(E/R), Nov. 4, GNA – Professor Joe-Nat Clegg-Lamptey, Head of the Department of Surgery, Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, says cancer is the fourth cause of deaths among Ghanaians.   He said the increasing number of cancer cases, especially breast cancer in the country was very alarming and called on Government and other institutions to support the  anti- cancer cause.   Prof. Clegg-Lamptey was speaking at a media conference organized by the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC) to address the situation at Aburi in the Eastern Region on Saturday.   He said the causative factors for the increase in the prevalence of the disease was lack of knowledge, late detection and diagnosis, delayed in treatment procedures, negative socio-cultural beliefs and lack of funds for treatment.   Prof Clegg-Lamptey said though management was available in Ghana and covered partially under the National Health Insurance Scheme, there were limited facilities to deal with the increasing number of cases in the country.   He said it was important for medical health professionals to continue to educate the Ghanaian public and extend the coverage of breast cancer management to the rest of the country.   Dr Verna Vanderpuye, Oncologist Consultant at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, said Cervical, Breast and Prostrate cancers were the major cause of deaths in the country.   She said a cervical cancer dominated cancers diagnose in women  and was had a high rate of prevalence.   Dr Vanderpuye revealed that women who experienced early sex and women with multiple sex partners were at risk of having cervical cancer.       She said there was the need for Government to support the treatment of child cancer patients called for appropriate guidelines for cancer treatment.   Dr Olof Stahl, Medical Oncologist at SGMC, said the centre was facing serious challenges such as financial and medical staff, adding,      “Patients who visit the facility all need financial support for treatment.”   He said cancer was gradually assuming the lead as the number one killer disease, yet it had received a very minimal publicity and called on Government to recognise the treatment of cancer as its top most priority.   Mrs Gladys Boateng, a survivor of breast cancer and Chief Executive Officer of Reach for Recovery (RFR), Ghana, shared her experience and challenges such as financial and human resource because of the fear of stigma.   She said,  ‘I am happy to report that the organization has attained both national and international recognition.”   The SGMC has incorporated Sweden Ghana Cancer Foundation in June 2012 with the objective of providing financial support to Ghanaian cancer patients who cannot afford cost of treatment and aims at educating the public on early detection of cancer to enhance effective treatment.   GNA...

Winneba, Nov 5, GNA - Mr Francis Egyarko Donkoh, the Central Regional Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has predicted that the party would win 18 out of the 23 parliamentary seats in the Central Region.    He said the party’s youth wing, including students associations in tertiary institutions, are working hard to ensure that the target is achieved.    Mr Donkoh said this at the inauguration of the Senior Patriots Club of the University of Education Winneba (UEW) in Winneba.    He said the youth wing, apart from house to house campaign to explain the message of the party to voters especially floating ones, would also be vigilant at the polling stations on December 7.    Mr Donkoh said the NPP had the capacity to fulfil its campaign promises and the party’s presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had a vision and urged Ghanaians to vote massively for him on December 7.    He appealed to NPP supporters to step up their campaign on free Senior High School education to parents to understand the need to vote for NPP.      Mr Alex Afenyo Markin, NPP parliamentary candidate for Effutu, appealed to voters in the constituency to reject the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to pave way for development projects.   Mr Markin appealed to the supporters not to launch personal attacks on their political opponents but give them reasons why they should vote for the NPP   GNA...

