The Ministry of Health (MoH) has released GH¢1.2 million to be disbursed to health insurance providers across the country. The money, which was released through the National Health Insurance Fund, is to help the providers deliver quality health care to beneficiaries under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The Public Relations Officer of the MoH, Mr Tony Goodman, told the Daily Graphic that the amount was to settle half of the arrears owed the service providers since September last year. Currently, there are over 3,500 health insurance providers, both public and private, in the country. Mr Goodman expressed the hope that the money would go a long way to help reduce the expenditure of the providers and consequently enable them to provide good services to Ghanaians. Funding Apart from the premium paid by members, the district mutual health insurance schemes receive regular funding from the central government, which is drawn from the National Health Insurance Fund.  Every Ghanaian worker pays two-and-a-half per cent of his or her social security contribution into this fund, while the VAT rate in Ghana also has a two-and-a-half percentage component that goes into the fund.  Services provided The most popular health insurance policy is the district mutual health insurance scheme, which is operational in every district in Ghana.  It is a public/non-commercial scheme and anyone resident in Ghana can register under this scheme.  The district mutual health insurance scheme also covers people considered to be indigent — that is, the too poor, and those without jobs and lacking the basic necessities of life to be able to afford insurance premiums.  Writer’s email: [email protected]

An Accra circuit court Monday sentenced three people to a total of 85 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for engaging in robbery. That was after the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, had found them guilty on charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery. Robert Kofi Andoh was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to rob and 30 years for robbery; Harrison Brown Adarkwah was sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to rob, while Benjamin Aidoo was sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to rob and 30 years for robbery. Facts of the case Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuareka told the court that the complainant was a trader living at Alhaji, near Tabora in Accra. He said Andoh was a taxi driver living at Israel, also a suburb in Accra; Adarkwah, unemployed, lived at Achimota Mile 7, while Aidoo was a footballer and lived at Alhaji near Tabora. DSP Tuareka said on June 19, 2013, Andoh and Adarkwah planned to rob the complainant of his unregistered Toyota Camry saloon car. They contacted Aidoo and one other who is at large to assist and they agreed to the deal. About 11:30 p.m. on June 21, 2013, Andoh armed himself with a machete and a padlock, while Aidoo armed himself with a pepper spray. The two then went and laid ambush near the complainant’s house, while Adarkwah stood by the roadside to alert them when the complainant appeared with his car. The three accused persons were there until about 4 a.m. the following day when the complainant pulled up at his main gate, only to realise that the gate had been locked. When he came out of his car, Andoh and Aidoo attacked him from behind and demanded his car keys. The prosecutor said the complainant released the keys to Aidoo for fear that they might kill him. Andoh and Aidoo quickly jumped into the car and drove to the main road, where Adarkwah joined them. The accused persons drove the car to Adarkwah’s girlfriend’s house at Prampram. They later drove the car to a witness in the case at Adoagyiri to secure a loan of GHc7,500. The prosecutor said Adarkwah, who claimed ownership  of the car, was told by the witness to write an undertaking and also to produce the car’s documents for the loan. On July 4, 2013, Adarkwah went to the witness with the car documents. The witness, after interrogating Adarkwah, became suspicious and handed him over to the Nsawam Police, together with the car. The witness further called Andoh to come to his house, to which Andoh obliged. The witness again handed him over to the Nsawam Police.  The complainant rushed to the Nsawam Police Station the same day on hearing that his car had been found and identified the car and Andoh as one of the robbers who had attacked him in front of his house. writers email:[email protected]

Kwasi Oppong Company Limited, a local manufacturer and supplier of building materials in the country, has won the International Quality Crown (IQC) award for its commitment to quality, leadership, technology and innovation. The company received the International Star for Leadership in Quality award (Platinum category) with a citation for its outstanding achievements for perseverance and leadership in excellence and quality in accordance with the IQC100 criteria. The IQC is an annual programme of the Business Initiative Directions (BID) awards  designed to recognise the prestige of outstanding companies, organisations, and businessmen in the business world. This year’s ceremony, which was held in London,UK, brought together companies from 49 countries, together with leaders from different business fields, professionals from the worlds of economics, the arts and corporate image, quality experts, as well as academic personalities and representatives of the diplomatic corps.  Also present was the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BID, Mr Jose E. Prieto. The citation accompanying the Kwasi Oppong Company Limited award paid tribute to the company’s commitment to quality. It also cited the company’s core focus on continuous improvement of its management to maintain leadership in its sector. The award was received by the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Kwasi Oppong, who dedicated it to the entire staff for their dedication.

