Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) said it will invest in research and extension support towards increased output of the Shea nut industry, under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.   The NDC in its manifesto 2012, made available to the Ghana News Agency, said with the establishment of the 40,000-ton capacity Shea nut processing plant at Buipe, the main focus of the next NDC Government would be on support services.   According to the manifesto, under the scheme, the Shea nut Development Board established in December 2011, would  formulate policies and initiate activities for the sustainable growth of the industry.   The party said it would promote research into cotton for Ghana to become a market leader, increase support for cotton farmers to produce adequate quantities for the underutilized capacities in the existing cotton ginneries and by extension for the revival of the textile factories.   The manifesto said it would establish a legal framework to support the restructuring of the industry and reviving the Cotton Board to co-ordinate activities in the industry and streamline the production and marketing of cotton.   It said besides the 11,000 hectares of land that is to be irrigated in the Accra Plains with part of the funds from the China Development Bank loan, policies have been also slated for implementation, promotion of the efficient utilization of existing irrigation facilities, especially in drought prone areas, and the rehabilitation of viable irrigation infrastructure.   The manifesto said the next NDC government would develop appropriate, affordable irrigation schemes, dams, boreholes and other water harvesting techniques for different categories of farmers and ecological zones and the irrigation of 150,000 hectares of land under the Pwalugu multi-purpose hydroelectric scheme.   It said in the field of agricultural mechanization, the NDC guaranteed a remarkable increase in equipment and machinery to support the agriculture sector through the import of combined harvesters, maize harvesters, tractors and grains-cotton storage facilities.   The NDC said the creation of 77 new Agricultural Mechanization Service Centres will constitute the foundation on which a next NDC Government would build the new initiatives in the sub-sector.   The manifesto said the initiatives include expansion of the Agricultural Mechanization Service Centres to cover the remaining old districts as well as the new districts, and collaboration with the private sector to build the capacity of individuals and companies to produce or assemble farm equipment.   The party said under the leadership of President Mahama, the NDC government would continue to promote the production and use of small multi-purpose machinery along the value chain.   Government would facilitate the provision of farm level storage facilities, appropriate agro-processing machinery, equipment and intermediate means of transport, establishment of hire purchase or lease schemes with backup spare parts for all machinery and equipment.   According to the NDC, its main policy focus would be on averting the frequent violent clashes between nomadic herdsmen and food crop peasant farmers through the creation of fodder banks.   The manifesto said an NDC-led government would replicate the 245 hectare fodder bank to be established at Wawase in the Kwahu North District in other parts of the country.   It explained that NDC-led government would also initiate a scheme for the importation of cattle from neighbouring countries, particularly those in the Sahel region, to support the sustainable development of the livestock sub-sector.   The manifesto outlined other targets, including support for the large scale breeding and production of guinea fowls to boost the poultry industry, the supply of improved goats, sheep and pigs to farmers as breeding stock and the launch of a national campaign on the production of grass cutters and rabbits.   The NDC would target increases of maize and soya beans over the next four years, which would substantially benefit poultry production as excess over human requirements will be used in poultry feed.   The Private sector would also be encouraged to invest in poultry to enable the leverage of funding for the procurement of poultry and piggery infrastructure, equipment and other facilities including slaughtering and packaging.   The next NDC government would also provide Veterinary Health Support and extension services to farmers, support for private sector enterprises in animal feed formulation as well as hatcheries and the sensitization of the various poultry and livestock associations to actively take advantage of the above programmes.   The next NDC would promulgate the Plants and Fertilizer Act, 2010, Act 803, which regulates, monitors and ensures the use of quality seeds.   