Tamale, Nov. 6, GNA – The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has expressed the need to bring together all trade unions in the country under one umbrella to ensure effective implementation of policies that would protect and sustain the welfare of workers.   Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, Deputy Secretary General of the TUC said the trade unions have been so divided that there are more than 50 unions which does not make positive impact on their members.   He said the TUC has therefore targeted the Nurses and Doctors Union, Teachers Union and Civil Servants among other unions.   Dr Baah was addressing the Northern Regional Council of Labour in Tamale on Tuesday. The meeting was also used to elect new executives for the union in the region for the next four years.   He said the informal sector would also be brought under the trade union to ensure that workers push their interests further.   He said the TUC is strategising to make sure member’s interest are sustained and protected through welfare schemes.   Dr Baah however expressed worry about the over politisation of issues in the country which he said does not auger well for the fledgling democracy.   “The focus of the elections must be about poverty and not about personalities,” he stressed.   He asked the youth to join the union and take leadership positions.   Mr Abudu Iddrisu, Chairman of the Regional Council of Labour said the union had chalked out successes in the past four years and noted that retention of the premium of some members is   worrying.   Mr Evils Mahama was elected the Chairman for the Tamale Regional Council of Labour while Issah Alhassan got the Vice Chairman position. Yidana Salifu was elected Secretary while Madam Comfort Juayidind emerged as the Women Chair.   GNA...

Kumasi, Nov 6, GNA - The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has vowed to continue with its nationwide strike.      It said its members would not return to work until its demand for premium is met.       This was contained in a joint statement signed by Kumasi, Kwabre East, Sekyere East and Ahafo-Ano South branches of the association in Kumasi on Tuesday.        The members warned that they would be in for a long haul and that “none of its members would go to work”.         CLOGSAG declared nationwide industrial action on Wednesday, October 31 and dissociated itself from the appeal by the Local Government Workers Union (LGWU) for the “payment of special allowances” to public sector workers.        The statement said this is not what members asked whilst LGWU has no bargaining certificate to negotiate for special allowances.        It said though few staff of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies belong to the LGWU, “it must be emphatically stated that since time immemorial, the ministries, departments and agencies have been CLOGSAG members and it is CLOGSAG that has been negotiating for salaries and allowances over the years”.   GNA...

Kumasi, Nov.  6, GNA – Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader, has urged supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to reach out to voters and assist them to have better understanding of the party’s manifesto.     This, he said, would help to win them over and assure the NPP of resounding victory on December 7.                        Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, was inaugurating the party’s constituency youth wing at a rally at Suame.      Its 10-member executive is chaired by Mr Mustapha Owusu.       The MP accused the ruling National Democratic Congress of poor performance, which, he said had led to widespread economic suffering, rising cost of living and joblessness.     The NPP represents hope for the nation and cannot afford to disappoint the people in the pending general election.       He said the party’s Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, would provide strong and effective leadership to transform the economy and make things better for the population.       Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu insisted that the free senior high school promise is not just a campaign tool to win elections.   He asked the people to ignore the mischief and desperate attempts by the party’s political opponents to discredit it.       The Minority Leader appealed to the people to vote massively for the NPP to put the nation on the path to real development and wealth creation.       Nana Kofi Senyah, the assembly member for New Suame, commended the MP for his tremendous contribution to the development of the area.   GNA...

Kumasi, Nov. 6, GNA – A former Director of the United Nations Development Programme Energy and Atmosphere Programme, Professor Emeritus Thomas Johansson, has underlined the need for emerging economies to invest more in efficient energy technologies.      The lack of access to clean and modern energy, he said, remained a major challenge and stifling industrial and socio-economic growth in many countries.      It is estimated that about two million people worldwide are without access to clean energy like wind and solar, which affects the quality of life and industrial development.       Prof Johansson was delivering a paper on “Global Energy Assessment (GEA) – Toward a sustainable future”, at a public lecture organised by the Kwame Nkrumah University of science and Technology (KNUST) Energy Centre in Kumasi.       The GEA is a research-based document, defines a new global energy policy agenda to transform the way society thinks about, utilise and deliver energy.       It was developed by the Cambridge University Press in partnership with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.       Prof Johansson noted that the document was the first ever fully integrated energy assessment with suggestions on energy opportunities and strategies for developing countries and emerging economies to meet the demands of the growing population.       He said more should be done to evolve energy efficient cars, buildings and domestic appliances, adding that, research showed that efficient end-use technologies could significantly contribute to large carbon emission reduction.       Prof Abeeku Brew-Hammond, Director of the KNUST Energy Centre, said modern and alternative energy sources would aid the fight to bring down poverty.       He pointed out that Ghana could not continue to rely on hydro to generate power to meet industrial and economic needs.       He called on technocrats, scientists and industries to brainstorm on ways to find alternative energy sources from waste, wind, natural gas, solar and nuclear to benefit the people.   GNA...

