authority to help fight against SSFFC products which threatened human health.

The fight against the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was taken to another level yesterday as Rastafarians and members of some civil society groups hit the streets of Accra to demonstrate against GMOs and the Plant Breeders’ Bill which is before Parliament. Groups The groups that took part in the demonstration were the Rastafarian Council, Food Sovereignty Ghana, the Vegetarian Association of Ghana, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD), the All African People’s Revolutionary Party and the Earth Replenishers Foundation. Route Chanting “No GMO”, “Away with GMO” and “Chooboei” and intermittently singing the national anthem, with emphasis on the words: “…and help us to resist oppressors’ rule”, the demonstrators started from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, branched through Adabraka and the TUC, passed in front of the National Theatre before converging on the National Arts Centre to address the press. Under heavy police guard, the demonstrators stopped from time to time to explain to passers-by the implications of the Plant Breeders’ Bill and GMOs. Placards They carried placards with weird photos of GMOs, some of which read: “Say no to Man Satan (Monsanto)”, “Monsanto out of Ghana”, “Farmers’ right come first”, “No to the Plant Breeders’ Bill”, “Ban GMOs”, “GMOs will make Ghanaian farmers poor” and “GMO is poison, beware”. Implications of the Plant Breeders’ Bill Addressing the participants at the Arts Centre in Accra, the Chairperson of the Coalition for Farmers’ Rights and Advocacy against GMOs, Ms Samia Yaaba Christine Nkrumah, said there was the need for Ghanaians to rise against the imposition of the Plant Breeders’ Bill, which was currently in Parliament.  The passage of the bill will allow the introduction of the GM foods into the country. Ms Nkrumah stated that the imposition of the bill had far-reaching social, economic and political consequences on Ghanaians and the entire African continent. She explained that the passage of the bill would disable Ghanaians from having total control over their agricultural and food commodities. “So can’t we even control our own foods? Is this what our forefathers left for us? Do we want a day to come when someone will control what we eat as Africans?” she asked.  Ms Nkrumah said there was the need for all Ghanaians to come on board to help kick against the bill, since it was not in the interest of the Ghanaian farmer, adding that the call on the ban on GMOs went beyond partisan politics. Official launch She also used the platform to officially launch the coalition and called on bodies such as the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, traditional rulers, women’s advocacy groups, youth groups, the National Chief Imam, among others, to join hands and help defend the interest of the Ghanaian. Ms Nkrumah further called on parliamentarians to help educate Ghanaians on the bill before attempting to pass it into law, adding, “It is full of legal jargon that cannot be understood by the ordinary Ghanaian.”

Ghana has marked this year’s World Customs Day with a call on tax administrators to deepen their engagement with the public. That, according to the Commissioner-General of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr George Blankson, would pave the way for Ghanaians to understand the operations of the GRA and afford “the institution the opportunity to transmit its organisational goals and values”. Customs Day This year’s event, on the theme, “Communication: Sharing Information for Better Co-operation”, brought together all the agencies under the GRA and other stakeholders, including representatives of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and the Ghana Community Network Services. Certificates from the World Customs Organisation (WCO) were presented to 20 corporate institutions and individuals for their outstanding contribution to the operations of the GRA. Mr Blankson said as part of plans to promote and enhance the image of the GRA, its main goal was to develop communication systems to engage stakeholders. He, however, urged stakeholders to improve their corporate performance using effective communication as one of the tools. Challenges confronting the GRA A Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA) at the University of Ghana, Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, urged the GRA to create an effective channel of communication to ensure that all the agencies under it were able to co-operate without any obstructions. In a speech read on his behalf, the WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, said one efficient way of delivering quality service and promoting positive attitude among custom officials was by consistent communication.