The manifesto said: “Our policy actions would be to support the development and introduction of climate- change resilient, high-yielding, disease and pest-resistant and short duration seed varieties, taking into account consumer health and safety.   “The NDC plans to build the capacity to develop more breeders and support the production of certified seeds and improved planting materials for both staples and industrial crops.   “The NDC said following the amendment of the EDIF law and the passage of the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund Act, the tight spigot on the flow of funds to the agriculture sector has been loosened and with more resources available for channeling into agriculture financing, the NDC Government will provide the framework to ensure adequate flow of funds to the agriculture sector”.   The manifesto said the party would accelerate the provision of farming and fishing inputs, agriculture-related infrastructure services and provide incentives for the Youth-in-Agriculture programme to become more commercially oriented as agriculture would be made more profitable.   The next NDC government would provide selective subsidies for the procurement of improved technologies for poor farmers and women; initiate a pension scheme for farmers as well as an Agriculture Insurance Scheme to cover agriculture risks.   “We would target the implementation of the recommendation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) for a minimum of 10 per cent of discretionary budget to be committed to strategic areas to improve agriculture production and productivity.   “The NDC Government would improve the effectiveness of the Research-Extension to Farmer linkages and integrate the concept into the agricultural research system to increase participation of end-users in technology development.   “We will also put emphasis on the use of extension methods such as farmer field schools, nucleus-farmer-out-growers and extension fields in the districts through mass education. We will also formulate an agriculture education syllabus that promotes agriculture as a business,” the NDC stated.   The manifesto said this is to quicken the pace towards full domestic food security, increased agricultural exports, improvement in farm incomes, production of raw materials for value addition through processing, generation of employment and alleviation of poverty.   The NDC said its next agricultural policy directive is based on its achievement through deliberate programmes implemented during the first term of the NDC (2009-2012) consistent with the promises made in the 2008 Manifesto.   According to the NDC, some of the major successes achieved include Ghana becoming self-sufficient in food production in 2010 and 2011, as total food production exceeded national demand and the domestication of maize production recording surpluses in 2010 and 2011 in spite of adverse weather conditions in 2011;   It stated that rice output doubled from the 2008 level in 2011 resulting in a corresponding 50 per cent reduction in rice imports and cocoa production exceeded one million tons for the first time in 2010/2011.   According to the NDC cotton production, which had reduced substantially to less than 1000 tons in 2008, increased ten-fold.   The party claimed that total fish production, including marine fisheries saw substantial increases due to the NDC Government’s support to subsidized premix fuel, outboard motors and technical backstopping to artisanal fishermen and through deliberate policies to promote aquaculture.   The NDC noted that agricultural productivity generally increased through uptake of fertilizers by farmers, the use of agrochemicals, pesticides and improved planting materials, with Ghana achieving the lowest annual food price inflation over a twenty- year period in 2011.   Meanwhile, in a survey conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education titled “Election 2012: matters of concern to the Ghanaian voter” obtained by the GNA, revealed that 48.2 per cent of respondent suggested that the government should subsidize agriculture inputs.   Another 21.1 per cent said government must give financial support to farmers in a form of loans and scholarships for children of farmers to enable them to continue their education to the highest level whilst 8.1 per cent called on government to provide market for farmers and also fix prices of agriculture crops.   About 7.3 per cent respondent called for mechanized farming, 5.3 per cent appealed for the provision of the irrigation and access roads by government, 4.6 per cent wanted government to make farming attractive to the youth, 4.1 per cent called for the provision of storage facilities for agricultural products, whilst 1.3 per cent suggested the reintroduction of state farms by government.   GNA...

