Saboba (NR), Oct. 15, GNA- President John Dramani stated at the weekend that he does not believe in the use of ethnic sentiments to garner votes in the forthcoming general election.   He said: “Since I started working as a public servant and as a politician I have never believed in (ethnic) politics, since that is not enough to drag us out of poverty and illiteracy.”   President Mahama made this known when he addressed a rally at Saboba in the Northern Region as part of his three-day campaign tour of the Eastern parts of the area.   The President was apparently reacting to a rumour that was making the rounds that he as a Gonja Head of State would oppress Konkombas who had fought the Gonjas in the past.   President Mahama added “if I had that power I will rather use it to fight poverty which is a common enemy and not other ethnic groups in the country”.   “In all my dealings in Ghana, what I know is that if you bring out a Konkomba poor person and a Gonja poor person, there is no difference and therefore prefer that we fight poverty, illiteracy and diseases and not these rumours that will not help our development, he added.   He said it was based on underdevelopment, depravity, and poverty that the ruling National Democratic Congress had implemented the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), which would provide a number of jobs and stem rural urban drift in the years to come.   President Mahama promised the people that SADA would support them with money as equity to kick-start the establishment of a rural bank and advised them to buy shares in the financial entity to make it a sustainable venture.   The President promised that under the eastern corridor road project, streets in Saboba, Tatale, Chereponi and Zabzugu had been captured to relieve the people from the struggles they go through in travelling to other areas.   He said these development interventions would attract many more professionals to accept postings to Saboba and other communities.   On the December 7 polls, President Mahama said government would put in place measures that would provide incident free elections and make it acceptable and unique among her peers in Africa and beyond.   President Mahama announced that government had attained equipment from Spain to fix the bridge on the Oti River, which separates Ghana from Togo.   Mr Ken Ujangi, a member of the Konkomba Youth Association on behalf of the chiefs and people of Konkomba Traditional areas called on government to increase the infrastructure at the local E.P Senior High School.   He said lack of banks in the area had over the years compelled workers to spend so many days getting to urban areas to receive their salaries and appealed to the President to encourage the establishment of local banking facilities.     GNA...

Cape Coast, Oct. 15, GNA- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the weekend organised primaries for four parliamentary candidates to contest the newly created constituencies in the Central Region.   Mr Oppey Abbey, a former Member of Parliament (MP) who is representing the NPP for Awutu-Senya West, polled 192 votes to beat two other contestants, Mr Justice Quaye who had 183 votes and Mr Patrick Amoako who recorded 60.   Another former MP, Mr Richmond Sam Quarm also carried the day with 158 votes to become the candidate for Gomoa East, followed by Kwadwo Asomaning Budu with 90 votes and Mr Max Jewel Annan who had 51 votes.   At the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam primaries Mr Festus Beedu Turkson 43 emerged victorious to replace, Albert Ato Quainoo the NPP candidate who passed away last month.   He bagged 423 votes to floor his only contestant, Mr John Kobina Amissah who had 108 votes.   However, in Cape Coast, Dr Mrs. Henrietta Abane was elected by popular acclamation, likewise Mr Ebenezer Appiah Kubi for Assin South.     GNA...

  Gomoa Jukwa (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA - Mrs Akosua Aseidu Ntriakwa, Head of Women and Children Ministry of Mid-South Ghana Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church , has observed that discipline is the only panacea for students to chalk academic excellence and success. She therefore urged students, especially the girl-child, to desist from pre-marital sex and other social vices which could truncate their vision of climbing higher on the educational ladder. Mrs Ntriakwa said these when she launched the 10th Anniversary Celebration programme of SDA Senior High School at Gomoa Jukwa near Agona Swedru in the Central Region. The school magazine and anniversary cloth were also unveiled and launched at the ceremony. She said most students failed because they deeply involved themselves in immoral acts that derailed them from their vision. Mrs Ntriakwa who is also immediate past headmistress of the SDA Senior High school, urged the students to learn hard to help them become responsible future adults. She commended the board of governors, headmaster, teaching and non-teaching staff for their hard work and encouragement that had lifted the morale and academic standards of the school. Mr Frank Bortse Ghartey, Headmaster of the school said the prgramme would commence on November 10, 2012  with a float through the principal streets of Gomoa Jukwa to Agona Swedru, fun games with sisters schools, and exhibitions and quiz among school houses. Mr Ghartey praised the efforts and vision of former director of the school, Pastor Richard Ntriakwa and Elders of the Church at Agona Swedru for establishing the school in the area. Mr W.B. Mensah, Central Regional Manager of SDA educational Unit promised that the unit would help the school to become one of the best in the Region. He cautioned students to desist from habits that could spoil the image of the school.   GNA ...

