Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – Cargolux Airlines International’s Boeing 747-800 Freighter on Tuesday made its maiden touchdown at the Kotoka International Airport from its Luxembourg- Germany base via La Cote d’Ivoire.   The aircraft is the newest generation of B747 aircrafts and the most modern B747 all cargo to enter service and to be welcomed in Ghana. Cargolux is the first carrier to operate it.   Cargolux International, one of the largest cargo carriers in the world, is represented in Ghana by Air Ghana and has been operating in Ghana for the past 16 years, providing what Air Ghana Chairman, Mr. Marwan Traboulsi referred to as “consistently reliable service and support” to the Ghanaian import and export cargo markets.   Mr. Michael Maguire, Managing Director of Air Ghana, speaking to journalists at the KIA said the aircraft was the fifth of six B747-800Fs that Cargolux had purchased and they were hoping to operate it on all their routes instead of the B747-400F.   He said the new aircraft, which has the capacity to carry 139 tons of cargo-10 pallets more than existing aircrafts, would help serve Ghana’s agricultural, mining oil and gas industry with regular high cargo movements to and from the country.   The B747-800 also consumes less fuel and has a quieter engine in spite of its huge size.   “It is a message to Ghana that Cargolux, as one of largest cargo carrier recognizes Ghana’s strategic position in the West Africa.   “Ghana serves as one of the prime markets in Africa and we see a tremendous future here,” Mr. Maguire stated.   Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey, Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said they expected about 10 per cent growth in the cargo industry in 2013.   He noted however that the internal cargo industry might not grow as much due to the high expenses involved in domestic cargo.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – Mr John Abudulai Jinapor, the spokesperson to the President, on Tuesday denied a newspaper publication alleging that President John Dramani Mahama's convoy killed three persons in the Northern Region.   In a statement reacting to the publication in the Daily Guide newspaper, Mr. Jinapor stated that the President's convoy did not run over any pregnant woman nor was it involved in an accident in the Northern Region.   He described the publication as “another desperate ploy” by the opposition to divert attention from the President's successful campaign in the Northern Region, which had further boosted the popularity of the President in the region.   "We regret the adoption of crude tactics by some desperate and self seeking people who have resorted to publishing false stories about the president in the media," Mr. Jinapor noted.   He added that the opposition and their agents would fail in their attempt at fabricating stories to destroy the image of President Mahama.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA - Professor Francis Allotey, Chairman of the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT) Board of Trustees, has been awarded the Honorary Fellowship Award of the Institute of Physics (IOP) in London.    This was announced at an AIT Board of Trustees meeting attended by other academic luminaries like Professor Edward Ayensu, Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, Professor Samuel Adjepong, Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah and Professor Emmanuel Owusu-Bennoah.   A statement issued on Tuesday by AIT said the Institute of Physics Fellowship recognised Professor Allotey’s service to the field of physics internationally and in particular for his inspirational role in the promotion of physics in Africa.   Professor Allotey, an internationally respected mathematical physicist, is also the President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of a number of prestigious international scientific organizations including the International Institute of Theoretical and Applied Physics (ICTP) Scientific Council since 1996.   He is credited with establishing the "Allotey Formalism" – a technique used to determine matter in outer space, based on his pioneering ground breaking research on soft x-ray spectroscopy.     Other winners of this award include Professor Stephen Hawking, the world renowned theoretical physicist, who is regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Einstein.   According to Professor Clement Dzidonu, President of AIT, the Institute is proud of this great achievement by the Chairman of its Board of Trustees.   “Professor Allotey is no doubt a living legend of great and notable achievements internationally in the area of Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science”, he said.   Professor Ayensu, the Vice Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, who attended the award ceremony in London, noted that, Professor Allotey stood out as one of the greatest scientists of our time.   He said the award added to the numerous others that he had received over the years acknowledging his great accomplishments in the field of science.   GNA...