Dixcove (WR), Nov 20, GNA – The Nana Hemaa Dakyi Hospital at Dixcove in the Ahanta West District on Tuesday received equipment as gift worth 9,000 dollars from a citizen of the town based in the United States, Mr Augustine Arthur.   The items included wheel chairs, clutches, surgical materials, disposables and syringes. The Dixcove Hospital serving 5,000 people according to Mr. Habib Ganiyu, Hospital Administrator, lacks equipment and this hinders healthcare delivery.   He noted that since the establishment of the facility years ago, it had not seen any major renovation or improvement in existing facilities adding that the hospital lacked ambulance. Mr. Ganiyu expressed the hospital’s gratefulness to the donor and appealed to others to assist the hospital.    Nana Agyeman IX, Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove, appealed to health care givers to woo their clients and give them the best of services.   GNA...

Sefwi-Wiawso (W/R), Nov 20, GNA – The Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) has embarked on a massive branch rehabilitation and refurbishment programme to make its banking halls serene and conducive to banking business.     It is part of efforts to provide convenience for customers and reposition the bank as one of the best performing financial institutions.     Mr Kojo Addae-Mensah, the Chief Operating Officer, who made this known, said 70 branches have been targeted.     He was speaking at a ceremony to relocate the Sefwi-Wiawso branch in the Western Region to a modern and spacious building in the town.     Mr Addae-Mensah said so far they are through with seven branches including Tarkwa, Dadieso, Ejisu, Sefwi-Wiawso, Samreboi and Abeka Lapaz.     In addition to improved environment, the bank was also providing a wide range of products and services such as the “GCB 24-hour personal loan”, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) services, “SMS banking and internet banking.”      Mr Addae-Mensah said to complement the investments made by way of refurbishment and introduction of products and services, the bank was training its staff to provide excellent services to customers.   Mr Addae-Mensah commended the people in the Sefwi-Wiawso area for their continued loyalty to the bank for the past 50 years and said in addition to the relocation to provide a spacious hall it was also providing modern banking facilities at their door step.     He advised the people to make maximum use of the bank while urging the staff to improve on their relationship with customers to increase its savings mobilization.   GNA...

Nyinahin (Ash), Nov 20, GNA – Teachers in the Atwima-Mponua District have complained about the nuisance caused by unscrupulous people, who take joy in defecating in classrooms.          They said nothing could be more demoralizing and nauseating than to see school children forced to routinely perform the unpleasant job of cleaning classrooms and school compound of faeces.         They therefore appealed to the district assembly, communities and the school management committees (SMCs) to do everything to wall the schools.         This comes as the nation joined in the celebration of this year’s “World Toilet Day”.         Mr Henry Osei, the District Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), said the school premises should become a “no-go area” to the community after school hours.         He said the school compound should be protected and must not be used as thoroughfare.       Miss Faustina Asamoah, a teacher at the Mpasatia Basic School, and her colleague, Miss Priscilla Owusu of the Kuffuor Basic School, appealed to community leaders to help address the unhealthy situation.       They said it was affecting academic work as greater part of the contact hours was spent on cleaning, washing and spraying the classrooms with disinfectants.   GNA    ...

Kumasi, Nov 20, GNA - The Most Reverend Dr Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, Archbishop-elect of the Anglican Province of Ghana, has reminded Christians to become the voice of moderation and do more to calm tension as the country edged closer to the December 7 general elections.     He said it was important for all to recognize that no nation had succeeded in the midst of confusion and conflict.     He was delivering the sermon at an interdenominational service held to pray for the smooth conduct of the upcoming polls.           The programme, put together by the Local Council of Christian Churches in the Ashanti Region was under the theme “Preparing Ghana for free, fair, transparent and peaceful 2012 elections”.          The Most Rev Dr Yinkah Sarfo said although election was not something new to Ghanaians, nothing should be taken for granted.          All must be on the alert and accept to work together to protect the peace, unity and stability of the country and have the courage to denounce irresponsible and reckless acts likely to stoke tension and trigger clashes.          Archbishop Yinkah Sarfo advised those out there to foment trouble to have a change of heart because God would not allow any such evil agenda to succeed and plunge the nation into chaos.     He called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to provide level playing field and ensure credible elections whose outcome would be accepted by the contestants and the security agencies should also be professional, firm and even-handed in the performance of their duties.     Nana Ampofo Kyei Baffour, the Chief of Asem in Kumasi, appealed to Christians to continue to pray for the peace of the nation.   GNA...

Accra, Nov 20, GNA - Ghana will engage the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in a build up game to fine-tune preparations for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.   The friendly, according to Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is billed for Sunday, January 13 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).   He said "as part of our preparations for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, we have agreed to play Tunisia in a friendly in January in Abu Dhabi where Ghana will be camping for the tournament.   "We want to leave no stone unturned in our preparation so a match against one of the top sides in Africa like Tunisia will give the Black Stars the needed test for the Nations Cup."   Both countries are among the 15 joining hosts South Africa to see who dethrones the Chipolopolo of Zambia as the continental kings during the three-week gathering that starts on January 19 next year.   Information pieced together by the GNA Sports indicates that the North Africans are also billed to hold their pre-tournament camp in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The last meeting between the two sides was at the quarter final of the 2012 edition which the Stars won 2-1.   Ghana, pitted in Group B with DR Congo, Mali and Niger has hinted at playing two friendly games during the Abu Dhabi camping expected to last nine days.   The hint was contained in a pre-tournament and tournament proposed budget the GFA submitted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports a fortnight ago. In the budget, the latter allocated 100,000 dollars as appearance fee for their friendly opponents.   With the Tunisia game finalized, the GFA is expected to fashion out another opposition for their second friendly as specified in the budget.   Ghana, four-time champions will chase a fifth continental glory at the showpiece event after several failed attempts.   GNA...