Kumasi, Nov 5, GNA – The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, on Monday underlined the need to put premium on the socio-economic and political empowerment of women.   She said issues affecting their welfare and development needed to be given more prominence.   Mrs Mahama, who was on a day’s visit to Kumasi, was addressing a meeting with some queens at the Prempeh Assembly Hall.   She noted the significant contribution women were making to the economy in the various sectors - agriculture, health, education and the environment and said the government would ensure that the right policies were in place to help develop their knowledge and skills to make them more productive.   Mrs. Mahama said this would assist to bring down the high rate of poverty and ignorance among them.   She called for intensification of efforts at fighting all forms of cultural beliefs and practices that impeded their progress.   She used the platform to canvass for votes for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), saying the party had a long-standing record of working to improve the lives of women and the youth.   Mrs Mahama praised the Queens for what they were doing to transform the situation of the women in their communities through community skills-training programmes such as soap-making, batik, tie and dye, and the formation of virgin clubs.   Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, the Regional Minister, encouraged young women to avail themselves of employable skills training programmes initiated by the government to become economically self-supporting.   The First Lady had earlier interacted with some head porters in Kumasi, urging them to enroll for the youth employment programmes including the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP).   She donated to them 10 bags of rice, a quantity of edible oil and pieces of cloth to the porters.   GNA...

Takinta (W/R), Nov. 5, GNA - The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in the Jomoro District has identified four rivers suitable for cage-fishing and has appealed to investors to assist the youth to go into that type of fish farming.      The rivers are Amanzule at Nzulezo, Tano at Elubo and Ellenda Wharf, Abbey Lagoon at Jewi Wharf and New Town Wharf and Balebangla at New Town.       The Jomoro District of Director of MOFA, Mr Kenneth Buadu, said this at the Jomoro District celebration of Farmers’ Day celebration at Takinta.           Mr Buadu said experimental studies on the project in the Tano River yielded good result, an indication of its economic viability.      He said proper establishment of the project in the area would produce large quantities of tilapia, nilelotical, cad fish, lobsters and shrimps for local consumption and export.     He explained that cage-fishing matures between four and six months depending on management practice, adding that an initial capital of between 1,000.00 Ghana cedis could start the project which most youth in the area could not afford.      Mr Buadu said cage fishing is booming in the Volta Lake.     The Omanhene of Western Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye, who chaired the function, said with off shore oil drilling in the area, sea fishing would be affected soon.        A 61-year-old farmer at Onzanyamenleye near Elubo, Mr Charles Hammond, was adjudged the Jomoro District best farmer and took home a double-door refrigerator, a radio cassette player, a bicycle, a spraying machine, six cutlasses and two pairs of Wellington boots.   GNA...

Aburi, Nov. 05, GNA-Reverend Samuel Agyei, National President of the Christian Friends of Democracy, a Civil Society Organization,says the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) campaign promise to introduce free Senior High School (SHS) was not a serious proposition        He indicated that a realistic approach to SHS education was to improve upon government’s subsidy thereby taking away some of the costs but not total free as is being propagated.          Rev. Agyei stated his view on the NPP campaign promise in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on national politics and development.         He said political parties needed to make realistic promises to the people and not to take them for granted because when the people’s expectations were raised very high as was being done with the free SHS campaign, any disappointment could have far reaching consequences for the democracy of the country.         Rev. Agyei deplored the situation where some persons were trying to hijack the “freedom of expression” as the preserve of a few.   GNA...

Gomoa Asempanyin (C/R), Nov. 5, GNA – The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Gomoa West, Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah has stated that the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is not against making Senior High School (SHS) education free as is being propagated by certain political parties.   Speaking at the inauguration of two school blocks at Gomoa Asempanyin and Gomoa Oguan both in the Gomoa West District, Mr Aidoo-Mensah said all what the government was saying was that access to educational facilities for use by the students and training of enough teachers to teach the students must be secured before the start of the free SHS policy.   He said currently the schools were bedevilled with many challenges such as inadequate classrooms resulting in overcrowding, in some cases as much as 90 students to a class, inadequate furniture with students sitting in threes instead of twos to a desk, and inadequate teachers.   The DCE said these challenges had hindered the attainment of quality education by the schools which at times resulted in some of the schools scoring zero per cent in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).   He said starting free SHS policy by next academic year if given the nod in the upcoming elections would compound the problems in the educational system which the government was working hard to resolve.   Mr Aidoo-Mensah recounted the problems created by the decision of the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to increase the duration of SHS from three to four years for the students when no provision was made for classroom and dormitory accommodation for the students.   " For how long would our students be allowed to continue to attend classes under trees?" the DCE asked.   Mr Aidoo-Mensah promised to put up teachers' quarters in the town as soon as the Assembly received its share of the District Development Fund.   Nana Kumasah Krampah I, Mankrado of Gomoa Asempanyin expressed gratitude to the government for the number of development projects the town had benefited from.   He commended Mr Francis Kojo Arthur, Member of Parliament for the area for constructing a road linking the town with Gomoa Maim which had been abandoned for about 40 years.   Mr James B. Pratt, Headmaster of the School appealed for teachers’ quarters to enable the teachers to stay in town to help to control the pupils after school hours.   At Gomoa Oguan, Nana Okusae Edu XVII, Chief of the town appealed to the Assembly to connect electricity to the school to facilitate the teaching and learning of ICT.   The Headmistress, Miss Leticia Mensah appealed for teachers’ quarters, a library and computer centre.   GNA...