Accra Nov. 6, GNA – An Accra Fast Track High Court on Tuesday dismissed a writ of mandamus filed by the Independent People's Party (IPP) praying it to compel the Electoral Commission (EC) to accept the party’s presidential candidate's nomination form for the December 7, polls.   The court presided over by Mr Justice U. P. Dery noted that any delay against the EC would be detrimental to the whole nation.   It said the EC under the law had the mandate to regulate electoral activities as such published on October 17 and 18 as date for parties to submit their nomination forms.   The court said the IPP did not meet the deadline adding that a look at the form showed that the party did not provide the name of their vice president.   According to the court, the EC noticed that in some instances two signatories had the same identity card numbers while other identity card numbers did not exist.   It said even though the EC did not give the IPP time to correct or amend their nomination forms, the anomalies on the forms were huge hence the commission rejected it.   The court however did not award any cost.   Mr Kofi Appaloo, the IPP presidential aspirant, said he was not going to appeal against the court’s decision.   The EC in October rejected the presidential nomination form and the party filed a writ of mandamus praying the court to compel the EC to accept the party’s nomination form so it could contest in the December 7, polls.   The IPP noted that the acceptance of the nomination forms would enable the party’s Flag bearer, Mr Appaloo to take part in the December 7 Presidential Election.   According to the IPP the EC acted arbitrary when it failed to accept the Flag bearer’s nomination form adding that conduct amounted to public neglect.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 7, GNA – Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) telecommunications company of the year, Vodafone Ghana is currently offering consumer international calls which can save subscribers up to 90% on charges.   In an age of connectivity, consumers demand an international calling service, which is cost effective and keeps them connected to their loved ones abroad.   In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, Tara Squire, Head of consumer marketing, Vodafone Ghana explains: “Demand for calls to places in the US, Canada, UK and other destinations is such that we need to make sure that our customers are receiving the best value for money on these international calls.   “In today’s global village, our customers need to communicate comfortably with their loved ones so we have developed different international packages to suit their needs”.   Customers therefore can subscribe to daily or monthly bundles which allows them to make international calls for as low as 10 pesewas per minute to places such as US, UK, China and other popular destinations.   The friends and family package also allows customers to include one international number to the four local numbers to get extra value for money.   To subscribe to the daily and monthly international bundles, customers can dial *125*30# for the monthly bundle and *124*31# for the daily offer.   To add an international number to the family and friends package, customers must dial 555 and follow the prompts.   “Vodafone believes in innovative and helpful ways to support our customers and by introducing packages such as the International Packs, the focus is to better serve customers by giving them the power to connect on an international level without breaking the bank,” the statement said.   GNA...