Accra, Nov 20, GNA- Two Ghanaian assistant referees could be on duty when the next Africa Cup of Nations billed for South Africa, comes alive beginning Saturday, January, 19, 2013.   The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has extended an invitation to assistant referees; Alidu Salifu Malik and David Laryea for a prerequisite CAF Referees Elite Course designed for the biannual gathering.   The duo is among other selected official across the continent for the program from 21-29 November in Cairo, Egypt.   The officials are expected to undergo a fitness test and get abreast with refereeing related issues during the course.   The match officials for the January 19 to February 10 tournament will be drawn from the lot at the course.   There was no Ghanaian official at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations event held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.   GNA...

Booduori (U/W), Nov. 20, GNA – N2 Africa Project has introduced a new farming technology known as nitrogen fixation for smallholder farmers in the Nadowli and Wa East districts of the Upper West Region.      The new technology seeks to improve soil fertility through the cultivation of leguminous crops such as soybean, cowpea and groundnut using new farming methods.      The N2 Africa Project is being financed by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute/Savannah Agricultural Research Institute and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.     Mr. Asieku Yahaya, Assistant Research Officer at SARI, said at a farmers’ field day in Booduori in the Nadowli District that the project taught farmers new methods of applying fertilizer such as phosphorous fertilizer, muriate of potash, compost manure and the rhyzobium inoculants appropriately to increase yield.      The new technology had the potential to improve soil nitrogen content, enhance soil productivity and eventually increase yields of beneficiary farmers.      The value addition component of the project uses Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD) to train women in soya processing.      He said there was also a human resource development aspect which sponsored agricultural officers to further their education in agriculture related courses.      Mr. Salifu Mahama, MoFA-Nadowli District N2 Africa Project Schedule Officer, said the project was meeting its technology outreach objectives through the empowerment of a network of lead farmers to serve as an example to group members, neighbours and the wider agricultural community.      He said the project started its dissemination and demonstration implementation in the Nadowli District in 2010 through the District Agricultural Extension Agents in Zambogu, Goriyiri, and Daffiama with farmer coverage of 810.      He said in the 2011 farming season, the project coverage in the district increased to 1,800 farmers while beneficiary communities also increased to five.   Mr. Mahama said the project was also carrying out agronomic trials in Dakyea (cowpea), Ombo (groundnuts) and Booduori (soybean) under the supervision of SARI.   GNA...

Sang (N/R), Nov 20, GNA - The District Chief Executive for Mion, Mr. Dan Makandan, has said the Assembly was aware that the expectations of their compatriots were high but they need to be patient.   Addressing the first general meeting of the Assembly, he said the Assembly was patiently waiting for its share of the seed money to be given to the 45 newly created district assemblies.   Mr Makandan said this would enable the assembly to start the construction of permanent structures like offices and residential accommodation.   He said the Assembly was faced with numerous challenges for instance, workers commute from Tamale and Yendi to Sang, the district capital,  for official duties due to unavailability of  residential facilities and the temporary office structure is unable to accommodate all the relevant departments due to lack of space.   Mr. Makandan said in spite of these challenges, officers are dedicated to their work and are sharing the little resources at their disposal to perform their duties.    He said a lot of schools under trees had been eliminated in the rural communities and many CHIPS compounds improved upon to provide quality Health Care to the people.   Touching on Internal Revenue Generation base, Mr. Makandan called on the Assembly members to show interest in revenue generation by coming out with ideas to enable the Assembly generate funds internally.   The Presiding Member of the Assembly, Mr. Alhassan Adam, called for unity and team work to enable the new assembly to achieve set goals.    Touching on the Election 2012, he called the Assembly members to keep their ears on the ground and their eyes wide open so that any election related problems are promptly reported to the security agencies for prompt action to be taken.   The Mion Distrct Co-ordinating Director, Mr. Ibrahim Yussif, appealed to the Assembly members to sacrifice by using their motor bikes provided by the Assembly to carry out activities of the Assembly particularly revenue generation, and water and sanitation programmes.   He said in order to improve on sanitation the Assembly has placed an order refuse containers for the area.   GNA...

