Atuabo (W/R), Oct. 27, GNA--The Omanhene of Eastern Nzema, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III, says the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) gave out money to perform rituals at Atuabo in the Ellembelle District to commence the gas infrastructure project.   Awulae Kpanyinli told the Ghana News News Agency on Thursday at Atuabo that he directed the Tufohene of Anochie to collect the money from the GNGC to purchase the necessary items for the pacification of the deity tree "Hohor" before it was felled by the contractors executing the project.   The Tufohene of Anochie in an interaction with the GNA during a familiarisation visit by the Standing Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs at the project site indicated that the GNGC gave him 215 million old Ghana cedis towards the rituals.   Tufohene of Anochie said he bought seven cows, five bags of rice, 10 sheep, five crates of soft drinks, two crates of locally manufactured gin (apeteshie), one castle bridge and other items to perform the rituals.   He said that the chief priestess of the Tohor deity, Mame Kpolakeh, performed the first ritual on Friday, October 12, and the second one on Wednesday, 17 October, respectively.   He said the blood of the cows and sheep was used for the rituals while the meat was used to prepare delicious meals for the chief priestess, elders and opinion leaders in the community.   When contacted, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GNGC, Dr. George Sipa-Yankey, confirmed that the GNGC had given some amount of money for rituals to enable the contractors for the gas project, Sinopec, to cut down a huge tree at the project site, which the chief priestess, had warned that if the necessary rituals are not performed, she would not allow it to be cut.   According to the CEO of the GNGC,  the chief priestess also dared the Chinese contractors that if  "they are men enough" they should cut the tree without performing the rituals adding that since GNGC wanted the project to be completed as scheduled, they negotiated with her for the necessary rituals to be performed.   Dr. Sipa-Yankey said there is another deity tree called "Banzela", which also has to be cut down but the chief priest had demanded money to perform rituals as that no misfortune would strike the men working on the project.   The CEO of the GNGC noted that” we are in a country where superstition in our traditional set-up is very much respected and important hence the decision to convert the items demanded by the chief priestess into money for the rituals.”     GNA...

Accra, Oct 26, GNA-Government has been called upon to expand the national best teacher award and the president’s special award schemes to cover private schools in order to make these schemes “nationally holistic”.   “There are equally best teachers in the private schools as well so they must all be given the opportunity to compete for the teacher’s award so that they can also be recognized nationally for their hard work in helping educate children of Ghana.   Dr Wisdom Kpehor, Director of Good Shepherd International School, in Accra made the call at the school’s 20th anniversary celebration held on Saturday on the theme: “Transforming life through Education; Your role, My Role”.   The school which started in 1992 with three children belonging to Dr Kpehor and his deceased Wife, Mavis, now has 400 pupils and 40 teachers.   Dr Kpehor said private schools still remained key players in the provision of quality education to children in the country so as government continues to roll out programmes to benefit public schools, considerations should be given o private schools and involve them in such packages.   He cited the capitation grants, school feeding programmes and free uniforms, being given to public schools to be extended to the private schools to lessen the burden of all parents in Ghana.   “The notion that it is only the rich parents who send their children to private school is not totally true. I know lots of people who struggle very had to ensure that they educate their children through the private schools”, Dr Kpehor noted.   He called on the government to waive corporate tax off private schools and provide other incentives to entice more people to venture into establishing more schools to support government efforts in providing basic education for all Ghanaian children.   The Director urged both teachers and parents to train children in the proper use of ICT technology to enhance teaching and learning instead of leaving the students to explore these “technological interventions negatively.”   He announced that the school intends establishing an education endowment fund in memory of the Mavis Kpehor to cater for brilliant but needy children, particularly, the girl-child.   Mr Seth Ayivi-Tosuh, Head of Distance Education, Teachers Education Division, Ghana Education Service, who represented the Minister of Education, Mr Lee Ocran, said education still remained a major priority of successive  governments as various political parties currently campaigning for the 2012 elections are all giving much attention to educational programmes they wished to enroll should they win power.   “Indeed education addresses the manpower needs of a country, education eradicates poverty, education eradicates diseases, education reduces the indiscipline and the recklessness on our roads…in fact education teaches us to do away with some of the socio-cultural practices which hinder development”, Mr Ayiv-Tosuh indicated.   He therefore stressed the need for an educational policy that would stand the test of time in respective of which political party or government was in power. This would ensure consistency and reduce negative impact on children.   He advised students to continue to learn hard and become responsible adults who would take over the affairs of the country.   He expressed the Education Ministry’s commitment in partnering the private schools to provide quality education for children in Ghana.   Madam Shirly Ayorko Botchway, Member of Parliament for Weija, who is currently the Parliament candidate for Sowutuom/Anyaa, commended the school managers for the successes chalked in the facility’s 20 years of existence.   She advised the youth to avoid politicians who would want to “use you to cause mayhem or steal ballot boxes on election day”.     GNA...