Koforidua, Nov. 06, GNA  - The Controller and Accountant General’s Department has introduced a new system of record keeping of state budgeting and financial management to meet all budget and financial accounting and reporting.     The new system known as Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) would enable Ministries, Departments and Agencies to carry out the process of requesting, purchasing, receiving, paying and accounting for goods and services electronically.     Addressing participants at a training workshop to introduce accountants of government agencies and departments from the Eastern Region to the new system in Koforidua on Monday, Daniel Amin Sahnoon, a facilitator, said the GIFMIS uses a latest version of the oracle E-Business Suite software and rallies on improve organization and business processes.     He said the scope of the new system includes seven oracles E-Business suites modules namely General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Account Receivable, Cash Management, Budgeting, Fixed Assets and Human Resource Management.   Mr Sahnoon said the full implementation of the GIFMIS would serve as the single source system for official budget creation and management, cash and treasury management, financial control, accounting and reporting for the country as a whole.     He said over the past couple of years, a number of electronic financial management tools had been introduced in many nations across the world.     Mr Sahnoon said in Ghana as part of the ongoing public financial management reforms, the system had been introduced.     He said the beneficiary institutions under the first phase were the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing, Ministry of Interior, and Controller and Accountant General Department.     Mr Sahnoon said the benefits of such a system were enormous, as it would increase financial and procurement visibility, efficiency, cost saving and control in the institutions.     He urged the participants to take the training serious to be able to use the system effectively.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA - UT Life Insurance has donated seven “White Boards,” valued at Ghc1, 750.00 to the Tesano Cluster of Schools in Accra.   Mr. Evans Yaw Duku, Head of Retail Business of UT Life Insurance explained that the donation was just a token of many more support from UT Life Insurance Company towards education and most especially the Tesano Cluster of Schools.   Presenting the boards, Mr Duku noted that the company considers such gestures as part of the company’s commitment to education, “we donated furniture and other logistics to some schools at Aburi.   “Our core business as a Life Insurance Company thrives on minimizing risk on the society”.   Mr Duku said the company was committed to supporting education as part their corporate Social responsibility.   He said even though the proposal on the white boards project from Wisewater Foundation was out of their budget, the company was touched by its content “the plight of Teachers to harmful effect of the chalk dust.”   Mr. Emmanuel Amarquaye, Executive Chairman Wisewater Foundation, said the foundation seeks to raise sponsorship for 300 white boards at the cost Ghc75, 000.00 in one year.   “I am pleased to announce that with the donation from UT Life, we now have 230 boards,” he said.   Mr Amarquaye said the foundation was lobbying other corporate bodies and businesses organizations operating in the country to support in equipping the less privileged public schools.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA -  Local language broadcasters in Ghana were on Tuesday urged to assume a leadership role in educating voters to make informed decisions in this year’s elections.   “Broadcasters in the local language stations have the capacity of overcoming the barriers imposed by illiteracy and cost on newspapers, the internet and English language broadcasters,” National Media Commission (NMC) document obtained by the Ghana News Agency stated.      The document stated that local broadcasters should design political programmes that would help the electorates to understand political parties and their candidates as well as their respective policies.   “This would enable the electorate to understand the voting processes and why their choice matters to the political efficacy of Ghana’s democracy”, the NMC guidelines on broadcasting stated.   On culture and decorum, the NMC appealed to local language broadcasters to avoid the use of expressions or insinuations that have the potential to incite hatred on the basis of political, religious, ethnic and chieftaincy differences.   The document cautioned local language broadcasters to make conscious efforts to refrain from expressing their personal political views in their quest to educate voters.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – Referee Mary Adama, has rendered an unqualified apology to the Referees Appointment Committee (RAC) and Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) for her behavior during the recent fitness test at the El Wak Stadium.   In a letter of apology to the two bodies and retired referees; L.O Laryea, Alex Kotey and Joseph Wellington, copied to the GNA Sports, Adama said, “the verbal altercations that came from me were as a result of perceived injustice being meted out to me and which I felt could bring my refereeing career to an abrupt end.   She added that “those utterances and behaviour are very much regretted and i therefore apologise to you for bringing your hard-won reputation into disrepute.   Adama was recently heard on some radio stations accusing L. O Laryea, Chairman of RAG, Wellington and Quartey of demanding sex from female referees before granting them FIFA badges.   She also invoked curses on the three retired match officials for being unfair to her.   GNA...

Koforidua, Nov. 06, GNA - Mr Victor Smith, the Eastern Regional Minister, said on Tuesday that religion has a herculean role to play in ensuring that Ghana remains peaceful, before, during and after the December polls by preaching peace and tolerance to their congregation.    “You have to advise your congregation especially, the youth, not to allow themselves to be enticed with money or vain promises to engage in violent acts that can plunge the country into chaos,” he said.    Mr Smith was addressing the opening ceremony of the Catholic Bishops Conference Annual Plenary in Koforidua on Tuesday.    The week-long conference is under the theme “The Church: Family of God in Ghana at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace”.    He said they owe it a duty to be courageous and bold enough to bring to order any politician who in his quest for power uses violent and intemperate language.    “Whether the person is from government or opposition, it is your responsibility to have the moral courage to condemn irresponsible behaviours and attitudes,” he said.    Mr Smith said as the election draws closer, it might be helpful to recollect how close Ghana came to disaster during and after the 2008 polls and the need to maintain peace at all times.     He said there was no doubt that the battle would be fiercely fought, but that should not bring any social disorder in any part of the country.    “This is because in the case of violence, it will not discriminate between the rich or poor or a member of Political Party A or B”.   Mr Smith appealed to all Ghanaians to respect the people put in place to govern “us for God appoints leaders in society to ensure peace and security”.    He said some politicians had taken elections as life or death issues and were approaching them with the same mindset by preparing to sacrifice the peace of society to achieve their selfish agenda.    Mr Smith therefore urged the law enforcement agencies to stand up against all forms of manipulations by politicians in government and in opposition.   He appealed to the police to exhibit professionalism in the performance of their duties in order to win the confidence of the people.    Daasebre Professor Oti Boateng, Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, appealed to Ghanaians to be united as the December polls approach.    He said whatever the case, there would be losers and advised those who would be defeated in the upcoming polls to accept defeat in good faith.     Most Reverend Leon B. Kalenga, Apostolic Nuncio in Ghana, in a speech read on his behalf, advised Christians not to relent in their efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in society.    He said Christians should be ambassadors of peace at all times adding “it is our duty to promote and maintain peace”.    Most Reverend Joseph Osei-Bonsu, President of Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, said there was the need for social justice in Ghana where the rich get richer at the expense of the poor.   GNA...