Gomoa Nyanyano (C/R), Nov 20, GNA - Mr Richmond Sam Quarm, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Gomoa East has said an NPP government would investigate how 400,000 Ghana cedis belonging to the District Assembly was withdrawn from the bank.     He said the missing of that huge amount meant for development denied the people of getting education, health, security and roads projects.       Mr Quarm, who is a former MP for the area, said this at a press conference at  Nyanyano Kakraba.     He said the government and other state institutions had been silent since the money got missing in March last year and nobody is being held responsible.       The money, donated by DANIDA for projects in the Gomoa East District, was mysteriously withdrawn by some unknown people from the Assembly’s account at the Agona Swedru branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank last year.       He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government had failed Ghanaians and there was the need to reject it on December 7.     Mr Quarm said records from the Gomoa East District Ghana Education Service (GES) showed that pupils’ performance has been very poor over the past four year.   GNA...

  Accra , Nov. 20, GNA - Slice Biz Team wins this year’s startup weekend competition organized by Youth Enhancement International and Startup weekend International as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week activities.   Slice Biz Team, which came up with an investment platform to generate start-up capital for SMEs in Africa, was adjudged winner by the panel of judges.   StartupWeekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures.   It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world.   The event held at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology in Accra, was led by the Regional Operations Manager at Startup weekend, Brett Nakatsu, Stephen Gyasi Kwaw, CEO Youth Enhancement International and Ernest Asiedu Caesar, Assistant Communications Manager, Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP).   All Startup Weekend events allow anyone to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams build around the top ideas as determined by popular vote.   Start-up Weekend Accra brought together over 60 budding entrepreneurs including programmers, tech designers, and business developers to pitch a start-up idea, develop, test, and then launch their new business all in the space of just 54 hours.   The participants were given 54 hours for business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback.   As inspiration to the 2012 participants, the event kicked off with a talk by David Osei whose company Dropifi not only won Start-up Weekend Accra 2011, but also went on to be named Start-up Weekend Global Winner, and number 3 ‘Top Tech Start-up in Africa’ by Forbes Magazine.   About 20 participants took to the stage to pitch their initial ideas, and the best 14 were selected to form teams. Teams brainstormed their initial ideas, refined strategies to target customer segments, problem solved, mapped out revenue streams, competitors, and marketing strategies, as well as beginning to build their websites, apps and online platforms to demonstrate on Sunday.   The teams were ably guided by input from several experienced mentors, including Regina Agyare, CEO of Soronko Solutions, Eric Crowther , Director of Operations, Lumana Credit, Kwame Osei Owusu, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, LESDEP, Ian Ziddan, Product Planning and Development Manager, MTN Ghana and Mr. Ernest Asiedu Caesar, LESDEP, who helped participants think about the ‘bigger picture’ of scalability and sustainability, avoiding the trap of over-focusing on product details or features at the expense of sound business strategy and appeal to investors.   The teams then validated their ideas, building a minimal viable product, and writing their final pitch presentations. Working up to the last minute, the 54-hour time limit was up, and the moment to present their hard work had arrived.   The panel of expert judges including Ian Ziddah, from MTN, Richard Tanksley from MEST, Sammie Rayner from Lumana Credit, Michael Obeng from LESDEP and Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah former CEO of Commonwealth Telecommunications Union, listened to the pitches and chose the winners based on their customer validation, their execution and their business model.   In second place was Picrazzi, who pitched their photo-sharing phone app that uploads photos instantly to online albums without the need for user uploading. In third place was Agripro who designed an online and phone-based investment platform that links agricultural investors with farmers in Africa.   The top three teams would get the chance to pitch their ideas at the “Outlook of the Ghana Economy” Conference to be attended by President John Mahama and 200 of Ghana’s top CEOs and win cash prizes as well as the opportunity to enter the global competition.   Some of the entries pitched for the competition included LetsTour, an online tourist information platform, with a focus on linking tourists in Africa to local tour guides, Waali Wireless: an ad-hoc wireless backbone to improve connectivity speed and access to online information in Ghana and ICT4C, a social enterprise that uses video tutorials to teach 8-18 year-olds about computer programming.   The participants interviewed said Start-up Weekend was undoubtedly a learning experience that all those who took part would hold on to and build upon in their future ventures.   GNA  ...

  Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - The Labour Rights Institute (LRI) has appealed to workers to exercise their rights under the Labour Acts to stop work and vacate their workplaces when they find themselves in conditions that threatened their health and safety.     The institute gave this advice on Tuesday in a statement signed by Mr. Mohammed Affum, Executive Coordinator, and issued in the aftermath of the Melcom Shopping Mall disaster.   The statement said workers should take this action after they had reported the life-threatening condition to their supervisor.   “This right of workers is derived from section 119 of the Labour Act which provides that when a worker finds himself/herself in a situation at the workplace which he/she has reasonable cause to believe presents an imminent and serious danger to his/her life, the worker shall immediately report this fact to his/her supervisor and remove himself/herself from the situation,” it said.   “If the workers of Melcom Shopping Centre were aware of their rights and had stopped working in the shop, after a report of cracks in the building was made to their supervisor, those who died would have been alive today,” said the statement.   It said the rights of workers provided for in the Labour Act included the right to work under satisfactory, safe and healthy conditions.   “That is why the Labour Act has, in addition to making employers largely responsible for ensuring a safe working environment, given workers the right to vacate health and life-threatening situations as protection from possible injuries or death from work place accidents,” the statement said.    The statement said  the Labour Act had made it unlawful for any employer to instruct workers who had vacated dangerous and life-threatening conditions to return to work.   “So where an employer orders workers, who have vacated dangerous working conditions at the work place to return to work, the workers should refuse such orders and such refusal will not amount to insubordination because the order itself will be against the Labour Act, and therefore, unlawful,” the statement said.   According to the statement, the Labour Act had also made it unlawful the dismissal, termination of employment or non-payment of wages of workers who had removed themselves from dangerous and serious situations at the work place.   The Institute advised workers who are threatened with sanctions for refusing to work in conditions that threatened their health to report to their trade unions, the Labour Department or the National Labour Commission for the employer to be called to order.   GNA...

Accra, Nov 20, GNA- The Black Satellites, would in three weeks learn who they would be housed with at the group stages of the 2013 African Youth Championship (AYC).   Ghana will answer the roll call at the Algeria competition after booking a place in the biannual competition they last won in 2009.   Information pieced together by GNA Sports from the secretariat of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), indicates that the balloting for the competition has been fixed for Sunday, December 9, in Cairo, Egypt.   Seven countries plus host Algeria will be balloted into two groups for the March 16-30 tourney. Ghana, Benin, Egypt, Gabon, Mali, Nigeria and DR Congo complete the list of qualified nations for the Championship.   The Satellites, winners of the 2009 AYC plus the World Youth Championship (WYC) qualified on a 5-4 aggregate after a two-leg meeting with Morocco.   The four semi finalists of the competition would automatically qualify to represent the continent at the FIFA (WYC) billed for Turkey late 2013. GNA  ...

Tamale, Nov 20, GNA -Four junior High Schools in the Tamale Metropolis have received hand washing facilities worth GHs 12,000 to help improve hygiene in their schools.   The recipient schools are Kunyerule Primary School, Lahda Junior High School, Nyohini Presbyterian ‘A’ and ‘B’.   The donation forms part of activities marking the World Toilet Day which seeks to create awareness and alter people’s behavior towards environmental sanitation.   Speaking at the day’s event Mr Amin Yahaya of the Integrated Action for Community Development, (INTAGRAD) an NGO who presented the facilities, appealed to the beneficiary schools to make use of the machines.   He said the machines were procured through the kind curtsey of Water Aid, Icco and Simavi who are members of the Dutch WASH Alliance.   Hajia Ramatu Mahama, the Head Teacher of the Nyohini Presbyterian Junior High School ‘A’ and ‘B,’ said the facility would fill the sanitation gap in the school.   GNA...