Accra, Nov 6, GNA – Bishop Joseph Oliver Bowers, a retired Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Accra, is dead at age 103.   Rev Fr Francis Adoboli, the Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, said Bishop Bowers died on Monday at Agomanya in the Eastern Region and his funeral arrangements would be announced later.   Bishop Bowers was born on March 28, in Massacre, Dominica.   [1] He traveled to the United States to attend St.   Augustine Seminary, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He was ordained on January 22, 1939, and continued as a priest in the Society of the Divine Word from 1939 to 1952.   He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Accra, and Titular Bishop of Cyparissia. Bowers was appointed Bishop of Accra on 8 January 1953 and received his episcopal consecration on April 22, 1953, from Cardinal Spellman at the Church of Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay St.   Louis, USA, becoming the first black bishop to be so ordained in the USA.   [2] In 1957, Bishop Bowers founded the congregation of the Sisters of the Handmaids of the Divine Redeemer (HDR) in Accra, which is dedicated to caring and comforting the poor.   He is also the founder of St John College and Seminary presently known as Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary, one of the best high schools in Ghana.   In recognition and acknowledgement of his pioneering work in Ghana, when the diocese of St. John's-Basseterre in the West Indies was created in 1971 - comprising the islands of Antigua-Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands - Bowers was appointed its first bishop on January 16, 1971, becoming the chief pastor in Antigua.   [3] On July 17, 1981, he retired from church office and, after some years spent in Charlestown, Nevis, returned to Dominica, where he lived in Mahaut in the care of his sister, Blossom Ann Reid. In the 1990s the HDR Sisters, some of whom had periodically visited him in Dominica, invited him back to Ghana and lived with them until he died on Monday.   Bishops attending the Catholic Bishops Conference in Koforidua visited him on Sunday.   GNA...

From Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA Special Correspondent in Chicago, USA (Courtesy of US Embassy)   Chicago, Nov. 6, GNA - The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners have posted 300 election investigators to the 2000 precincts to work to ensure a trouble and fraud-free elections.   Some of the investigators are assigned to wards whiles others would be making unannounced visits and inspections of polling places and responding to calls from voters and elections judges for assistance.   Mr. Langdon Neal, Chairman of the Board, who gave an overview of the 2012 general elections at a briefing in Chicago on Tuesday said the board had a nearly full complement of Republican and Democrats judges of elections for each precinct with over 200 stand-by judges.   A total of 1,364,723 Chicagoans are registered to vote in Tuesday elections with over 17,000 polling workers out of which 2000 are high school students. The city has printed its ballot papers in four different languages to encourage people of other dialect to cast their ballot.   In the US system of voting, persons who claim to be legally registered but whose record could not be found on voting day are allowed to cast what is called a provisional ballot, which is kept separately and the election authority has 14 days to determine if the voter qualified and whether the ballot could be count.   Mr. Neal said voters who might witness any act of irregularity or encounter any problem should make a formal complaint to the Board.   Meanwhile, both candidates in this presidential race in the US have carried out extensive campaign activities to encourage their followers as well as swing and undecided voters to vote.   President Obama is expected tonight at his hometown, Chicago where he may play basket ball with old time friends as he watches the results come in.   GNA...

Abokobi (G/A), Nov. 6, GNA – Mr John Kwao Sackey, Municipal Chief Executive of Ga East, said the selection of Abokobi by the National Planning Committee to host the National Farmers Day Celebration was in the right direction.   He said the unique community which has a Christian-based chieftaincy system, had been associated with farming and food security before the Danish settlers established 15 slave plantations in the Gold Coast of which eight were located in the area.   Mr Sackey was speaking at the opening of the 28 National Farmers Day Exhibition at the forecourt of the newly constructed Assembly offices at Abokobi in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.   He said although urbanization was increasingly depriving the communities in the Municipality of  arable land, the community had not given up on farming and was cultivating crops like cassava, yam, maize, garden eggs, tomato, onion and pepper .   Mr Sackey said with the help of Agriculture Extension Officers, farmers were adopting innovative farming methods to cope with the scarce land for farming, grass cutter rearing and zero grazing of cattle to keep them in sustainable business.   He said the Municipality has a vibrant poultry industry supported by feed mills as well as livestock kept by most farmers.   “Farmers also take the advantage of the limited land size to rear grass cutters and rabbits as an alternative source of livelihood.”   Mr Sackey said in line with this year’s theme of the celebration, “Grow more food; strengthening farmers based organizations for market place bargaining power”, the exhibition serves as a platform for farmers to learn and share new technologies and ideas as well as build networks for future marketing of produce.   He said Ga East has a number of tourist sites with the potential of rivaling some of the well known sites in the country.   According to him, Abokobi, was the settlement of the early Presbyterian missionaries where one Zimermann lived and first translated the Holy Bible into Ga, adding,”The unique chieftaincy system operated in Abokobi where the church and the traditional political institutions work together is also the envy of many.”   GNA...