  Takoradi, Oct. 15, GNA -  Management of MTN Ghana has held a corporate sales fair in Takoradi for its customers and rolled out products aimed at promoting service communication and business transaction. Management also explained the frequent interruption in service communication and attributed it to the destructions of their underground cables by road contractors. Mr Samuel Appiah, Senior Manager in charge of the Western and Central Regions of the MTN, said the frequent break in communication especially at weekends is caused by contractors who normally tamper with their cables in the course of their work. He said management was working feverishly to address the problem and urged customers to bear with them describing the interruption as unfortunate.   GNA ...

  Takoradi, Oct 15, GNA – Ghanaians have been urged to observe environmental cleanliness in order to prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases. Mr Francis Anleah, Western Regional Disease Control Officer, said most communicable diseases are caused by human activities therefore pleaded with the public to ensure that the environment was always clean.  He was speaking at the Western Regional launch of the Sanitation Task Force held at the Takoradi Central Market by the Zoom Alliance Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Mr Anleah said population growth had brought challenges to the environment and this required the public to lead responsible lives by avoiding indiscriminate littering. Launching the taskforce, Mr Abudulai Zakaria, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Coordinating Director, commended the efforts of the Zoom Alliance to clear filth from the system. Mr Gershon Sogbey, Western Regional Manager of the Zoomlion,  expressed the readiness of his outfit to support people with logistics to undertake cleaning exercises.     GNA ...

  Ho, Oct. 15, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Keteku, the Volta Regional Director of Education, has appealed to people living with disabilities to combine wisdom, information and knowledge to transform their lives.       He said the world is now in the wisdom age and that the blind for instance have little or no obstruction to success.      Mr Keteku said this at the Annual Regional Conference of Blind Teachers in the Region in Ho and it was on the theme, “Mobilising and Motivating Teachers with Visual Impairment for Effective Development of Ghana’s Education System.”       He said blind people should come out of self-pity and push on and be of good character to make it in life.       “Vision and imagination are the greatest things in this age and you stand a better chance to use your mind for the good of society and yourselves,” Mr Keteku said.             Mr Michael Bedi, National President of Blind Teachers Association, said  some school heads were underutilizing blind teachers and called for orientation for school heads.     GNA ...

  Cape Coast, Oct. 15, GNA – Mr Samuel Adu Yeboah, Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has challenged the founder of the party, Former President Jerry John Rawlings to mention the corrupt people he said were in the NDC or hold his peace.     Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Cape Coast, Mr Adu Yeboah said it was unfortunate that the Former President had been making blanket allegations of corruption against the party without pointing out a single person as being corrupt.     He said as the founder, he was mandated by the constitution to discipline any member who was not abiding by the principles on which the party was founded.     The Regional NDC Chairman pointed out that the behaviour of the founder right from the assumption of office of the late President Mills Government indicated that he had a secret agenda to support his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings in her bid for the presidency.     He said nobody within the NDC was against his support for the wife but said that he should not use that “to give the dog a bad name and hang it.”     Mr Adu Yeboah said it had been stated in the Bible that; “No one can serve faithfully two masters,” and since ex-President Rawlings' wife had founded a party and he had decided to support her, it would be better for him to join the wife and leave the NDC alone.    He appealed to members of the NDC to ignore the former President and concentrate on their campaign strategy to win the upcoming election to enable the party to continue with the Better Ghana agenda which had given hope to many Ghanaians.     GNA ...