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  Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Monday organized a seminar for political party activists in the Ga South municipality of the Greater Accra Region as part of its sensitization programme towards peaceful elections in the  December polls.     The seminar was also to bring the party activists abreast with the dos and don’ts concerning the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections.   The seminar attracted party activists from Ngleshie-Amanfrom, Weija- Gbawe, Bortianor and Obuom- Domeabra constituencies, all in Ga South municiplality.    Addressing the participants, Mrs Joyce Afutu, Greater Accra Regional Director of NCCE, appealed to the activists to study the Political Parties Code of Conduct and abide by it as all political parties were signatory to it.   “By signing the code, it means that the political parties are ready to adhere to processes that could ensure peaceful elections”, she said.   She added that signing the code meant that the parties would condemn violence of all kind, avoid intimidating opponents, avoid destroying or defacing posters and paraphernalia of opponents, avoid electoral fraud, and the use of inflammatory statements as  stated in the code”, she said.   She urged the participants not to allow themselves to be used by the politicians to achieve their selfish gains as they alone would be held accountable for crimes they commit.   Mr Kofi Frimpong, Ga South Municipal Electoral Officer, advised the electoral officials to desist from preventing people from voting because they did not have voters’ Identity cards.   “With this new biometric system, it is not the person with identity card who votes, but the one whose name is found on the register and has had his or her finger prints verified by the verification machine”, he said.   He advised people to desist from multiple registrations as the new machine would easily detect it when someone tried to engage in multiple registration or impersonation.   He said every ballot paper had a unique serial number which could not be duplicated, adding that the Electoral Commission had put in place measures which could help eliminate foreign and illegal ballot papers.   Mr Frimpong advised political parties to select people who could read and write as polling agents in order to avoid misunderstanding, and to help make the work of the presiding officers easier by cooperating with them.   Superintendent Shaibu Osei, Ga South Municipal Police Commander, advised political party leaders to study the Public Order Act which enjoins them to inform the police before organizing any outdoor event, and abide by it.   In a communiqué issued at the end of the programme, the participants called for an end to insults during rallies, and urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage.   They also called on the police to be alert and urged party agents to refrain from interfering with the electoral process.   GNA...

Tamale, Nov. 20, GNA – Government has procured four (4WD vehicles), 200 motorcycles, and computers for distribution to Regional and District Environmental Health Officers to effectively perform their duties. This initiative formed part of efforts by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to build the capacity of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies particularly the Environmental Health and Sanitation Departments (EHSD) with the required logistics and resources to position them to facilitate the implementation of sanitation programmes at the local levels. Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of MLGRD, announced this during this year’s World Toilet Day commemoration held in Tamale on Monday. The Tamale event was the national commemoration and attended by organizations working in the Water, Sanitation and Health sector including school pupils. World Toilet Day, which is an annual event commemorated on November 19, is set aside by the global community to draw attention to the fact that an estimated 2.5 billion people in the world are currently without access to improved clean and safe toilets or latrines. In Ghana, the latest statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2012 shows that only 15 per cent (3.7 million) Ghanaians have access to clean, safe improved toilets in their homes, 58 per cent of the population share toilets with their neighbours or use public toilets and another 4.6 million Ghanaians defecate in the open daily. This year’s commemoration was under the theme: “Achieving Open Defecation Free Ghana”. Mr Ofosu Ampofo said the MLGRD with support from development partners and other key stakeholders had put in place the required institutional, policy and legal/investment framework “to address this developmental setback”. He said “I must indicate that the required enabling environment now exists and therefore we must make the desired effort to increase the current low access on sanitation.” He said tackling issues of sanitation should not be the responsibility of government alone instead “it must be seen as a collective responsibility and all hands must be on deck to ensure descent working and living environment for sustainable development”.   He called for a change of attitude and ways of doing things if the country was to achieve the 54 per cent target of access to improved toilets by 2015. Mr Ofosu Ampofo said to move the sanitation agenda forward, the MLGRD had adopted the Community Led Total Sanitation Programme which was being implemented currently in five regions adding the next government would scale it up to all the 10 regions to ensure that the required impact was achieved in all communities. He expressed the gratitude of government to its development partners, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, civil society and community based organizations for their contribution towards improved sanitation and making Ghana free of open defecation. Naa Demedeme, Acting Director of EHSD appealed to chiefs and custodians of land to impress on land lords, tenants, prospective developers and subjects to provide toilets in their homes. Madam Clara Dube, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Tamale, said sanitation was the most cost-effective of any health intervention and called for a stronger commitment on parts of all to make Ghana Open Defecation Free (ODF). Awards were presented to schools for emerging tops in quiz competitions on sanitation as well as for 2012 ODF communities.   GNA ...