Kumasi, Nov 6, GNA – More than 30,000 children in some selected rural communities in the Ashanti Region are to benefit from free dental care, Dr Thomas Agyarko-Poku, Executive Director of the Otumfuo Charity Foundation has announced.   The communities include Buoho, Abono, Behenase, Adansi-Praso, Kwadaso and Akyeremade.   Dr Agyarko-Poku said the exercise was being spearheaded by the Charity Foundation in partnership with two other organizations – Cape Coast-based Foundation for the Development of African Culture and Heritage and Smiles for Everyone Foundation in the United States (US).   Already, pupils at the Asem Cluster of Schools in Kumasi had benefitted. The wife of the Asantehene, Lady Julia Osei Tutu was present during the exercise for the pupils.   Dr Agyarko-Poku spoke of plans to set up a permanent mobile dental service at the Manhyia Palace to provide comprehensive dental care for the people.   Mr Norm Schulz of Smiles for Everyone Foundation said 15 doctors and two other health professionals from the US were in the region for the exercise.   They would train a local team and supply them with the relevant medical equipment to continue providing good oral health care for the kids long after the exercise had ended.   Lady Julia commended the team for their efforts at helping to improve the deal with dental health needs of children.   GNA...

Tuobodom (B/A), Nov. 6, GNA – A traditional ruler has appealed to legal practitioners to embrace and support the concept of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to promote and maintain societal and national peace.      Nana Agyemang Gyau II, Chief of Akrofro in the Berekum Traditional Area, said contributions of the bar to achieving the aims and aspirations of the institution of ADR in judicial adjudication processes could not be over-looked.      Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, Chief Justice in 2001 set up a task force with the objective to determine an appropriate policy direction that incorporates ADR in the court adjudication process.      Nana Agyemang Gyau, who is the Atipimhene of Berekum and a Member of the Brong-Ahafo Regional ADR Mediation, made the appeal at a ceremony to climax the 2012 Brong-Ahafo Regional ADR Week celebration at the Tuobodom District Court.      The ADR week is set aside by the judiciary to educate the citizenry and other stakeholders such as judges, court officials and lawyers on the use of ADR.      He said though legal practitioners relied on their clients for survival, litigation created disunity and that peace should always be sought for not only during general elections. He said the use of ADR was effective and guaranteed the interest of both parties with the parties involved in every aspect of the processes.      Nana Agyemang Gyau appealed to the public to resort to the use of the ADR in arbitration of minor cases as the process is reliable, cheaper, easier, expeditious, non-adversarial and fast.      Mr Abdul Wahab, Presiding Judge of Tuobodom District Court, said the ADR mechanism was a reliable partner to the traditional justice delivery system and must therefore be embraced and nurtured for an effective justice delivery system.      He said between 2007 and 2011, a total of 16,080 cases were mediated nationwide out of which 8,802  were settled representing 55 per cent settlement rate.      Mr Wahab  said ADR had been extended to 47 Circuit and District Courts across the country with at least three mediators assigned to each of these courts.      Mr Paul Frimpong, Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinator of ADR, said a court at any stage of proceedings could refer a matter to the ADR while any of the parties could also request for ADR during trial.      “Where a party communicates orally or in writing to the court for the referral of the case to the ADR and the other party agrees to the request, the court immediately makes an order specifying that the matter in dispute be settled by ADR,” he said.   GNA...

From Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA Special Correspondent in Chicago, USA Courtesy of the US Embassy   Chicago, Nov. 6, GNA - Mr. Gregory Holyk, Research Analyst at the Langer Research Associates, has stressed the need for the US to reactivate its interest in international affairs.   He said foreign affairs had a great impact on the lives of the American people and therefore called for the revival of foreign Bureaus, which served as a source of information for the country.   Mr. Holyk said this when delivering a paper on “What Kind of Foreign Policy Do Americans Wants” at a media event put up by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs at Chicago on Monday.   The Researcher said majority across the political spectrum supported the US taking an active role in world affairs. A survey conducted has therefore revealed that the Republicans wanted a 70 per cent participation; Democrats 60 per cent and Independents 55 per cent.   Mr. Holyk said while the Democrats were apt to seeing limiting climate change, combating world hunger, strengthening the United Nations and defending Human rights as very import foreign policy objectives, the Republicans were more inclined at reducing illegal immigration, maintaining US military power and combating terrorism.   On the other hand, the research analyst said, both Democrats and Independents were more supportive of non-military approaches to foreign policy such as diplomatic engagement and foreign aid, adding “Both are more open to talking with the leaders of the Taliban and other unfriendly countries or non-state actors and are inclined to make joint decisions within the United Nations.”   GNA...