At exactly 8:25 p.m. Monday, the British Airways Boeing aircraft bearing the body of BBC ace broadcaster of Ghanaian descent, Komla Afeke Dumor, touched down at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Friends, relations, colleagues and sympathisers who had thronged the airport to welcome the mortal remains of a man who had done Ghana proud by staying committed to professionalism and excellence as a journalist, were all in a sombre mood. There was no wailing, sobbing, or shedding of tears but the short traditional and religious ceremony that was to take place almost an hour after the aircraft had taxied to a halt, was a solemn one. At last, after a traditional troupe from the Aflao Traditional Area had, for several minutes, livened up the respectable crowd of officials of state, including the Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, who represented the President, a large media presence who had come to welcome a fallen colleague, friends, family and compatriots of the Aflao Traditional Area, the casket containing the body of Komla Dumor, noted for his baritone voice on air, was received from the plane. Impact of his death The impact of Komla Dumor’s death on January 18, 2014, at age 41, has been felt across a very broad spectrum of both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians in the past few days, not only because of its sudden nature, but also because as a journalist, he had made a mark unsurpassed by many, within a short time of plying that trade. He moved from an earlier ambition of becoming a medical doctor and strayed into journalism, albeit not without controversy when he was adjudged Journalist of the Year in 2003 by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). Unruffled, he rose to become one of Ghana’s finest in broadcast journalism and it was only a matter of time and the BBC would poach him from Ghanaian private radio station Joy FM, to become their spearhead in two major programmes on radio and television – BBC Focus on Africa and African Business Report. Before then, between 2007 and 2009, he hosted Network Africa for the BBC World Service and was also one of the lead presenters for BBC World News' European morning segment. Traditional and Christian Rites The pall bearers from the Lashibi Funeral Home and Crematorium, who received the body from the aircraft, handed it over to the Aflao Royal Guards for the traditional ceremony to begin at exactly 9:23 p.m. Torgbui Dzato of the Aflao Traditional Area led the performance of the rights, after which the Paramount Chief of the Aflao State, Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, officially received the body on behalf of the family, saying “I welcome you back home in the name of all Aflao and all Ghanaians.” Christian rites followed and prayers were offered by Rev Fr Samuel Filton-Mensah of the Accra Catholic Archdiocese. After the rites, the body was presented back to the pall bearers to be transported to the funeral home to await the final funeral rites. Writer’s email: [email protected]   Click here to view more pictures of Komla Dumor's 'return'

An intended peaceful demonstration by the people of Antoa, Duase and Kenyase in the Kwabre East District in the Ashanti Region yesterday to protest against the bad nature of their roads turned bloody when the police opened fire on the demonstrators, causing injury to at least five of them. While the spokesperson for the demonstrators, Mr Osei Assibey, told the Daily Graphic that one of the demonstrators had died as a result of the clash, the police have denied the claim. However, the police confirmed that nine people, including four policemen, were injured during the demonstration. One of the injured, identified as Kwabena Okyere, who sustained a gunshot wound between the eye and the ear, has been referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), while another one has been sent to the Manhyia District Hospital.  Others have been sent to nearby facilities. The demonstrators clashed with the police after they had blocked the main road leading to the town and resorted to the burning of car tyres which resulted in vehicular congestion on the road. Reinforcement Policemen from the Mamponteng Division, who were initially detailed to provide security for the demonstrators, could not control the situation and had to call for reinforcement from Asawasi and the SWAT Bravo Unit, formerly Buffalo Unit, of the Ashanti Regional Police Command. The men from the SWAT Bravo Unit had to fire tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the mob who had then become agitated. The Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Godwin Ahianyo, said  the police had to resort to force to disperse the mob when they refused to remove the roadblocks and were attacking the policemen. He said four policemen, three from the SWAT team and one from the Mamponteng Division, were injured in the process. According to him, the police were yet to confirm any death as a result of the clash and debunked the claim that there had been any death during the clash. Police accused Meanwhile, Mr Osei Assibey had accused the police of unprofessional behaviour leading to injury to the demonstrators.  “We were peacefully going about our demonstration when, out of nowhere, came the reinforcement who started throwing tear gas and shooting at the people with live bullets,” he said. According to him, the demonstrators did not do anything to warrant any reinforcement and accused the police of high-handedness in their approach. He said the demonstrators had grouped at Kenyase and were going about the demonstration peacefully when they had information that another group had also grouped at Duase and blocked the road there. He said the citizens were sensitised to the need to be civil and peaceful during the demonstration and denied that they had been rowdy, necessitating the brute reaction. The demonstration, which was organised by the Concerned Citizens of Kwabre East, was to protest against the bad nature of the roads in the area. The Kwabre District Chief Executive, Mr Iddisa Adams, described the outcome of the demonstration as very unfortunate. He said the roads in question had been given on contract in 2007 but due to the non-performance of the contractor, the contract was terminated in the latter part of last year and was being repackaged for award.

A Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Benita Okity-Duah, has challenged women in the country to work hard to break the glass ceiling that had kept some of them under subordination. She observed that in most African societies, including Ghana, girls were trained to make good wives and mothers and were expected to run the home, but the glass ceiling (an imaginary barrier that stops women or other groups from getting the best jobs, although  there are no official rules to prevent them from getting these jobs) kept them under subordination.  Mrs Okity-Duah was speaking at the fourth graduation of the Marg Hair and Beauty Academy in Accra last Saturday during which 11 students graduated and received diploma in cosmetology. She encouraged the large number of girls who were unable to complete senior high school to take advantage of skill-based second cycle training institutions that would provide opportunities for them to acquire knowledge and skills in a chosen career that would enable them to be financially independent. She stated that the ministry would associate itself with private institutions whose work complemented its efforts to create a harmonious society where every person, regardless of sex or individual characteristics, enjoyed equal rights and opportunities. Expected change Mrs Okity-Duah said even though a lot had been done, that phenomenon had not seen the expected change. “It is long overdue for us to move away from the notion that the place of the woman is the kitchen. “Many women in Ghana and across the world have already presented themselves as worthy examples for emulation in various fields. The challenge is for you and I to also prove our worth in breaking the glass ceiling that has kept many women and girls in socio-economic subordination,” she said. Mrs Okity-Duah explained that there was evidence of widespread gender disparity in enrolment and retention of girls and boys at all levels in the school system, especially as one climbed the educational ladder. According to her, a large number of girls (as compared to boys), after completing junior high school, were unable to continue to senior high school owing to various factors, including human trafficking, early and forced marriages, teenage pregnancy and the preference to the education of the boy-child. Ministry’s initiative Mrs Okity-Duah said the ministry ,through the Department of Gender Skills and with support from the African Development Bank, had developed new training modules for vocational training in the country. She said under the Gender Responsive Skills and Community Development Project of the Department of Gender, some teaching materials and equipment to improve the standards of vocational training had been provided, adding that about 600 girls had been supported to undertake vocational courses. Mrs Okity-Duah expressed worry about the unregulated practice in the cosmetology sector and said that must be addressed to ensure health and ethical standards for public safety. She asked the graduates to further build their capacities and position themselves to take advantage of the growing opportunities in the  industry.

The New Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),Mr Koji Makino, has reaffirmed the willingness of the Japanese Government to assist Ghana pursue its development programmes, especially in the areas of infrastructure, such as transportation and energy. He also stressed the importance of agriculture, health, education and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and capacity building as areas that the JICA operated in.    He made this known when he paid a working visit to the Country Director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Accra. Mr Koji Makino, who has been in Ghana for barely two months now, has already visited some parts of the country to ascertain the situation on the ground.   He said Ghana needed to strengthen its industrial diversification by pursuing labour-intensive sector development programmes in such sectors as agriculture. Mr Makino praised Ghanaians for their stable democracy, growth and hospitality.

Sexual harassment suffered by girls from adults under the guise of offering help to needy female adolescents became one of the most topical issues last Wednesday during a day’s forum on children in Tamale. Many of the girls who took turns to ask questions wanted to know what to do when adults who provided them with their needs due to their parents’ inability to do so requested for sex in exchange. One girl asked if it was advisable to agree to such demands due to the support or decline them and where they would get educational support should they decline such demands. The forum, which brought together pupils from upper primary, junior high schools, religious and traditional leaders in the Tamale Metropolis, was organised by the Department of Children and funded by UNICEF. It served as a platform to find solutions to  challenges children faced. It was on the theme: “Ending Violence Against Children: Let’s resort to non-violent means of discipline.” The children raised other concerns, including lack of educational guidance, how to assess and choose good friends and how and where to seek help in terms of any form of abuse. The Acting Northern Regional Manager of the Department of Children, Mr Sanday Iddrisu, said the durbar was in response to the recent reports on violence against children and how stakeholders could best help to address the menace. “This is to seek solutions from the religious and traditional perspectives,” he said. The Communications Manager of the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC), Mr William Anim-Dankwa, advised pupils to seek guidance from close relatives, family friends, non-governmental organisations and state agencies responsible for children. He cautioned the children to refuse help from adults, who demanded sex in return for assistance and rather find support from teachers or religious leaders. “Some of you children are obsessed with fashion that you always want your parents to buy new bags, shoes and clothing for you. This is wrong and you must stop it,” he warned. The Child Protection Officer at UNICEF in charge of the Northern Sector, Ms Ruby Annang, appealed to parents to strive and provide the basic and educational needs of their children. She called on parents to desist from giving out their children, especially girls, to live with relatives, adding that most of those children were subjected to harsh treatment while others were engaged in child labour. — GNA