Ho, Nov. 20, GNA - Ms Darling Norgbey, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) has appealed to women across the country to use their endearing attributes to help diffuse simmering political tensions that could develop into full blown conflicts. Ms Norgbey, who is President of Police Ladies Association (POLAS), Volta Region, was addressing members of the Association and other security services ladies after a march on Saturday through the Ho Township to herald peaceful elections in the region. She said the peace message should be taken home, shared and propagated, among family and friends adding that POLAS was adding its voice to the call for peaceful elections coming from across the country. Ms Norgbey said POLAS was throwing its support behind “police and other sister security agencies to put in place elaborate plans to ensure the integrity of the electioneering process”.  “As women, the call for peace is very relevant because should the peace and tranquillity that we enjoy be curtailed as a result of any unfortunate disturbances, we and our dear children would be the ones to bear the full brunt,” Ms Norgbey stated.   GNA ...

Accra, Nov 20, GNA - Mr Joe Costello, Irish Trade Minister, has called on the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana on the anniversary of the tenure of Dr Conor Cruise O' Brien, a former Vice Chancellor of the university.     Mr Costello on Monday met Prof Ernest Aryitey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana on account of the 50th anniversary of the commencement of the tenure of the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana.      Dr O’Brien, an Irish, was Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana-Legon, from 1962 to 1965, after which he took up a position at the New York University.      Mr Costello said Dr O' Brien was someone who challenged conventional wisdom during a long and cherished career in government, at the United Nations, in academia and in media.   "He believed that true scholarship is not only worth pursuing for itself, but also, one of our best defenses against political oppression and violence."      Mr Costello said Dr O' Brien's lifetime of writing and research, debate and public service, had a deep impact on Irish life and beyond.      "I understand that his time in Ghana likewise, left a legacy that is acknowledged with great warmth and respect to this day."      He said Dr O' Brien, "if he were with us today", would have taken pride in acknowledging the role the University of Ghana had played in the education of some of Ghana's leaders.      "We are conscious of the loss of the late President, John Atta Mills, who died suddenly earlier this year Former President Mills was himself a graduate of this University and spoke warmly of Dr O' Brien, when our Ambassador presented his credentials to him last year."     Mr Costello, presented a copy of a book by Dr O' Brien entitled, "Memoir, My Life and Themes", to Prof Ernest Aryitey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, as a future resource for academic study in the University.       He also, together with Prof Aryitey, agreed to hold an annual "Conor Cruise O' Brien Memorial Lecture in the University of Ghana, beginning from 2013.     "I know that in a few weeks, Ghana will elect a new President, and that you will continue to set the bar by which democratic governance across Africa is measured," he said.     Prof Aryitey said "we are elated by the visit of this delegation."     He said Dr O' Brien, apart from being an academic, stood for strong principles such as integrity, honesty with one's convictions among others.     Prof Aryitey said whilst the university was fulfilling its duty to feed young people with knowledge, "the integrity need is almost forgotten".     He said the lectures would rekindle the need for certain values, such as integrity, accountability, to be made a part of the process of grooming young people into future leaders of the country.     Referring to Dr O' Brien, he said  "It is befitting for a man who did so much within a short time, to have annual lectures held in his memory,"     Dr Cruise O' Brien, 1917 to 2008, was an Irish politician, and academic.     GNA ...

Kumasi (Ash), Nov. 20, GNA – The Ashanti Youth Business Executives (ASHYBEC), a business group, has described the New Patriotic Party (NPP) manifesto as very friendly to the business community in Ghana.     In a statement issued in Kumasi, Mr Theophilus Davis, Vice President of the group, said after taking much time to study the NPP manifesto, ASHYBEC is convinced that the manifesto of the NPP has something good for Ghanaian businessmen and women.     Mr Davis said after monitoring the IEA presidential and vice presidential debates held recently, the group was encouraged by the fact that the NPP had a very formidable team to handle the economy of Ghana.     He explained that the instability of the cedi is badly affecting business operations in the country adding that “the cost of doing business today in Ghana is so high due to erratic power supply coupled with high electricity tariffs and businessmen do not have access to loans due to high interest rate”.     The ASHYBEC Vice President said these factors and the love they have for mother Ghana have motivated the group to throw their support behind the formidable team of Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mamudu Bawumia to ensure the growth of businesses in Ghana, with its attendant socio-economic development.     Mr Davis gave the assurance that ASHYBEC would do all in its power to rally solidly behind the NPP to make a huge difference in the December 2012 general election.   GNA ...