  Mankessim (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA – Osagyefo Amanfo Edu VI, Omanhen of Mankessim Traditional Area, has urged Ghanaians to change the mindset that they could not transform their communities for the better if their commuities were in bad shape.     “We have been seeing many unpleasant things in our communities to the extent that we do not regard them as bad any longer,” the Omanhene said at the handing-over of a drainage system constructed by Cossa Construction Works to the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly and the chiefs and people of Mankessim.     The drainage system forms part of the Tripartite Partnership Project being implemented by the Training Research and Networking for Development (TREND) on behalf of the Government of Ghana for Mankessim in the Central Region, Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region and Huni Valley in the Western Region with supporting funds from the African Development Bank.     Osagyefo Amanfo Edu commended Government for making Mankessim a beneficiary of the project and was happy that the project had put to rest the perennial flooding of parts of the town.     Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said for Mankessim to be considered as beneficiary of the project among only two other towns showed the love the government had for the town.     He cautioned against defecation and throwing of rubbish into the drains.     The MCE said the assembly would put in place a management team to liaise between the assembly and the acontractor to ensure that the project was well maintained.     Mr Eugene Larbi, Managing Director of TREND, said Mankessim was selected as a beneficiary because it had already a prepared sanitation plan which the project could easily rely on.     He said sustainability was very important and appealed to the people to keep the facility in good order.     Nii Odai Laryea of Maple Consult, a Consultant to the Project, noted that sacrifice and selfishness made the difference between developed and the underdeveloped world.      "Whilst people in the developed world were prepared to sacrifice to build their communities, those in the underdeveloped world wanted everything for themselves alone," he said.      Mr John Etuah, Project Desk Officer at the Municipal Assembly, urged management to do a devoted work to improve sanitation in the town.   GNA ...

  Accra, Oct. 15, GNA – Multimedia Group Limited (MGL), a media and entertainment company has returned 3000 Ghana Cedis to ‘Sir’ Cecil Jones Attquayefio as part of donations realised from his charity game held last June.     The amount was handed over to a staff of the company as a “Thank You” package from the organisers of the game, Primeval Consult, in recognition of the former’s support towards the organisation of the match, played to honour and celebrate the achievements of the one-time best coach in Africa.     In a statement to clarify matters in the wake of disturbing remarks borne out of the game, MGL said one of the stations under their umbrella, Joy FM, was approached by the organizers to help promote the game, which led to a programme that yielded 7500 Ghana Cedis.     “One of the Multimedia stations, JOY FM was approached by the organizers of the event – Primeval Consult to use its sports platform to promote the event. During the phone-ins, there were persistent demands and so the programme auctioned tickets for the testimonial match at special rates.       “The live on-air program yielded GHC7, 000.00. Details of this including the buyers were published on myjoyonline.com. An additional cash amount of GHC 500.00 was donated by a friend of JOY Sports, Daniel Amoateng, bringing the total amount realized on JOY FM to GHC 7,500.”     The breakdown of the donation that came through the radio station also include a 1000 Ghana Cedis each from Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu, Randy Abbey and famed lawyer, Ernest Thompson.           Ace broadcaster, Kwame Sefa Kayi and Egbert Faibille Jnr, Managing Editor of the Ghanaian Observer newspaper doled out 200 Ghana Cedis and 500 Ghana Cedis respectively to compliment a further 300 cedis donated by listeners identified as Fiifi and Thomas.     According to MGL, the donations were handed over to Lawrence Opare-Otoo, Chief Executive of Primeval Consult.      “It later emerged that the organizers presented a cash amount of GHC 3,000 to a member of the sports team as “Thank You” for helping to promote the testimonial match.     “Management of JOYFM asked the team member to refund the GHC 3,000 when this anomaly was brought to the attention of the station. Management handed over the GHC 3,000 to Coach Jones Attuquayefio on October 2, 2012. He has acknowledged receipt of the amount.”     Meanwhile, Primeval Consult through its CEO Opare-Otoo are yet to comment on the whereabouts of the remaining 4500 Ghana Cedis plus other donations in the region of 6,500.000 cedis yet to reach the veteran trainer.     Attuquayefio earlier poured out to GNA Sports that he received a paltry 1000 US dollars from the organisers of the charity match which fetched over 27,000 Ghana Cedis from gate proceeds and donations.     GNA Sports can confirm that Black Stars striker, Asamoah Gyan doled out 3000 US dollars on the day of the game to the coach’s cause while captain John Mensah gave 500 Ghana Cedis as his contribution.         It therefore comes as a shock, how the organizers could afford to dole out a “thank you” package of 3000 Ghana Cedis, which is more than what the coach received.     The organiser, Opare-Otoo in the build-up to the game said part of the proceeds would be given to Attuquayefio and the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department at the  Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, but he is yet to fulfil his pledge to the latter.      Information pieced together by GNA Sports indicates the National Sports Authority (NSA) waived all financial obligation related to the usage of the national stadium enabling Opare-Otoo the luxury of using the arena without a cost.          Opare-Otoo, a former broadcaster, it will be recalled was behind the fund- raising dinner for the Retired National Footballers Association of Ghana (RENFAG) in July, 2011 which was graced by Liverpool legend, John Barnes.         Attuquayefio is one of Ghana's renewed coaches has for the last two years battled with throat cancer which has truncated his illustrious career which saw him chalk several successes.         He guided Hearts of Oak to the CAF Champions league title in 2000 and the Super Cup a year on. He was also at the helm when the Phobians won the maiden CAF Confederations Cup in 2004.     GNA  ...