Mpitimpi (ER), Nov.  6, GNA - The Ghana COCOBOD has supplied 20 million hybrid cocoa seedlings free of charge to cocoa farmers throughout the country, this year.   Mr Francis Antwi Adjei, Eastern Regional Manager of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) Control Unit (CU), who disclosed this,  said 3.6 of the seedlings were distributed to farmers in the Eastern Region whose cocoa farms had been infected by the disease, and those whose farms were more than 30 years, for re-planting.       He was addressing a cocoa extension public/private partnership rally, sponsored by the World Cocoa Foundation/Cocoa Livelihood Project (WCF/CLP) in partnership with the CSSVD-CU, at Mpitimpi in the Nkawkaw District on Tuesday.      The rally aimed to educate farmers on the devastating nature of the disease and also to deepen their knowledge in best farming practices to maximize production.      Mr Adjei noted that the disease, which was first detected by a farmer at Nankese in the Suhum Municipality, like the HIVand  AIDS has no known cure.       “The only cure for the disease is to cut down the affected trees to prevent it from spreading to other cocoa trees”, he said.      Mr Adjei cautioned the farmers that if they prevent the cutting down of their infected cocoa trees, the virus would keep on spreading until all cocoa trees on the farms die after five years.      He said after the diseased trees had been destroyed, the affected farmers would be compensated and supplied with hybrid cocoa seedlings free of charge for re-planting, which would start bearing fruits within two to three years.   Mr Adjei said the Government through the COCOBOD would supply free fertilizers to farmers.      He also advised farmers whose cocoa farms were 30 years and more to allow their cocoa trees to be cut down and replant hybrid seedlings.      Mr Adjei said cocoa farmers would be given timber trees including Emire to plant on their farms alongside cocoa, and added that it was aimed at reforestation and putting more money into the pockets of farmers.       Ms Melody Attah, Regional Extension Officer, advised cocoa farmers to consider cocoa farming as serious business.       She asked cocoa farmers to form groups and to solicit knowledge on modern farming practices from extension officers to maximize output. Ms Attah advised cocoa farmers to avoid engaging their children of school going age on cocoa farms at the expense of their education.      She reminded cocoa farmer that buyers of the produce on the world market would blacklist Ghana if they detect that children below 18 years were being engaged on worst forms of labour on cocoa farms.       Ms Attah noted that children who were engaged to carry heavy load suffered stunted growth.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA -  The Centre for African Democratic Affairs (CADA) has asked political parties in the country to pay more attention to the issue of spoilt ballots in their interaction with the electorate as the December 7 general election approaches.   A release signed by Mr Frank Adarkwah Yiadom, Executive Director of CADA, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday noted that  although it was good to mobilise as many supporters as possible, it was even more prudent for parties to ensure that their votes were not wasted.   “It is ironical to note that political parties spend a lot of time, energies and financial resources canvassing for votes but do little to effectively educate their members and supporters to ensure that their votes are secured and not rejected.”    The release indicated that to win elections every vote was critically important, given that a 50 per cent plus one vote was the minimum number required to win presidential elections in Ghana.   It said during the first round of presidential elections in 2008, a total of 205,438 votes out of 8,671,272 ballots cast were rejected, an indication that 2.4 per cent of total votes cast were rejected.   “This high number of rejected ballots is unacceptable and every effort must be made to intensify voter education so that precious votes are not wasted because voters are unable to make their intentions clearly known”, it added.   The release stated CADA’s conviction that the presidential race could be settled in the first round if minimal rejected ballots were recorded in the forthcoming election and therefore save the nation from any unnecessary political tensions, time and additional resources.   The number of first time voters may be higher in 2012 than had been recorded in previous years,  the release pointed out, and said those new comers who had never voted in any national election would undoubtedly require effective voter education.   It cited the Electoral Commission and the National Commission for Civic Education as national institutions funded through the consolidated fund, calling for efficient collaboration between the two institutions to improve voter education in the country.   “Other Civil Society Organisations and organized groups are equally encouraged to support this noble activity of voter education in Ghana,” it urged.   CADA further urged religious groups to devote some time during their worship sessions to educate their congregation on the electoral process, and to seek assistance from professional bodies and individuals to sensitise their members on the electoral process.   GNA...