Accra, Oct. 27, GNA - A seminar for 70 election monitors of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Odododiodioo constituency opened in Accra on Saturday.   It was preceded with a four-hour walk and physical exercise involving aerobics at the Richard Akwei Memorial School at Ayalolo led by Mr Maxwell Borketey, a physical training instructor.   Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Isaac Adjei, Elections and Campaign Coordinator of the party, said the seminar was for Ward Coordinators of the NDC in the area who would be monitoring the December General Elections in the constituency.   He said as Coordinators, they would be on the move throughout the period, which would be physically demanding and had to be fit for the task.   Mr Adjei called on the participants to attach importance to the exercise to enable them to form teams in their various wards who would be capable of anticipating outcomes to make them effective in managing the elections to ensure resounding victory for the party to continue the Better Ghana Agenda.   He urged them to keep their communication lines open to be able to devise systems to verify alarms to ensure successful and peaceful elections adding that the seminar was to equip them with the rudiments, rules and regulations on election management.   The Constituency Chairman, Mr Daniel Nii Okai, popularly known as Toza, noted that even though most of them were involved in previous elections, there was the need to improve their performance to ensure a successful election.   He stated that ensuring free and fair elections was a collective responsibility and said there was need for them to know what was expected of them as election monitors to ensure that the NDC retained power.   Mr Okai said elections were won at the polling stations and urged them to ensure that members of the party in their wards turned up in their numbers to cast their votes on the Election Day to ensure victory for the party.     GNA...

Tamale, Oct. 27, GNA – The authorities of the University for Development Studies (UDS) will not accept any change of name in the university by students who wish to do so.      Professor Haruna Yakubu, Vice Chancellor of the university, said this in a speech read on his behalf on Saturday at the 20th Matriculation of the School Medicine and Health Sciences in Tamale.   He said the directive was to ensure that students who gained admissions with fraudulent results are detected and withdrawn.      He, however, said exceptions would be given to female students who got married during the period of their studies and would be given an individual merit to such students.      Prof. Yakubu said over the years some students apply to the university for change of name soon after matriculation and others do so soon after completion of their studies.      He said the situation aroused suspicion about the authenticity of their results slips and certificates saying, “There are causes to believe that they are cases of impersonation”      He warned the students that their results slips and other certificates that gained them admission would be scrutinized and that those that would be found to be fraudulent will face the appropriate sanctions including possible prosecution.      He announced that the university received a total of 12,056 applications for the 2012/2013 academic year to do undergraduate programmes out of which it admitted 6,209 but that 3,690 accepted the admissions.       Prof. Yakubu said UDS had introduced eight new academic programmes so as to continue to mount very relevant and demand-driven academic programmes in line with its strong commitment to rural and community development and national progress.     The eight new academic programmes, which had been introduced across all four campuses are; Bachelor of Commerce, BSc. Accounting, BSc. Accounting and Finance, BSc. Development Management and BSc. Land Management, all at the Wa Campus.      The rest are; BSc. Information Technology at the Navrongo campus; and BSc. Nurse Anaethesia and BSc. Biomedical Science at the Tamale Campus and expressed the hope that the university would contribute its quota to rural and national development.      On discipline, Prof. Yakubu advised students to conduct their lives well enough to avoid punitive measures, which may include expelling from the university depending on the severity of the offense.   He said the university would not relent in its efforts to provide quality training to deserving students and that its products would continue to excel in their various fields and advised the fresh students to carry aloft the success stories of the UDS.   GNA...