Agona Swedru, Nov 6, GNA -The Executives and supporters of the Central Regional branch of the National Reform Party (NRP) have declared their support for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the December 7 elections.    Mr Ishmael Kofi Turkson, Central Regional Chairman of the Party,  who spoke at a press conference at Swedru, said this was to ensure that NDC wins the election to continue the second phase of “Better Ghana Agenda.”    Mr Turkson said the country had, within four years, seen tremendous infrastructure development and other social improvement in the areas of health, education and sanitation.     He appealed to the supporters who would be campaigning to be decent and avoid personality attacks and acrimony to ensure peaceful elections.      Alhaji Mohammed Mutahiki, Central Regional Campaign Coordinator of the NRP, said a campaign team of the party had been inaugurated to start work and it would run a parallel campaign with NDC campaign teams in the Central Region to win more seats in the Region.   GNA...

Offinso-Mpehi (Ash), Nov. 6, GNA - The Offinso Municipal Assembly had received GH¢800,000.00 to support education and health,  under a partnership deal with authorities of Monchengladbach city, in Germany,.   The money, specifically, went into the construction of mechanized boreholes, dormitories, granting of bursary to students and payment of health insurance premium for the poor and vulnerable.       Mr Norbert Bude, Lord Mayor of Monchengladbach, who is at the head of a seven-member delegation to Ghana, announced these to the Ghana News Agency.   Members of the group were in the country to see for themselves, how assistance from the city was impacting on the lives of people in the municipality.       On Monday, they inspected projects being executed with the amount, and expressed satisfaction at progress of work.                 Mr Bude commended the assembly for prudently managing the money, and pledged additional support from the city.   She said plans were advanced for the Monchengladbach authorities to invite their Ghanaian counterparts to Germany.          The Municipal Assembly and the Monchengladbach entered into the partnership agreement in 2004, to share ideas and resources.          Mr Baffour Kesseh-Amankwah, the Municipal Chief Executive, said the assembly would continue to collaborate with their foreign counterparts to improve the lives of the people.      Nana Osei Sarpong, chief of Mpehi, and President of the Offinso-Monchengladbach Cooperation for Development, called for the strengthening of the partnership to bring more development to the people of the municipality.   GNA...