Nkoranza (B/A), Nov. 6, GNA – Mr Kwame Owusu Sekyere, a retired educationist, has appealed to teachers not to allow politics to influence their work to protect the sanctity of education in the country.        He told teachers to rather develop a vision to improve on the standards of education which is the pivot for national development.        Mr Sekyere, a member of the Nkoranza South Municipal Education Oversight Committee, said this at a joint meeting of the Committee and Heads of Basic Schools in the Municipality at Nkoranza.        It was to discuss the non-payment of examinations fees by parents, a major challenge of the Nkoranza Municipal Education Directorate.        Mr Sekyere expressed concern about the attitude of parents with regard to their children’s education especially the provision of basic necessities to complement government’s efforts.        Madam Philippa Banson, Nkoranza South Municipal Director of Education, commended head teachers in the Municipality for their co-operation and urged them to continue to keep it up to improve the standard of education.        “Your efforts and co-operation resulted in the 88 per cent achievement in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which placed the Municipality first on the BECE league table for Junior High Schools in the Brong-Ahafo Region,” she said.       Mr Ebenezer Asare-Baah, Nkoranza South Municipal Secretary of GNAT, called on head teachers to involve School Management Committees (SMC) and Parent/Teacher Associations (PTA) in all school activities and curricular in order to win their support in running their schools.        Mr Akrapim Baffoe, Logistics Officer at the Municipal Education Directorate, said the government had allocated 2,000 school uniforms for distribution to pupils in basic schools.   GNA...

Ho, Nov. 6, GNA - Scores of young men and women Tuesday morning in Ho engaged in scrambles and scuffles over “T” shirts of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).       The youth as early as 0600 hours besieged the Campaign Office of the (NPP) in Ho making loud noises in anticipation of the arrival of Nana Addo.      While they waited impatiently, the youth, about 100 took over the Assemblies of God-Stadium Road and moved from one end of the Road to the other jostling Party officials for NPP souvenirs.      A man and a woman engaged in strong verbal exchanges as both failed in a struggle to secure a “T” shirt.      Few others expressed frustration in their inability to secure “T” shirts and other party paraphernalia.      Some who managed to get the souvenirs decorated their private and commercial vehicles and paraded the Ho Township all day.        The town came alive around 0800 hours as motor riders rode through the town announcing the arrival of Nana Akufo-Addo.   He is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli,  address a colloquium at Ho Polytechnic and move to Dzodze in the Ketu-North District to address a rally.   GNA...

Cape Coast, Nov. 6, GNA – The circuit court in Cape Coast on Tuesday remanded into prison custody Esther Owusu, a 28-year-old trader, who allegedly hid wrappers of Indian hemp in food flask containing stew she was sending to her husband in jail.      The accused, who pleaded not guilty to possessing narcotic drugs, would be re-arraigned on Tuesday, November 13.      Mr. Ben Ansah Agyemfra, a State Attorney, told the court presided over by Mrs. Florence Kai Otu that Owusu lives at Anum Boso in the Eastern Region.       The prosecution told the court that on March 13 this year, at about 1130 hours, Owusu visited her husband, who was convicted 109 years for robbery, at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prisons.   Mr Agyemfra said officers at the Prisons conducted a search on the accused at the gate of the facility and found 111 wrappers of dried leaves and ten packets of tusker cigarettes hidden in a compartment of the food flask.      Mr. Agyemfra said when the accused was arrested and handed over to the Elmina Police she told the police that the flask containing stew was given to her by her husband’s friend in Accra to be given to him (husband).      He said the dried leaves, weighing 290.15grammes, which was sent to the Police Forensic laboratory was found to be cannabis.   GNA...