Tamale, Oct. 27, GNA – The Northern Regional Police Command had assured the public that it was ready for the forth coming general elections and had subsequently trained and equipped 130 police officers in a rapid deployment mission to deal with crowd and riot control.   The police officers who were given a week's training in endurance march, use of fire arms, operational field deployment and tactical intervention, and effective use of tear gas had been advised to carry out their duties professionally to prevent any violence during and after the elections.   To display their skills and readiness for action, mock demonstrators were strategically dispelled and quelled by the rapid deployment team.   Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Matthew Appiah-Agyei, Deputy Northern Regional Police Commander, reminded the public especially politicians to conduct themselves in an orderly manner to preserve the peace saying; ‘the police will deal with anybody who tries to create violence during the elections".   He said the police would use fire arms in crowd control on violent and recalcitrant riotous mob and deal with ring leaders in accordance to the 1992 Constitution adding that the personnel would use adaptability, mobility and professionalism to dispel crowd.   ACP Appiah-Agyei said the skills acquired would enable the men to carry out their duties strictly on procedures and not on trial and error basis noting that identification of early warning signals and nibbing them in the bud were part of the strategies.   He said the police would give equal protection to all political rallies and other special events to avoid clashes in accordance with the Public Order Act 491/94 stressing that the police would not tolerate any unlawful road blocks.   Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ebenezer Tetteh, urged the personnel to use their professionalism shown at the exercise to respect the human rights of the citizens during the elections.   GNA...

Tamale, Oct. 27, GNA - The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is to establish computer and multimedia lecture rooms with video conferencing facilities at its distance learning centers across the country including the main campus.      The move is to facilitate smooth and sound academic exercise as well as make science and technology education accessible to all.      Professor William Otto Ellis, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, said this at the matriculation of KNUST northern sector students of its distance learning programme in Tamale on Saturday.      The matriculation was to formally accord the students, numbering 250, who would be undertaking their studies at the Tamale and Bolgatanga centers, a full status as proud junior members of KNUST.      A similar ceremony was held last week for KNUST's southern sector students in Accra.      KNUST admitted a total of 3,892 students comprising 1,628 postgraduate students and 2,264 undergraduate students for its distance learning programme for the 2012/2013 academic year.      The programmes include Commonwealth Executive Masters in Business Administration and Public Administration, Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mechanical Engineering, BSc in Building Technology, and BSc in Business Administration.      Professor Otoo Ellis said: "Plans are also underway to start the construction of our cherished Accra - City Campus for our Institute of Distance Learning."      He said the university had been undergoing serious reforms as part of continuous efforts to improve on its systems and standards adding, "this year, we were able to send regular updates to our applicants, informing them of the status of their admission applications through regular text messages and emails".      He said: "It is our resolve to continue to improve even upon this feat through the use of modern information and communication technology platforms to consolidate our image as the preferred destination for sound science and technology education in Ghana and in Africa at large."      Professor Otoo Ellis told the matriculants that notwithstanding the challenges, KNUST would continue to do its best to make their studies stress-free as much as possible.   GNA...