The President of the Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod, USA, Rev. Dr Matthew Harrison, has called on pastors to preach the undiluted word of God. He said pastors must preach the word of God openly and clearly to all people in order to make them appreciate the goodness of God. “I am tired of pastors who don’t preach the gospel,” he said at Oyibi, near Accra, last Sunday during the dedication of the Lutheran Theological Seminary . Rev. Dr Harrison said nothing should ever be taught at the seminary except from the Bible. He stressed the need for pastors to preach the pure word of God and teach the people what it meant to worship God. He thanked all those who contributed in diverse ways towards the construction of the building. The seminary building The $1-million seminary building was constructed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG) with financial support from philanthropists in the USA. The seminary, which has 42 rooms and a modern library, will be used for the training of pastors of the ELCG. Apart from the training of pastors, the two-storey building will also be used for conferences by the women and youth groups in the church. With the assistance of the Bishop of the ELCG, Rt Rev. Dr Paul Kofi Fynn, and other high-profile pastors of the Lutheran Church in the USA and Ghana, Rev. Dr Harrison cut the tape and unveiled a plaque to commemorate the dedication of the seminary . The pastoral team included the Director of Theological Education Office of International Mission, Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod, USA, Professor Timothy Quill; the President of the Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort-Wayne, USA, Rev. Dr Lawrence Rast Jr; Rev. Dr George Black of the Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod, USA, and the President of the ELCG Seminary, Rev. Yaw Gyakye Amoateng. Rt Rev. Dr Fynn said the seminary would be used to train pastors who would preach the gospel and not prosperity messages. Challenges The bishop of the ELCG recounted many challenges that were encountered in the course of constructing the seminary. He said lack of funds, controversy over land ownership and stealing of building materials had all conspired to kill the dream of building the seminary but in the end, the might of God prevailed. “The devil cannot control the church; it’s only Jesus who can,” he remarked. Rt Rev. Dr Fynn expressed gratitude to Professor Quill for helping to raise funds for the construction of the seminary. Scholarship He said all pastors under training had been offered full scholarship by the Wisconsin International University College (WIUC) and added that those who completed their courses would be sent to the USA for further studies. He said children of the ELCG pastors had also been offered 50 per cent scholarship by WIUC. Professor Quill asked the congregation to pray for the individuals in the USA who donated money for the construction of the seminary, while appealing to them (congregation) to take good care of the facility. For his part, Rev. Dr Black expressed the hope that after their training at the seminary, the pastors would share their seed with all Ghanaians. Writer’s Email: [email protected]

  Chairman of the National Peace Council, Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante says there is the need for the country to engage proper scientific methods in tackling the economic challenges facing the country. According to him, prayer is not the only panacea to solving the economic difficulties in the country. He said Monday morning on RadioXYZ that in as much as life should be seen in a holistic manner, “simply praying will not turn the economy around but it is prayer and action.” Rev Asante was commenting on a prayer by Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams to save the falling local currency. The General Overseer of the Christian Action Faith Ministries (CAFM) on Sunday led his congregation to pray fervently for the recovery of the fast depreciating Ghana Cedi. However, Rev Asante noted that although there was nothing wrong with Archbishop Duncan-William’s prayer, there was the need for Christians to advise and preach against those elements that cause economic hardships in the country. “Whatever it is, I believe as a reverend minister, he was concerned about the well-being of our economy and this is what he has proffered and what he put forward was to pray for God to do something about it. God is a prayer answering God but that is not the only panacea to the problem that we have. We need to go further and the technocrats will do what they need to do and we will continue to pray for those who have the technical know-how to push our economy forward but we believe that with God all things are possible,” he said. Sharing the same sentiments, retired Diplomat, Mr K. B. Asante also stressed that “God will not stop the free fall off the cedi if we don’t change our ways and if we don’t take the appropriate economic measures which will help us through these difficult times.” He expressed worry over the economic policies and measures which have led to the increasing importation of goods and services to the detriment of local industries. “The fall of the cedi is due to a fundamental weakness of the economy and you have to solve it…God has given us enough brains and enough know-how to manage these problems and solve them. It is not by divine intervention. It is because of our wayward ways,” he said. “What are we doing with our dollars? We use them to buy cars which are too sophisticated for our roads…machines, kenturkey chicken and the like. Now you do this and you don’t work that hard to produce and you still expect to import these things very cheap. No!,” he emphasised. Mr K. B. Asante called on authorities to “sit up and tell us the truth. Palliatives won’t help. No injection of dollars by the Bank of Ghana will save the falling cedi.’   Click to listen to Archbishop Duncan-Williams' prayer