Apradang E/R, Nov. 05, GHA –The Kwahu West Municipal Director of Agriculture, Ms. Emelia Nortey, has advised farmers to add value to their produce to enable them market them locally and abroad.     She noted that before market bargaining power could be achieved there was the need for individual farmers to come together to have a common decision to determine the price of their produce.     Ms Nortey was addressing the 28th Municipal Farmers day celebration at Apradang under the team “Grow more food, Strengthen farmer base organization for market place bargaining power”, where 21 selected farmers including two extension officers were honoured.     They received items including wellington boots, Weedicide, insecticides, spraying machines, Television sets, cloth and roofing sheets with the municipal best farmer going to a 47- year- old, Nana Anim Agyei, from Kwahu Jejeti.     Ms Nortey said growing more food did not mean to cultivate the land using all the modern technologies without processing them to add value to the produce.     She noted that the Food and Agriculture Development Policy Document (FASDEP) and the external policy of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) recognizes the need to deliver extension service to small-scale farmers who faced the challenges of accessing input, credit and market for their products.     Ms Nortey therefore encouraged farmers to form sustainable groups such as farmer based organizations (FBOs) that would empower them to participate in the decision making process.     The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alex Somuah Obeng, in an address, said the government was supporting farmers in the municipality, including subsidizing of fertilizer, improved seeds and insecticide which had led to the increase in cocoa production and other food crops in the country.     He said there could be no development in the country without peace and advised the people to tolerate each other’s view during and after the December polls.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 05, GNA – ‘Back Home from Justice’ a movie by Abeiku Sagoe, a veteran actor, producer and a movie director, was on Sunday premiered in Accra.   The movie, which is the fifth by Mr Sagoe, centres on the extent people could go to become chiefs in their villages and it was shot at locations in Kumasi, Accra, Cape Coast, Elmina and Akwanda.   The movie featured several artistes including William Addo, Martha Ankomah, Eddie Nartey, Fred Amugi, Edinam Atasti, Vicky Zugah amongst others.   It portrays how Cudjoe played by Eddie Nartey returns from prison on a presidential pardon after serving twelve out of thirty years for the murder of his girlfriend.   In his absence, Gyarteng played by Solomon Sampah, does everything to be selected to the stool, only that the queen mother would not nominate him.   Then Cudjoe takes another girlfriend who is soon murdered, but this time, Cudjoe flees from the police to avoid justice and it takes his intelligent school mate, Adzo played by Vicky Zugah, an undercover police agent, posing as a mad woman to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder.   For the rest of the story, ‘Back Home from Justice’ is available in any movie shop.   Abeiku Sagoe, an artiste with over 40 years experience in the movie industry, has won both local and international awards and some of his productions include: ‘A Knock from Inside’, ‘Samori’, and ‘Avenger’ and ‘Nemesis’.   In 2004, his film, ‘Nemesis’ was officially selected for exhibition at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and was actually only one of three films in the category from Africa.   He is also the writer, director and producer of the highly rated ‘Standard Life’ which is currently serialized on TV3 and shown at 9pm on Mondays.    GNA...