Wa, Oct. 27, GNA – With effect from this academic year, the University for Development Studies (UDS) would no longer accept any application for change of name from any student of the university in order to eliminate the prospect of impersonation.      It has been observed that some students apply for change of names immediately after matriculation and others do so just before completing their studies which arouses suspicion about the authenticity of their results slips and certificates.      However female students who may marry during the period of their studies would have their cases studied on individual merit.      Professor Haruna Yakubu, Vice-chancellor of the UDS, made this known in a speech read on his behalf by Professor David Milliar, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university, at the matriculation of 2,873 fresh students into the Wa Campus of the university on Saturday.      He warned the new students that their result slips and certificates would be scrutinized and all those found to have fraudulent results would not only be dismissed but also face prosecution.      Professor Yakubu said the university would continue to pursue a gender-sensitive admission policy which clearly showed in the admission of 31.9 per cent females this year for undergraduate programmes as against 29 per cent last year.       He said the university received 12,056 applications for under graduate programmes but only admitted 6,209 students for all its campuses out of which 3,690 accepted the offer with 68.1 per cent of that number being males and 31.9 per cent females.       The university has introduced eight new programmes across its four campuses namely; Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science (BSc) Accounting and Finance, BSc Development Management and BSc Land Management, all at the Wa Campus.      The Navrongo Campus would house BSc Information Technology, while BSc Anesthesia and BSc Biomedical Sciences would be at the Tamale Campus.   The newly established Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences would be handled by the Nyankpala Campus.      Professor Francis Bacho, Dean of the Wa Campus, reminded the new students that they would be confronted with many challenges and obstacles in their academic and social life on campus but should let their personal resolve surmount the challenges.      He appealed to them to be circumspect in all things they do and focus on their academic work.   GNA...

Winneba (C/R), Oct 27, GNA - Muslims in the Effutu Municipality on Friday held prayers at Kokobim in Winneba to mark the celebration of Eid-Ul-Adha, the feast of sacrifice.       Alhaji Mohammed Monsuri, Chief Imam of Effutu, led the worshipers to pray for the peace of the country before, during and after the December 7 elections.       They also prayed for God's guidance for President John Dramani Mahama and his vice, political party leaders, and ministers of state.       Mr Mike Allan Hammah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, and also the Member of Parliament for Effutu, expressed the hope that the event would reflect on the lives of the entire people to contribute their quota towards the growth of the area.       He advised politicians that it is God who installs chiefs hence there was no need to fight or cause confusion in their quest for positions.       Mr Hammah said the government had put in place the necessary measures to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections.       He, therefore, assured Ghanaians not to panic but rather come out in their numbers to exercise their franchised.       He later presented two rams and cash of 300 Ghana cedis to the community as his contribution towards the celebration.    GNA...

Winneba (C/R), Oct. 27, GNA - The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has introduced a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy female science students as a way of encouraging women to pursue science and mathematics based disciplines.      Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, Vice-Chancellor of the University, made this known in a speech read for him at the National University Forum on Gender Equality in Winneba.      He said science and mathematics were fields of study where women were woefully absent and required such intervention.      The forum was oragnised by the UEW in collaboration with the United Nations under the theme: “Innovations and Challenges in Pursuing the Gender Equality Agenda in High Education”.       Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw said the university, through its mentoring programme, mentored early career women to groom them for future senior leadership positions.       He said gender equality issues should be of concern to everybody and should contribute in whatever way possible to achieve that global agenda.      “There is every indication that none of the MDGs will be achieved in totality unless there is greater equality between women and men and increased empowerment of women and girls”.       According to him, it is time to back political promises with the investments and resources needed, adding that if girls’ education continued to the secondary level and beyond, they would be better equipped to make informed choices about lives.       Mrs Wilhelmina Tete-Mensah, Director, Gender Mainstreaming of the UEW, said gender mainstreaming was a core value in the university.       According to her, it had added value to the work of the university and enhanced its image.       In a report read for Mrs Afua Ansre, Country Coordinator of UN Women Ghana, she said “achieving the MDGs depended so much on women’s empowerment and equal access by women to education, work, health care and decision-making”.      The Deputy Registrar, Mr Rexford Abedi-Boafo, said over the past eight years, the UEW with donor support had initiated and implemented various programmes for gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment. He said a Gender Plan of Action was developed in 2006 to guide the university to mainstream a gender perspective into all of its operations.   GNA...