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) recorded 2,570 motorbike accidents between January and December last year. As of the middle of January this year, the department had recorded 36 of such motorbike accidents. The Accra Central Commander of the department, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Anderson Fosu–Ackaah, told the Daily Graphic that  it was difficult to tell whether the accidents involved commercial motorbike operators, popularly called Okada. Challenges He said the major challenge confronting the police in the fight against the booming Okada business was how to differentiate between a private motorbike user and a commercial one. “It is difficult knowing which motorbike rider was using the bike for commercial or private use,” he said. Measures Mr Fosu-Ackaah said the police had identified a number of operating joints for the Okada riders and would take appropriate steps to halt the practice. He mentioned Odorkor, Abossey Okai, Circle, Railways, Ghana Post and the central business district of Accra as areas where many of them operated. He, however, said because of the mobility of the riders, they shift locations from time to time, as well as move away from their locations upon seeing the police approach. Advice Mr Fosu-Ackaah advised members of the public to desist from patronising the Okada business because it was risky. Besides, he said, the operation was not covered by law.

  Ambassador-designate, Dr. Tony Aidoo has described as "comic relief", a prayer by Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams to save the local currency which is falling at a meteoric speed. The General Overseer of the Christian Action Faith Ministries (CAFM) on Sunday led his congregation to pray fervently for the recovery of the fast depreciating Ghana Cedi. “…I hold up the cedi with prayer and I command the cedi to recover and I declare the cedi will not fall; it will not fall any further. I command the cedi to climb. I command the resurrection of the cedi. I command and release a miracle for the economy”. The US dollar, which sold at Ghc2.20 on the local foreign exchange market before Christmas last year, now sells at Ghc2.60. The British pound, which sold at Ghc3 now sells at Ghc4.20. The euro and CFA are also selling at Ghc3.50 and Ghc4.80 respectively. The rate of fall of the local currency has baffled managers of the economy and frustrated businesses that import products and students pursuing international programmes that make dependent on foreign currencies. The Archbishop Sunday prayed for among other things, the stability of the cedi. But speaking Monday on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, Dr. Tony Aidoo said the act by the Archbishop "is a big problem for us because it goes to enforce the [un-developmental] attitude of Ghanaians". "We woke up this morning to hear from Archbishop Duncan-Williams that he commanded the cedi [sic] to come down. At best it's a comic relief," he said. "...Is he going to command the people [traders] at Abossey-Okai not to go to China and Japan to import the spare parts? How is he going to feed those people?...What kind of attitude is this?" The Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the presidency maintained that, "For us to change the economy we need to cultivate a developmental culture; that's the starting point [and] it's a way of life". "...In any society which has excessive religiosity...you attribute everything that is positive to God and everything that is negative to the devil...and  then you become vulnerable to exploitation of the clergy". "It is only lazy people who become excessively religious because they want to transfer their responsibilities to others to solve," he asserted. Dr. Tony Aidoo believes that attitudinal change and a change in the structure of the economy what required to stabilise the cedi and not prayers. Click to listen to Dr Tony Aidoo's take on Archbishop Duncan-Williams' prayer for the falling cedi

AB & David, an African law firm, has inaugurated its West African offices in Accra. The inauguration of the office complex is part of the firm’s drive to constantly improving services to clients and expanding its urge as a top-notch legal service provider in investment, trade, business and commercial activities. The Chief Justice of Ghana, Mrs Georgina Wood, who inaugurated the offices, acknowledged AB & David’s strides in areas that were currently relevant to clients. She said the practice of law had moved beyond the courtroom and the filling of writs and summons in transaction structuring, public and private partnerships, alternative dispute resolution and project financing. “Clients are becoming increasingly sophisticated and now demand value for money and want lawyers who understand business,” she pointed out. Unfortunately, she added, the legal profession had become notoriously averse to change and many lawyers had not realised that their practices needed to adapt to this fast changing environment. She warned that the days of the “one man practitioners” appeared to be numbered and challenged local firms to look at building a modern legal practice to respond to the needs of local clients. New pace in legal practice The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marrieta Brew Appiah-Oppong, said the AB & David had set a new pace in legal practice in the country and internationally. She said a new era with new dynamics in legal services had dawned and the firm was meeting the trend with its international practice (beyond Ghana’s borders). The immediate past President of the Association of Ghana Industries, Nana Owusu Afari, highly commended AB & David’s business culture, which sometimes included pro bono services to businesses and entrepreneurs. He said AB & David had shown such an immense understanding of the industry that it was elected to the prestigious Economic Advisory Committee of the AGI. He said the firm had also won twice in a row (in 2011 and 2012), the AGI’s accolade as the Best Business Promotion firm in Ghana. “For businesses, time is money and businesses appreciate when the lawyer does not use legalese to waste time,” he added. The Executive Chairman of AB & David, Mr David Ofosu-Dorte, said the changing phase of the firm was in keeping with changing times where clients were made to matter in all the interactions they had with the firm, including visiting the firm’s premises. A Managing Partner of AB & David, Isabel Boaten, said the firm was strengthening its commercial perspective as well as its African presence, by its remodelled offices and other initiatives.