Tema, Nov. 6, GNA – The Tema Metro Directorate of Education, has held its 21012 Best Teacher/Worker awards ceremony at Tema, with 25 teaching and non-teaching personnel receiving various prizes.   Out of the 25 award winners, 10  received first and second prizes, with the remaining 5 taking the third prize.   For their prize, each in the first category took home a mini-laptop computer, while each in the second and the third categories received a 24-inch LCD flat screen TV, and four-burner standing gas oven, respectively.   The Metro Director of Education, Mr. Kwesi Hutchful presented three special prizes to deserving workers.   The first prize of a 32-inch LCD TV went to Mr. Kwesi Afrani Dapaah of the Statistics Unit of the Metro Education Office while Mrs. Marian Cobblah, Headteacher of St Alban’s Basic School at Tema Community One, received the second prize of a double-door refrigerator.   The third prize of a 24-inch LCD flat screen TV was won by Ms Rose Maud Nkrumah, Basic Schools Coordinator of the Metro Education Office.   Mr. Hutchful commended the award winners for their dedication, commitment and devotion to duty, and expressed the hope that the awards would motivate them to work harder.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA - The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in partnership with Conti Infrastructure Ghana Limited is to start work on a 595 million dollar Accra Sanitation, Sewer and Storm-Water Drainage Alleviation Project to control the perennial flooding as well as the sanitation challenges confronting the capital.   Conti Infrastructure Ghana Limited would be joined by two local contractors, Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Watertech Limited to execute the project.   The project intends to improve Accra’s flood protection and waste water treatment as well as steps forward the city’s position as the Millennium city.   Parliament has approved the loan facilities with the Export –Import Bank (EXIM) of the USA and providing 53,299,497 dollars, while the Standard Chartered Bank is also contributing 125,000 dollars.   The scope of the work will include desilting, dredging new siltation ponds and the removal of from the Odaw drains and the Korle lagoons.   It will also construct public toilets and eliminate sting and odour around the Korle Lagoon and the Odaw River; as well as restore the operation of the existing waste-water treatment plan.   Mr Afred Okoe Vanderpuije, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the project would be divided into two stages.   Stage one A is the immediate construction stage which comprise of approximately 150,000m cube of channel cleaning and excavation of the Odaw channel, Central Business District Drain, and the KLERP Interceptor area.   Bathymetric survey of the Korle Lagoon would be conducted to prepare the exact dredging scope and design for stage 1b of the work, waste collection would finally be conducted.    He said Stage 1b of the project will re-vitalize and dredge 500,000 meter cube area of the Korle Lagoon.  Twenty hectares of sedimentation basins upstream would be constructed along the Odaw Channel.   The stage 2 of the implementation stage will include the construction of a 15- kilometer storm sewer and combination sewer works throughout Accra with priority drain upgrades in Mataheko, Mampon and south Kaneshie drains.   About 6,300 meters of u-drain covers in Mataheko and the central business districts of Accra would be installed.    The Jamestown Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) project would be upgraded and re-commissioned after which 50 public toilet facilities would be constructed.    The implementers will design and construct a new 450 metric ton per day waste sorting facility and operate and maintain the facility for 3 years after its commissioning.   The implementers would provide waste collection services during its execution and carry out feasibility studies and new landfill design.   Mr Vanderpiuje said Accra has nine major drainage basins namely the Odaw, Lafa, Chemu, Kpeshie, Osu klottey, Morkwei, La, Songhor and the Korle Lagoon.    He explained that because these drains were mostly choked with waste, e-waste and other solid materials hence the perennial flooding in the city adding that the project was expected to bring significant change and make Accra one of the finest cities in Africa.   GNA...