(Ghana News Agency, By Francis Ameyibor)    Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – Who is attracting the votes as politicians bombard the electorate with melodious messages all in an attempt to woo them to vote for either their presidential or parliamentary candidates or both for victory?   A critical observation of the manifestos of the various political parties reveals that the Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP) quest for Election 2012 is based on the party’s belief that a successor generation has come to the helm of national affairs 55 after independence.   “Our manifesto is designed to change the structure of our economy so that the needs of our people are the top consideration in our economic planning.   “We have a strategy of structural change anchored on adopting and adapting existing technologies and enhancing local technologies, modernising agriculture, increasing industrialisation and enabling our local entrepreneurs to invest in manufacturing rather than importing goods we can produce.   “Our programmes will stimulate our consciousness and endue us with a patriotic attitude in all that we do. Honesty and incorruptibility will be our hallmark as a State.   “We will build a strong, self-reliant, and determined society that offers fair distribution of opportunity to all.   “Our manifesto is a blueprint to make Ghana Work Again! Ghana Must Work Again.”   The CPP explains that the development challenges Ghana is facing remained unchanged and in some respects have been made worse by a population that has increased six fold from four million to 24.7 million.   According to CPP since the first Republic Ghana has moved from a position of self reliance to dependence, “many of our people do not have adequate access to clean water, food, shelter, health care and education”.   According to the party in 2011, 53 per cent of school children taking the Basic Education Certificate Examination failed and could not continue onto senior high school.   Only 20 per cent of pupils that enter primary school reach senior high school and only three per cent of them reach the tertiary level.   Only a few of the poorest people who need basic healthcare are able to afford the National Health Insurance Scheme subscription. Maternal mortality is unacceptably high at 350 per 100,000 live births and the country remains protein deficient.   In the forward to the CPP Election 2012 manifesto the party claimed that socially “our cultural values have been eroded by unbridled modernity, whilst national patriotism has declined”.   Economically Ghana’s development has been stifled by policies that have shrunk the manufacturing sector to single digit as a percentage of its contribution to national GDP.   The nation therefore continues to borrow to meet recurrent costs of mostly consumptive expenditure.   This fundamental imbalance between inadequate economic growth and demand for goods and services puts pressure on public spending and has resulted in a debt burden of more than GH¢ 25billion.(Bank of Ghana ,February 2012)   “This situation is untenable and irresponsible”!   Fundamental reforms are needed to reverse the trend of affairs in order to achieve transformative change.   The CPP says the country needs bold and visionary leadership that will address the big challenges at a fundamental level.   The party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster stated that his leadership would ensure that the State fulfills its responsibility for empowering its citizens to hold government officials accountable.   He said corruption would be detected and punished to take away the incentives through motivated police and intelligence services.   The judiciary will be supported to ensure efficient administration of justice through effective leadership building for public service employees.   “We in the CPP will live up to our tradition of selfless, dedicated and committed service to the people. Our overriding goal is to render service to community for attainment our national development agenda.   "Our aim is to establish in Ghana a strong society in which no one will have any anxiety about the basic means of life, about work, food and shelter; where poverty and illiteracy no longer exist and disease is brought under control; and where our educational facilities provide all the children of Ghana with the best possible opportunities for the development of their potentialities.   “The CPP Seven-year Development Plan written almost 50 years ago is as relevant today as it was then. It bears testimony to the party’s belief that people should be at the centre of all development efforts.   “After 55 years of independence, we, the people and State of Ghana, are yet to take control of our nation and our economy.   “The CPP is determined to make Ghana work again for Ghanaians. We cannot subscribe to an economy that cannot deliver jobs and higher productivity.   “Our manufacturing sector, which should have provided employment opportunities for our trained manpower, contributes just 3-4 per cent of GDP.”   The party said there is a steady de-investment by successive governments in the industrial sector. The end result is the massive unemployment situation the country is experiencing today.   “We the CPP are determined to re-activate our sense of self-determination, self-reliance, and self-mobilisation.”   In doing this, the party says it shall be guided by the three main objectives of: Social Transformation, Sustainable Economy, and Social Justice.   “We are fully committed to championing the rights of every citizen to quality education, quality health and equal opportunity. We believe we must work towards achieving genuine democracy that translates into concrete benefits for all Ghanaians.   “In the society we envision for Ghana, democracy will mean freedom from want, freedom from poverty and freedom from fear.   “To achieve this, we plan to break away from the dependency syndrome and reliance on short-term solutions. No nation has succeeded in improving the standard of living of its citizens without industrialising.   “We will reverse the collapse of our industries. We will advance an integrated development planning programme.”   On the foreign front the CPP says Ghana’s development will be harmonised with the rest of Africa.   “We want to build a self-confident, Africa that is capable of meeting the basic needs of its people.   “Ghana’s prospects for development are tied to those of Africa. As individual states, African countries are too weak and too small to have sufficient voice at the various international negotiations that decides on the economic future of countries.   “A United Africa will give us a fair share of voice to negotiate for a fair share of the world’s resources.   “We will plan our development differently.   “The CPP will provide an alternative framework for socio-economic transformation and diversification.”   This is what the CPP is bringing to the market to sell, buyers are you interested?    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...