Police in Kumasi on Monday morning fired teargas and warning shots to disperse demonstrators at Duase and Kenyase near Kumasi. The demonstrators were protesting against the poor conditions of roads in the area, especially on the Kumasi - Antoa road. Reports said one person who sustained a gun-shot wound was feared dead. Six other injured persons have been sent to hospital for treatment. One of the injured persons, identified as Kwame Okyere, who sustained a gun shot wound between the right eye and the ear has been sent to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Hospital authorities confirmed to Graphic Online that he was responding to treatment. The demonstrators erected barriers on the main Kumasi - Antoa road, preventing the free flow of traffic and leaving commuters stranded. Police personnel from Kenyase who were at the scene and could not disperse the demonstrators called for re-enforcement from the Buffalo Unit who were said to have fired teargas and warning shots to disperse the crowd.

An articulated truck ran into the newly constructed tollbooth at Pobiman on the Accra-Amasaman road last Friday night. The incident happened when the driver of the truck, who was said to be carrying about 630 bags of cocoa from Nkawkaw to the Tema port, ran over the speed humps just before the tollbooth, which was yet to be inaugurated, and lost control. The driver, Prince Yeboah, was said to have sustained injuries but received treatment at a nearby clinic and was discharged; the mate was also in good condition after treatment. The incident, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. last Friday night, destroyed one of the tollbooth structures and completely dismantled the truck with registration number AS 1756X, displacing some of the cocoa bags. When the Daily Graphic visited the scene on Saturday, the owner of the cocoa (OLAM Ghana) was unloading the cocoa onto another truck. An eyewitness told the Daily Graphic that the driver had no choice but to run into the tollbooths because there were other vehicles behind him. "There was no one in the tollbooth because it was a new one and was not yet in use," Paa Yaw, another truck driver, said. He added that when the incident happened, there were some police officers on duty at the tollbooth so they helped to manage the situation by stopping residents from looting the cocoa. The Eastern Zonal Manager of OLAM Ghana, Mr Kwame Appiah, who was also at the scene at the time of the visit, said about 23 bags of cocoa were displaced while some were stained with oil (which spilled from the truck). He said the accident truck and two other trucks loaded the consignment from Nkawkaw on Friday afternoon and were transporting it to the Tema port to be exported. However, he added that due to the accident, the cocoa had to be sent for re-examination by the (COCOBOD) before it could be exported.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company, have warned that Accra will continue to experience flooding if the residents do not change their attitude towards sanitation in the city. Commenting on last Friday’s flood in Accra, following a heavy downpour, the Chief Executive Officer of AMA, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpujie, said although the AMA would continue to remove silt from the drains within the metropolis to prevent flooding in future, the bottom line was that  residents should change their poor attitude to sanitation. “We will continue to clear the drains of silt and educate the public on the dangers of dumping refuse into open drains,” he said. Mr Vanderpujie said the Public Health Department of the assembly would also be vigilant and arrest individuals who breached the bye-laws onsanitation within the metropolis. He expressed the hope that the implementation of the Accra sanitation sewer and storm water drainage alleviation project to construct storm drains would help to reduce flooding in the national capital. Sharing his perspectives on sanitation in Accra in the aftermath of last Friday’s floods, the Communications Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Robert Coleman, said it was unpardonable that the government would spend huge sums to clear the drains of silt and clear rubbish from the metropolis “only for citizens to religiously dump waste into open drains that have been cleared”. “I find it very difficult to believe that even after several drains have been cleared of silt by the AMA, especially the primary drains, and Zoomlion clearing over 400 secondary drains, Accra is still flooded in an hour of rainfall,” he said. Explaining further, Mr Vanderpujie said the assembly was currently awaiting the necessary work to be done by the Ministry of Finance for Ghana to access $595 million loan from the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of the United States of America (USA) for the execution of the sanitation and storm water project. When completed, he said, the project would eliminate Accra’s flood situation. The project involves, among other things, clearing of silt, dredging new siltation ponds, and the removal of rubbish from the Odaw drains and the Korle Lagoon.  Mr Coleman said during visit to the flooded areas after the rainfall, a team from his company found that revealed that heaps of rubbish had choked the gutters, blocking the free flow of water. He, therefore, suggested that an immediate directive must be given by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the establishment of a sanitation court in every sub-metro. “The ministry should make it mandatory for every district or municipal assembly to have a sanitation court that will prosecute residents who abuse the environment,” he said. Unpardonable offence Mr Coleman said the sanitation courts  would also generate funds internally for the government to continue to carry out its agenda on the management of waste. “Now that the drains are choked, where are we going to get the money to desilt the drains? But if we are able to prosecute offenders, the money generated can be directed into such activities,” he added. Sanitation laws On sanitation laws,  Mr Coleman said it was high time the laws were amended “to bite instead of barking”. “The bye-laws now do not serve as a deterrent to others. How can you fine someone GH¢3 for flouting the law when you can fine the individual GH¢100 or more to let them know the seriousness of the offence they have committed?”  He also called on all religious leaders to preach about sanitation to their congregation at all times. Last Friday, some parts of Accra were plunged into flooding after nearly an hour of torrential rain. While a number of streets were submerged by the flood, companies, including the New Times Corporation, publishers of the Ghanaian Times and  the Weekly Spectator; the Metro Mass Transit, the Odawna Clinic, auto shops along the Graphic Road, and some homes were flooded and their occupants had to be evacuated. The situation also brought activities in the metropolis to a halt as vehicular traffic was intense and commuters had to walk long distances to catch vehicles to their various destinations.

The Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute (CSIR) has held a field day on livestock feeding, production and management for livestock farmers. The field day was under the Innovation Platforms (IPs) project being implemented by the CRI for promoting farming, especially livestock production at Amantin in the Brong Ahafo Region. The day formed part of a three-regional annual review and planning workshop on Sustainable Intensification of Integrated Crop and Small Ruminant Production System in West Africa at the institute at Fumesua, near Kumasi. The field work was attended by over 100 crop and livestock farmers from Atebubu and Amantin in the Brong Ahafo Region. The farmers were taken through the management, packaging and storage of maize straw, cowpea haulm and rice straw, which are said to be the best feed for livestock as well as having marketing potential in the sub-Saharan African country.      Speaking to the farmers, Dr Hans Adu-Dapaah, Director of CRI, said the field day was to educate the farmers on other income-generating avenues after harvesting their farm produce. He said most of the maize and rice straw, burned after harvesting, could be used to feed animals or exported to neighbouring countries for income. He stressed the need for farmers to adopt scientific means of farming practices and livestock feeding to ensure their animals were healthy. Alhaji Yusif Bunbas, a participant, expressed his appreciation to the research officers at the CRI for their research, which has improved agricultural production, especially maize production in the area.    He said the introduction of the new livestock feeding would help improve the health of their livestock and also reduce post-harvest waste.

The objective of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is to protect children from discrimination, neglect and abuse. It is the principal children's treaty, covering a full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The convention is the first legally binding international treaty to give universally-recognised norms and standards for the protection and promotion of children's rights in a single text. The UN General Assembly adopted the CRC and opened it for signature on November 20, 1989 (the 30th anniversary of its Declaration of the Rights of the Child). Ghana was the first country to sign the convention in January 29, 1990, and ratified it in February, 1990.  It came into force in September 1990, after it was ratified by the required number of nations. Currently, 193 countries are party to it, including every member of the United Nations except Somalia, South Sudan and the United States. Foundation of CRC The convention rests on a foundation of four general principles that express its philosophy and offer guidance to national programmes for putting that philosophy into effect. These principles are non-discrimination, best interests of the child, right to life, survival and development and views of the child. Enactment of the Children’s Act Ghana followed up the ratification of the CRC with the enactment of the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 650) to reform and consolidate the law relating  to children, to provide for the rights of the child, maintenance and adoption and regulate child labour and apprenticeship. A statement issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to mark the 25th anniversary of the CRC touched on some of the striking inequities facing children.  It said although Ghana had made progress on child well-being, the latest data from the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) showed that disparities still needed to be bridged. According to the MICS, in spite of the economic growth, huge disparities still exist, and unequal distribution of resources among the north and the south, rural and urban, poor and rich continue to grow rather than decline. Children living in rural areas  As a result, Ghanaian children living in rural areas experience higher levels of infant and under-five mortality compared with those living in urban areas.  A child in the Upper West Region is nearly three times more likely to die before the age of five than a child born in the Greater Accra Region.  Evidence revealed from the MICS survey also showed that even though primary net education rate was about 84 per cent for Ghana, nearly half a million children were still not enrolled despite universal free basic education. The UNICEF report, ‘Every child counts – revealing disparities, advancing children’s rights’, throws light on the importance of data in showing where the most pressing issues mitigating against children are and how data can be utilised in making progress for children. “In Ghana, UNICEF is a knowledge centre on children because of the various surveys we have undertaken in collaboration with the government. These have helped to expose where the conditions are worse for children and to advocate for more work to be done,” said Susan Ngongi, UNICEF Ghana Representative. Worse conditions that some children encounter are children who find themselves in exploitative labour that affects their health, education and growth and development. Parents’ obligation Parents have an obligation under the CRC and the Children’s Act to exercise their parental responsibilities. It also acknowledges that children have the right to express their opinions and to have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate, to be protected from abuse or exploitation, and to have their privacy protected, and it requires that their lives are not subject to excessive interference. The report says that a lot of progress have been made since the CRC was signed, and in the run up to the culmination of the Millennium Development Goals. However, it calls for much more to be done.  The report notes that "being counted makes children visible, and this act of recognition makes it possible to address their needs and advance their rights."  The convention deals with the child-specific needs and rights. It requires that states act in the best interest of the child.  For this reason, the governments of countries that have ratified the convention are required to report to and appear before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically to be examined on their progress with regards to the advancement of the implementation of the convention and the status of child rights in their country.  Ghana’s Children’s Act provides a very powerful legislation for the protection and promotion of children’s rights. While it is necessary to commend the government for ratifying the CRC and enacting the Children’s Act, there is still the need for all those who have the interest of children at heart to show the commitment to improve the situation of children and do more in helping them to reach their full potential.