Three suspected armed robbers and their three accomplices who allegedly robbed residents of the Koforidua Medical Village and other communities in the New Juaben municipality appeared before the Koforidua Circuit Court yesterday, charged with robbery, rape and dishonestly receiving stolen items. Their pleas were not taken and the court, presided over by Mr Ebenezer Osei Darko, remanded them in custody to reappear on February 6, 2014. They are Samuel Akwetey, alias Kwame Agbeko, 35, the alleged mastermind and leader of the group; Godwin Ametoyo, 38, and Isaac Agomor, 22. Their accomplices are Gideon Boateng, 28, said to be the carrier of the stolen goods; Charles Awuku, 47, and Mohamed Zebu, who allegedly received the items. Another member of the gang, Nicholas Eshun, who was arrested by a police patrol team at the Daasebre Estates at dawn on January 1, 2014, leading to the arrest of the six others on Thursday, January 23, was remanded to reappear on February 12, 2014. Meanwhile, the six suspects have led the police to 16 houses in which they had robbed residents of their valuables. The houses are located at Old Estates, the St James Hotel and Capital View Hotel areas, Korle Abansoro, the Daasebre Estates, the Kenkey Factory and the Medical Village. According to the Eastern Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Faakye Kumi, who led a team of detectives to the robbery scenes, the residents of all the houses visited claimed to have been victims of robberies at different times in 2013. The police, he also indicated, had on their record that those houses were burgled last year. Chief Supt Kumi also confirmed that hard disks retrieved from the robbers contained materials such as teaching notes and pictures of some of the doctors at the Medical Village. Responding to a question on whether there would be an identification parade for victims to identify the suspects, Chief Supt Kumi ruled that out, with the explanation that the suspects wore masks during their operations and that would make it difficult or impossible for the victims to identify them. ASP Nketia-Yeboah debunks allegation Responding to another question on an allegation that one of the suspects was an elder of a church, the Eastern Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, ASP Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, said police investigations had not yet established the truth or otherwise of that assertion. In a related development, the Eastern Regional Police Command has impounded a private Toyota Corolla saloon car, with registration number GE 2882-12, belonging to Gideon Boateng, one of the suspects, which was used to cart the stolen goods.

The newly-installed Benkumhene of Gomoa Dabayin, Nana Yaw Owusu, has pledged to do his best to tackle challenges facing the town so as to make it a centre of attraction in the Central Region. According to him, the town deserved the best of amenities including clinics, schools and modern markets to, among other things, to boost the economic fortunes of people through trading and other businesses. Consequently, he has called on citizens of the town to rally behind him and give him the necessary support to bring developments to the area. The real estate developer was enstooled the first Benkumhene of Gomoa Dabayin as part of activities to mark this year’s Gomoa Two Weeks Festival last Saturday. Among other things, Nana Owusu said he would bring everybody on board no matter their status in the town in his agenda to ensure that the people got the best. He said his installation was by the grace of God and, therefore, thanked God for the honour done him. The Benkumhene also thanked the people for the honour bestowed on him, adding that although he had previously turned down the opportunity, he fully accepted it because he wanted to see the area developed. “We would all come together to move this townforward. I will share my ideas with the elders and then see how we can implement them for the betterment of the lives of the people,” he said. He said he would use the contacts he had to attract the investments that were needed to fast track the development of the town. The chief of the area, Nana Idan Amo, called for the support of all for the rapid development of the area. Abusuapayin Kobina Egyir said the town needed a community centre, a school, a clinic, among other things. He, therefore, called on the government to come to their aid.  A son of the chief of the area, Mr Kwame Morgan, deplored the frequent accidents on the main road leading to and from Winneba, and called on the Ghana Highways Authority to construct speed humps to control the speed.

Shawbell Consulting Limited has organised a mini-fundraising event as part of its corporate social responsibility at its annual get-together . The event was aimed at raising funds to support the Girls’ Correctional Home at Osu.  The Business Manager of the company, Ms Ndidi Dodoo, used the occasion to appeal to the guests at the function to generously donate to support the correctional home.  She pointed out that the home was the only girls’ correctional home in the country which sought to provide temporary shelter, character reformation and vocational skills training for girls.  Ms Dodoo, therefore, appealed to all to join the company and its staff to provide financial support to help address some resource needs of the centre.  Donations and pledges were made in response to the appeal.