Koforidua, Nov. 05, GNA-One hundred and fifty two candidates made up of 140 males and 12 females have filed their nominations with the Electoral Commission (EC) to contest for 33 parliamentary seats in the Eastern Region.   Information available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicated that, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) filed to contest in all the 33 seats.   They were followed by the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) 26, National Democratic Party (NDP) and Convention Peoples Party (CPP) filing 14 each, Peoples National Convention (PNC) 10 and 17 independent candidates.   The NPP during the 2008 elections captured 20 of the 28 seats then in the region followed by the NDC who won seven seats and the only independent candidate, Seth Adjei Baah, captured the Nkawkaw constituency who later identified with the NPP in Parliament.   This year, despite the emergence of other political parties such as the NDP and the PPP perceived by the public to have made huge inroads in political terrain, the two political “giants”, the NPP and the NDC still maintained their stands by being the only parties contesting in all the 33 constituencies in the region.   Out of the 12 females contesting, the NPP has four contesting at Lower West Akyem, being represented by Gifty Klenam (incumbent), Abirem, Mrs Esther Obeng Dapaah (incumbent), Lower Manya Krobo, Dufie Dedo Agyarko Kusi and Atiwa East, Ms Abena Asare.   The NPP in 2008 presented three females who won their seats but Ms Beatrice B. Boateng, the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, was defeated by a male counterpart at the primary and therefore failed to get the nod to represent the constituency in 2012.   In 2008, the CPP in 2008 put  three women contested on their ticket in the region but all of them lost.   The NDC on the other hand has two females contesting the Akropong and Abirem seats by Madam Margaret Ansah and Mavis Ama Frimpong respectively. Ms Frimpong is the Birim North District Chief Executive.   The CPP, being represented by Janet Darfour, is contesting the Afram Plains South. PNC has two females; Beatrice Addo and Agnes Akweley Adorshie contesting Akropong and Upper West Akim seats.   Bernice Amoah Odoi is contesting on the ticket of the NDP at Okere, Bernice Terchi-Duku and Olivia Addo are contesting on the ticket of the PPP at Ofoase-Ayirebi and Nkawkaw respectively and Madam Matilda Doccuvi, an independent candidate, is contesting the Suhum seat.   Currently, there are only 17 women Members of Parliament out of the 230 parliamentarians and gender advocates had persistently called on political parties to reorganize their structures to enhance women’s efforts in contesting in competitive elections such as the parliamentary seats to be active in decision making.   A UN report recently cited Ghana to be one of the countries that have few women representatives in parliament.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 04, GNA – Compassion Ghana, a NGO, has commissioned a computer resource centre at the Redemption Hour Child Development Centre (CDC) to improve teaching and learning of Information Communication Technology among children in Accra.   The facility which costs 54,000 dollars includes 36 computers, two printers, projector, photocopy machine and some computer books.   The project initiated in partnership with the Redemption Hour Faith Ministry, is aimed at equipping the children of Redemption Hour CDC to acquire the skills and knowledge in ICT and to help them develop their spiritual life, socio-emotional life.        Commissioning the project, Mr Justice Dadson, Partner Preparation Specialist of Compassion Ghana, said before the project started about 92 per cent of the registered children of Redemption Hour CDC attended schools without an ICT facility.   “So the general objective of this intervention is to improve teaching and learning at the Centre by enabling the registered children to have access to ICT resource centre”, he said.    He said it was important that children become more familiar with ICT at an early age to help them acquire the needed skills in ICT to climb the educational ladder adding that they would need it more in future as the world is moving to technology world.   “In this dynamic world it will get to a time that your illiteracy in ICT will not only make you less useful in an organization but you may also not be to survive in an industrialized community”, he noted.   Mr Dadson commended Redemption Hour CDC for taking the right step in establishing the computer laboratory.   He urged them to take good care of the center so that it would achieve its intended purpose.   Speaking of behalf of Redemption CDC, Madam Doris Van Dyck, acknowledged the importance of the project saying “it will help alleviate the concerns of the needy children in the community be it in education, health, clothing and feeding to a certain level where each child would be able to cater for his or herself”.   