The acting Director of the Department of Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Catherine Bob-Milliar, has urged women to take up leadership roles to help improve their representation in decision-making. She said women constituted majority of the country’s population, so it was necessary for them to be well represented to make meaningful impact on national development. “If you cannot take up leadership positions, encourage your daughters in the universities to participate in such roles,” she said. Mrs Bob-Milliar said this at a meeting of the Women Organisations Meeting (WOM) Network held in Accra. The meeting was attended by representatives of women groups and networks in the country to interact with officials of the department on their concerns. Mrs Bob-Milliar said the ministry recognised the vital contributions made by the various women groups towards women empowerment and gender equality in the country and gave the assurance that they would be encouraged to perform more effectively. Open Forum In an open forum, the women expressed concern about the plight of kayayei (female porters), unequal opportunities for women’s advancement, lack of funds for women’s groups and the proliferation of unregistered women’s groups in the country. The women also called on the ministry to revive the women’s groups by organising educational programmes for them to be abreast of current trends for development. They suggested that all women groups be brought together as one body to aid the development agenda of women in the country. Response Responding to concerns raised by the women, Mrs Bob-Milliar said their grievances would be communicated to the ministry for redress.  She, however, indicated that issues concerning the ‘kayayei’  were very complicated because all attempts by the ministry to make them return to their various communities after they had acquired skills had proved futile. 

The University of Ghana has begun the collection of road tolls despite a legal challenge to its action. Two students of the university have brought an action against the authorities in their capacity as Ghanaians praying the Supreme Court to stop the university from charging the said road tolls. They are, accordingly, urging the highest court of the land to declare the action of the university as unconstitutional. Ernest Victor Apau and Musah Mustapha, per their reliefs, are seeking the court to perpetually restrain the university and its agents from charging motorists who ply the university’s routes. The university is being sued as an entity. Joined to the suit is the Attorney-General. Reliefs being sought  The writ, dated January 29, 2014 and filed on behalf of the applicants by Mr Egbert Faibille, a legal practitioner, came about as a result of the university’s plan to charge road tolls with effect from February 1, 2014. The reliefs being sought by the applicants include a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 174 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, the road usage and user charges the university sought to introduce amounted to taxation. A move by the university to exempt some of its members of staff from paying the road usage and user charges, according to the applicants, was in violation of Article 17 (1) (2) and (3) of the 1992 Constitution. They also see that move as an abuse of discretionary powers and are, therefore, praying the court not to countenance it. The applicants are arguing that the action of the respondents had violated Article 174 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, because the tolls were introduced without an Act of Parliament. They are further praying the court to grant any other relief it (the court) deemed fit. A date is yet to be fixed for the hearing of the writ. Toll payment Meanwhile, the authorities began the collection of the tolls last Saturday, February 1, 2014 at four toll booths, resulting in heavy traffic at the university’s main entrances.  The booths have been mounted at the main entrance at Okponglo, Lingate, located on the Achimota-GIMPA road, TF, on the North Legon Road and the Banney Hostel, opposite the Presbyterian Secondary School. Commercial drivers pay GH¢2 for entry and the same for exit, private car drivers including students pay GH¢1 and heavy duty trucks are made to pay GH¢3.  Students can, however, pay GH¢100 per month to avoid paying the daily toll.  Lecturers of the university and their dependents, senior staff members, personnel from the armed forces and the police service, as well as those from the fire service, are exempted from the tolls. Complaint Many of the taxi drivers who plied the university’s routes paid the tolls amid protests, calling on the authorities to quickly reverse their decision in order not to have a negative effect on their work on campus. According to them, if the issue was not addressed, they would be compelled to increase their fares. Already the drivers who convey passengers to various parts of the campus for a previous fee of GH¢3 now charge GH¢6, while those who charged GH¢1 now take GH¢1.50 or GH¢1.70