The fate of at least 150,000 candidates of this year’s West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) who may seek admission to public universities hangs in the balance. This is because some of the public universities have decided not to offer admission to applicants who will write the WASSCE this year, writes Severious Kale-Dery. The University of Cape Coast (UCC), the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Tarkwa and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi have indicated their intention not to offer admission to such applicants. According to them, by the time the results of the 2014 WASSCE would be released, they would have closed their admissions. However, the Ministry of Education has given an assurance that the candidates will not be denied admission to the public universities of their choice. According to a Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, all public universities were supposed to reserve quotas for those who would write the WASSCE this year. Therefore, he said, the deadline given by the universities for submission of application forms was not applicable to those who would be writing this year. The UCC deadline for submission of applications is April 30, 2014; that of the KNUST is April 11, while the UMaT has March 21, 2014 as its deadline. Although the University of Ghana has indicated that it will wait for applicants who will write the WASSCE this year to apply for its degree programmes, it has set April 11, 2014 as the deadline for the submission of application forms by qualified applicants to its diploma and certificate programmes. Explanations Some officials of the universities have proffered explanations as to why the universities have decided not to admit applicants who will apply with this year’s WASSCE results.   A Deputy Registrar (Academic) of the UCC, Mr Jeff Onyame, told the Daily Graphic that the university would not admit applicants with 2014 WASSCE results, reports Shirley Asiedu Addo. He explained that the university’s admission process would close even before final-year senior high school (SHS) students finished their examination. “They cannot fill the application forms without their results and so they cannot be admitted, not for this year,” he said. Mr Onyame said last year, the university gave an opportunity to those who were yet to obtain their WASSCE results to apply because of the number of candidates who wrote the examination. “Last year the last batch of the four-year system and the first batch of the three year system were graduating and, therefore, arrangements were made to manage the two batches. This year, it will not work like that,” he stated. KNUST The story from KNUST is no different. The University Relations Officer of KNUST, Mr Vincent Ankamah-Lomotey, told the Daily Graphic that the university would not allow candidates writing the 2014 WASSCE to apply for admission to the university, reports Baffoe Joe Donkor.  He said the university allowed candidates awaiting WASSCE results to apply last year because of the two cohorts of students of SHS who had to write the examination last year. With the four-year SHS system phased out, he said, the universities had to revert to the old system in which universities reopened in August or early September. He said when two streams of applicants were allowed to apply for admission to the universities, it “puts too much pressure on the students, as they cannot have the full 16 weeks first semester course”. Mr Ankamah-Lomotey said by June this year, the university would have completed its admission processes and sent letters to the qualified applicants to give them enough time to prepare. The University of Ghana At the University of Ghana, Mr Mawusi Kofi Glozah, the Assistant Registrar, Academic Affairs Directorate, told the Daily Graphic that this year’s WASSCE candidates would be able to apply for the university’s degree programmes, writes Edmund Smith Asante.  He explained that the deadline for the submission of applications for the degree programmes was likely to be June 30, as happened last year.  He said 2014 WASSCE candidates awaiting their results would be permitted to apply for admission, adding that “for the past three years that is what we have been doing”. UDS While the KNUST, the UMaT and the UCC are not ready to admit 2014 WASSCE candidates, the University for Development Studies (UDS) has offered to continue to implement the programme which provides a lifeline for such applicants, reports Samuel Duodu. According to Mr Samuel Awugah, the Assistant Registrar of University Relations, 2014 WASSCE candidates could apply for admission to the university. He stated that the university's admission for undergraduate programmes would be carried out in September and, therefore, the current final-year SHS students could buy the admission forms of the university while awaiting their results.

Some residents of Tema Newtown over the weekend boycotted the clean-up exercise organised by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) in the metropolis. According to the residents, basic logistics such as gloves, nose mask, shovel, brooms, wheel barrows and containers were not made available to them. Some of the residents in Community Two, who also refused to take part in the clean-up exercise, said they were not properly informed about the day and time of the upcoming clean-up exercise. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr  Frank Asante  Public Relations Officer, TMA, said, his outfit appreciated the enthusiasm of the young and able men who were willing to keep the environment clean although they had no logistic to do so. Mr. Asante said the exercise was the second in the series so far, adding that, a third one is in the offing, which he promised that logistics would be made available. He said after the third exercise, the TMA will embark on public education on the need for the residents in the metropolis to take up the exercise and make it part of their daily activity. He advised the residents to take the exercise seriously because the Assembly would strictly enforce all the environment and sanitation laws soon and that all individuals and institutions who flout them would face the law. — GNA