She commended Compassion Ghana for their effort  and assured them of Redemption Hour CDC’s commitment to maintain and properly manage the centre for achieve its stated purpose.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 5, GNA – An Accra High Court on Monday ordered the movement of Argentine Vessel, ARA Libertad from its present location to a safer site.   According to the court the vessel should be moved from berth eleven to six within the premises of the Ghana Ports Harbours Authority (GPHA).   The court made the order following an application put in by the GPHA seeking the leave of the court to move the vessel from its present location at the ports to a safer site as it was causing congestion at the port.   The court noted that the counsel for the Republic of Argentina had failed to demonstrate to the court how the movement of the vessel would cause damage to life and property.   According to the court presided over by Mr Justice Richard Agyei Frimpong, the government of Ghana and the GPHA were not parties in the matter and the two should not be made to suffer “any economic loss.   “The matter is between two foreign states and that government of Ghana and GPHA were not going to benefit from the trial,” the court noted   Granting the application for leave, it therefore ordered the GPHA to furnish the court with a written report three days after its orders.   The GPHA should also file weekly situational report to enable the court take decision in respect of the future of the vessel.   It further ruled that the GPHA was set up by a statute which mandated it to control ports and regulate the use of the ports among others, as such could not interfere in those activities.   Mr Asare Darko, Counsel for GPHA noted the Argentine vessel had caused a lot of congestion at the port and more so it was not paying any charges after docking at the port in October this year.   According to Mr Asare Darko it was getting to the peak period of the GPHA as Christmas approaches and would prefer the Argentine vessel to be moved from berth eleven to six which was safer.   “At the moment the GPHA was turning some vessel away to Ivory Coast as there was not enough space and there was no indication that the litigation between the Argentine and NML Capital Limited was going to end anywhere soon. As at now the country and the ports are losing economically,” he said.   He informed the court that the GPHA had the means to move the vessel to safer place but would need the order of the court to do so.   Counsel further debunked assertion that there were no personnel to man the vessel adding the GPHA had men who would safely move the vessel.   Mr Kizito Beyuo who argued for the Republic of Argentina asserted that movement of the vessel from its present location would cause damage to life and property.   Mr Beyuo contended that the vessel did not have personnel to man them stressing that the minimum number of personnel to man the vessel was 145 but were currently left with 12.   “There is unjustifiable risk to life and property if the vessel is moved,” Mr Beyuo remarked.   Mr Thaddeus Sory who represented NML Capital Limited opposed to the assertion that there were no personnel to man the vessel.   On October 11, this year the High Court dismissed a motion by Argentina to set aside orders, which had restrained one of its naval ships from moving or bunkering until further notice.   It therefore ordered that the Argentine vessel, ARA Libertad, should remain at Tema Harbour until the hearing of a writ, which sought to enforce in Ghana judgments against Argentina issued by the United States District Court and supported by similar judgments in the United Kingdom.   The presiding judge, Mr Justice Richard Agyei Frimpong said Argentina had not demonstrated the basis for which the injunction on the ship should be set aside.   He said the order he gave earlier on the movement of the ship, which came to Ghana on a goodwill mission as part of a West African tour, was proper.   The Judge said he had given Argentina the option to provide security to the court pending the determination of the case and Argentina had failed to do this.   Mr Justice Agyei Frimpong said in Argentina, the fiscal agreements it signed with its creditors, waived its own immunity.   On October 9, the court listened to arguments from counsel representing the NML Capital Limited, a subsidiary of Elliot Management, a New York-based investment fund engaged in the investment of pension funds, and the Republic of Argentina.   NML Capital Limited on October 2 went to the Commercial Division of the Fast Track High Court in Accra, to obtain an interim injunction against the Argentine ship currently in Ghana, with about 200 men on board.   On December 18, 2006, NML Capital was granted a summary judgement by the US District Court for the recovery from Argentina the principal bond of 284,184,632 dollars with respect to 10.25 per cent of Global Bonds due on July 21,2030, plus interest thereon.   GNA...