Accra, Oct 27, GNA - Ga Dangme International (GDI) has donated a maternity birthing bed valued at GH¢ 8,000 to the Abokobi Health Post clinic as part of their support in the health sector.   Dr Martey Sam Dodoo, the President of GDI, who announced this at press conference on Friday in Accra, said the organization was planning to launch a program to identify clinics and hospitals to encourage private US investment to upgrade the facilities and the staff to ensure high quality delivery of services.   He said the GDI is a non-political organization with members who are represented in all the political parties in Ghana, USA and also in Canada.   He said GDI, was established three years ago under the leadership of Ms. Mary Dodoo (nee Evans-Anfom) in collaboration with South Eastern Ghana Development Foundation where it started organizing annual health and chronic disease screening at Abokobi.   Nii Amoo Dodoo, the President of the Ga Dangme community in Virginia, who led the group to do the donation, said GDI members often visited medical directors, the clinician providers and nurses at the Abokobi health post in an attempt to identify their most clinical challenge.     GNA...

Bramkrom (E/R), Oct. 27, GNA - Mr Kwaku Bram Larbi, a legal practitioner with support from voluntary Health officials on Friday organized free medical screening for the students and teachers of Maa Larbi Memorial School in Bramkrom in the Eastern Region.   Mr Larbi, also a native of Bramkrom in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said poor delivery of health care and education and lack adequate infrastructure at the Bramkrom community necessitated the exercise.   He said as part of their contribution to the community, the health officials administered free screening and drugs for the 250 students and teachers in the community on the first October 26th.   He on Saturday Oct 27th, the team would carry out the exercise for the entire community.   Student of the Bramkrom will be given toothbrush and toothpaste each.   Mr Larbi said the Bramkrom School was established by his late parents with support from their (parents) siblings. He said the school would be renovated and promised to also finance an ongoing clinic project to provide health care delivery for the community.   The clinic to comprised two consulting rooms, restrooms for patients, dispensary room and an accommodation for the medical officials, is expected to be completed in November.   Mr Larbi said currently students in the school enjoyed free education to enable parents to send their wards to school and encourage other corporate bodies and government to support financially.   He lauded the effort of Mrs Mavis Frempong, the District Secretary for Abirim North Constituency in the Eastern Region for donating roofing sheet for the school.    Nana Kwabena Chartey, Chief of Bramkrom thanked the Larbi family and the voluntary health officials for the exercise, adding that it would help improve health condition of the people in the community.   Other community challenges Nana Chartey mentioned were lack of electricity and poor road network and appealed to government to come to their aid.   Some of the students who spoke to the GNA expressed their excitement about the exercise.      GNA...

Bolgatanga (UE), Oct 27, GNA - Sheik Tahir Saeed, Deputy Upper East Regional Chief Iman, has enjoined Ghanaians to accept the results of the forthcoming elections and the winner as one ordained by God to lead the country.   Sheik Tahir said this when he addressed this year’s Eidhul Adha celebration in Bolgatanga on Friday where hundreds of Muslims converged to pray to God for the mercies endowed them over the year.   He said as the campaigns of the elections peaked up, Ghanaians should be guided by their utterances and not conduct themselves in ways that would compromise the peace the country had enjoyed over the years.   He prayed for peaceful elections and asked God for a choice of a President who would steer the affair of the country.   Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, asked Muslims to stand by the virtues of peaceful coexistence and love for one another as the Holy Quran has instructed.   He said it was not enough for Muslims to gather and celebrate Eid but should remember that the Holy Quran was revealed as guide to humanity and applied in all human life and every relationship between human beings.   He said the guidance provided by the Holy Quran also prescribed appropriate rules and limits that governed the relationship between parents and children, man and woman, employee and employer and all spheres of life.   He asked Muslims, therefore, to avoid activities that would foment troubles in their communities and be proud of the religion they belonged which had always proclaimed complete equality among all races.   "I will therefore appeal to all our gentlemen and ladies to stand for peace before, during and after elections and not to allow yourselves to be used to cause trouble in our respectful places and beyond" the Regional Minister added.   He also assured Ghanaians of government's commitment towards ensuring peaceful and transparent elections.     GNA...