Accra Nov. 6, GNA – Political Parties in Ghana on Tuesday expressed concern about a possible delay on verification process of voters in the upcoming general elections and urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to resolve the challenge as soon as possible to help enhance the credibility of the elections.   They also appealed to the EC to as a matter of urgency ensure that all holders of the voter identity cards were catcher on their facilities in order not to disfranchise anybody for no fault of theirs.    The political parties raised these concerns at a day’s forum organised for the presidential candidates and the leadership of political parties and other stakeholders in the election process in Accra.   The EC organised the forum to identify and resolve challenges to enhance the credibility of Ghana’s 2012 elections.   Voting on December 7 will start at 0700 hours and end on 1700 hours which involves 600 minutes.   A voter is expected to spend about two minutes on verification and going by that calculation, only 300 voters are likely to go through the verification process within the period.   The parties said a polling station that had more than 600 to 1,000 registered voters is likely to suffer some consequences of being disfranchises which could impede the electoral process and cause confusion.   They, therefore, called on the EC to work assiduously to address the challenge before the elections and also ensure that voters who could not find their names during the voter exhibition exercise but are holders of the voter identity cards are allowed to vote.   The parties pledged their commitment to play by the rules to complement the efforts of the EC in conducting peaceful elections.   Some of the party leaders appealed to the security agencies to be more committed to ensure clean and transparent election devoid of any acrimony while urging the working of the EC to remain professional.   They suggested regular interactions among the EC and political parties at inter-party dialogue forums to streamline all challenges involving the electoral processes to enhance transparency and credible elections.   Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, Chairman of the EC, reminded leaders of political parties that the EC was committed to conducting a successful election and had met executives of the various political parties in the regions and also brought some of them down to Accra to visit the EC’s offices to see things for themselves.   He said all those efforts were meant to build the integrity of the EC in the minds of the people.   Dr. Gyan said Ghana has the right to credible elections and that desire must not turn to be disappointment, explaining that the EC and other stakeholders have at stake a herculean task to conduct transparent and clean elections.   The EC wishes to promise Ghana transparent elections with no favour to any political party and pleaded for peaceful electioneering campaigns to sustain the prevailing peace to enable the people to elect a president and parliamentary candidates of their choice to govern them.   Madam Sally Taylor, Country Director of Departments for International Development (DFID) of Britain praised Ghana’s democratic credentials and said Ghana had performed well.   Electoral   Commission of  Ghana ,DFID and  KGC on  Tuesday 6-11-2012  held  a roundtable  dialogue with  various  Presidential  candidates  and their  representatives  in  Accra.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – World soccer governing body, Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has fingered the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the tortoise pace of the nationality switch of Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong.   FIFA told GNA Sports in a correspondence that the process has been held up due to the unavailability of documentation from the GFA required to decide the status of the 20-year old Ghanaian-born midfielder.   The revelation by the world soccer governing body absorbs it of any form of blame; leaving the matter at the doorsteps of the GFA to answer for the delay in the process which has lasted almost 12 months.   In a response copied to GNA Sports, FIFA catalogued the progressions reached on the issue, which has become a subject of discussion in local football circles. Frimpong is eligible to play for Ghana despite representing England at the youth level.   “On 13 December, 2011, FIFA received a formal request dated 21 November, 2011 from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the change of association of the player Emmanuel Frimpong. FIFA thereupon requested the GFA the standard documentation needed to process such a request.   “To date the GFA has not yet provided FIFA with a complete and updated file reflecting the current situation of the player, although FIFA has always immediately answered to all correspondence of the GFA and informed the latter of the necessary documents still needed,” FIFA said.   The global soccer sanctioning body requested the GFA to seek clearance from the British Football Associations including England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, on whether the Frimpong has ever represented either at senior level.   This was corroborated by Ibrahim Sannie Daara, Communications Director of GFA, who told GNA Sports three of the Federations, responded accordingly but Northern Ireland.   According to FIFA, it communicated to the GFA last week it’s preparedness to rule on the matter once the requested documents are intact.       “Moreover, on November 1, 2012; FIFA confirmed the GFA that once in possession of the respective documents, it would immediately proceed to submit the matter to the deciding body,” FIFA stated.   However, the good news is that the Irish communicated their response recently to complete the documentation requested by FIFA.   “We have received the response from the Irish Football Association. Now we have all the documents requested by FIFA and we have sent it to them accordingly,” said the GFA Communication Director.   With this, it is expected the documents will be forwarded to the FIFA Players’ Status Committee headed by Dr. Theo Zwanziger, former President of the German Football Federation (DFB) to rule on the matter.   Frimpong who played for the England U-16 and U-17 between 2007 and 2009 pledged his future with the Black Stars on September 6, 2011 after a meeting GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi in London.   GNA...