  Wa, Nov. 04, GNA – Eleven personalities who have distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavor have been honoured by the National Youth Authority (NYA) in the Upper West Region.      The awards dubbed “Youth Achievers Awards” was organised in collaboration with the Youth Rights Foundation for Africa to commemorate the African Youth Day celebration.      The awards which are in two categories namely; special awards and priority areas award were given to individuals who have contributed towards youth development as well as some youth for distinguishing themselves in various fields.      Dr Edward Gyader, Dean of the University for Development Studies (UDS) Medical school in Tamale, Mr Alban Bagbin, Minister of Health, Mr Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, Madam Sedinam Ahoinu Tamakloe, NYA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Archibald Donkor, Deputy Director, NYA and Rafiq Salam, Joy FM Upper West Correspondent picked meritorious awards under the special award category.      In the Priority Areas Award, Mr Abdulai Ahmed was honoured for Entrepreneurship, Mr Hudu Abdul-Wahab, Leadership, Peace Building and Good Governance, Mr Bakuoru Karim, Modern Agric, Suwera Prosper, ICT and Illiasu Baba Yussif for Health and Environment.      Mr Mumuni Sulemana, Regional Youth Director, said the awards were meant to appreciate and motivate the efforts of the awardees as well as challenge others to work hard to enable them win the awards next year.      He said NYA had established the Upper West Youth Endowment Fund to support brilliant but needy students and business minded youth and appealed to all who have the development of the youth at heart to contribute generously to the fund.      Mr Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, urged the youth to be committed to whatever they did and also channel their energy to productive courses.      He appealed to the youth to stay disciplined and avoid being influenced by self seeking politicians.       Mr Alban Bagbin, thanked NYA and Youth Right Foundation for Africa for honouring the youth and urged the youth to take advantage of the numerous opportunities offered by government to better their lot.   GNA...

Accra, Nov.05, GNA – The Ghana Evangelical Society has observed that some politicians are trying to deny Ghanaians their freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.   According to the society, there are many who could contribute meaningfully to national debate but are now coiling in their shells for fear of insults, vilification and name calling from “Ghanaian politicians”.   Reverend Professor Enoch Immanuel Agbozo made the observation on behalf the society at a press briefing on Monday in Accra and called for a special “Three day National Prayer and Fast for Ghana” for God’s divine intervention for a peaceful election from 21 to 23 November 2012.   He explained that the “culture of silence” that was experienced in the past was gradually creeping into the country even though Ghana was under a constitutional rule and urged Ghanaians not to allow that to happen again.   Reverend Professor Agbozo called on political parties to work towards achieving peace, pointing out that righteousness, truth, honesty and loyalty to the state were the required values needed from all Ghanaians for the building of a prosperous nation.   He noted that loyalty was a critical value that was lacking in Ghanaians and its corporate bodies and called for its embedment in the national character to help unify the nation for development.   He said Ghana was on the verge of establishing its true identity saying that could be achieved through the maintenance of peace and stability to enhance its growth and progress as a democratic nation.   Reverend Professor Agbozo appealed to Ghanaians, especially all religious organizations to rise together as one people “crying unto the one holy and living God” in supplication and intercession for him to grant Ghana peaceful elections.   On corruption, he said it canker has eaten deep into the fibre of Ghanaians, even in the churches, the political arena and other sectors of the economy.   Some political parties were using corrupt practices, such as diversion of public funds, vote buying, abuse of facilities and empty promises to win elections and that those involved in such practices had no moral right to stay in government.   GNA...