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – Professor Ray Wills, Australia Clean Energy Expert and one of the top 100 Global Sustainable Energy experts is in Ghana to participate in a three-day West Africa Clean Energy and Environment Conference (WACEE) in Accra.   The conference which slated for November 6 to November 8 would feature speakers from politics, industry and science and serve as an ideal platform to bring together the knowledge and experience from different sectors.   The three-day conference will also feature domestic and international exhibitors from the Oil and Gas, Hydropower, Renewable Energies (Solar, Wind, Biomass), Energy Efficiency, Water and Wastewater Management and Waste Management sectors.   At a reception organised by the Australia High Commission in Accra on Monday in honour of Prof Wills, Mr William Billy Williams, Australia High Commissioner said the visit adds to Australia’s support of Ghana’s environmental and renewable energy initiative.   He said Australia’s assistance includes Accra Environmental Film Festival and installation of solar energy in rural Ghana and other parts of the West Africa.   Mr William said the High Commission is a consistent supporter of Ghanaian activities in the annual “Clean-Up The World Campaign”, a worldwide initiative that began in Australia in 1989.   He said the community-based support complements Australia’s efforts to tackle international climate change.   “Australia is working hard in negotiations to develop a new long-term approach for global cooperation”   “Tackling climate change is a priority for Australia which is threatening our country’s and indeed global economic prosperity and the environment.   “Prof Wills visit shows that we keen to find sustainable solutions and share experiences with Ghana.”   Prof Wills will use his maiden visit to West Africa to chair the WACEE session on waste management and recycling and share his expertise with senior representatives of government, the private sector and academia.   He will also visit the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant and meet beneficiaries of Australia-funded environmental projects.   Prof Wills is one of Australia’s leading scientist with substantial expertise in ecology, sustainability and climate change science.   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...

Cape Coast, Nov. 6, GNA- Isaac Ocran, 22 and Fredrick Dadzie ,19 both resident at  Mankesim were on Monday, remanded into police custody by a Cape Coast Circuit Court for conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.   Their pleas were not taken and they would re-appear on Monday, November 19.   Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Charles Anku told the court presided over by Mrs Florence Kai Otu that, the complainant Mr Kojo Oppong a 28-year mason who also resides at Mankesim was confronted by the two men at about 0300 hours last Thursday when he was on his way home after seeing his wife off.   He said, the two men ordered Mr Oppong to give them all the money he had on him, but he told them he had nothing on him, compelling the accused persons to beat him up severely.   Chief Inspector Anku said after the act, Dadzie   pulled out a pair of scissors from his pocket and threatened to stab Mr Oppong whilst Ocran searched the complainant’s pocket and managed to take an amount of GH₵25.00.   The Prosecutor said in the process a witness appeared at the scene and assisted the complainant in arresting the two and they were taken to the Mankesim Police.   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...

Cape Coast, Nov. 6, GNA-  A  Cape Coast  Circuit Court  on Monday  remanded Clement Appiah a pupil teacher into police custody  for allegedly  assaulting  his wife and causing unlawful damage to her salon .   Appiah who pleaded not guilty would re-appear on Monday, November19   Prosecuting, Police Inspector Christiana Sampong told the court presided over by Mrs Florence Okai Otu that on October 24, Appiah returned home at about 2300 hours and forced his way into the room where his wife and three months old baby were sleeping and held her head and demanded that she should serve him dinner.   She said this resulted into a scuffle during which Appiah assaulted his wife who managed to escape with the baby.   The accused threw away the belongings of his wife and emptied the content of her bags and that of the baby on a nearby rubbish dump.   Inspector Sampong said Appiah also broke into his wife’s saloon and destroyed property worth GH¢2,100.   She said a report was later made at the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Cape Coast where a medical report form was issued to the complainant to attend hospital for treatment.   Appiah was later arrested.   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...

Tamale, Nov. 6, GNA - The Northern Regional Executive Council of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has accused the Local Government Workers' Union (LGWU) of being "ignorant of what is happening in the labour front".      The Council said the recent statement by LGWU to the effect that "members should wait for guidelines to be developed before the implementation of payment of premium", was unfortunate.      Mr Ali Anafo, Regional Secretary of CLOGSAG who addressed a press conference on behalf of the Council in Tamale on Monday said payment of premium to CLOGSAG members had lingered on for far too long and must be resolved now.      “What we are asking for is what guidelines informed the payment of premium to other public sector institutions when they were migrated onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS)?” Mr Anafo asked.        Mr Anafo, urged members of CLOGSAG to remain "calm, focused, committed and comply with the directives of the leadership to continue with the nationwide strike… until the battle is won".      CLOGSAG has been on strike since last week over issues of payment of premium as part of the implementation of the SSSS.   GNA...