  Saltpond (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA – Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, the Deputy Central Regional Minister, has said he was committed to ensuring quality education in his constituency hence his organisation of vocation classes, quiz and debate competitions.   He said this at a quiz competition he organised for senior high schools in his constituency at the weekend.    The schools are Mfantsiman Girls, Hariom Methodist High, Mankessim Secondary Technical, Obama College and Kwegyir Aggrey Secondary Technical.     Mr Quansah appealed to students to make the best out of the investment their parents were making in their education.     Mr Quansah, the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West, said it would be most unfortunate for a student to waste the investment through laziness and uncomplimentary behaviour whilst at school and become a liability on their parents.     Anomabo Kwegyir Aggrey Senior High/Technical School scored 34 points to come first, Mfantsiman Girls and Saltpond Hariom Senior High scored 33 and 31 points respectively to place second and third.     Saltpond Methodist High School was fourth with 28 points while Mankessim Secondary Technical School and Mankessim Obama College placed fifth and sixth with 27 and 22 points respectively.     A computer and GH₵500 and GH₵300 were presented to the first and second schools.  Hariom SHS received GH₵300 for placing third and certificates were presented to participating schools.     GNA ...

  Ajumako (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA – The Ajumako Enyan Essiam (AEED) constituency branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has elected Mr Festus Beedu Turkson, 42, as its parliamentary candidate.     Mr Turkson, a Senior Accounts Officer of the Ghana Health Services, polled 423 votes to beat the other contestant, Mr John Kobena Amissah, who had 108 votes.     Mr Turkson replaces the late Ato Quainoo who died on September 25.     He expressed gratitude to party members and told them “we have only 53 days to work hard to capture the seat from the ruling NDC so get united and move forward for victory.”     Mr Danquah Smith, the Central Regional Chairman of the party, appealed to party members nationwide to unite and peacefully campaign to ensure success come December 7.   GNA ...

  Awutu Bontrase (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA - Mr Oppey Abbey, was on Sunday elected the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant for Awutu-Senya West Constituency, in the party’s primaries at Awutu Bontrase.        He polled 192 votes, to defeat Mr Justice Quaye, a banker, who had 138 votes, and Mr Patrick Amoakwa, who obtained 60 votes, in balloting  that was supervised by Mr Haruna Esserku, member of the NPP National Executive Committee.         Mr Abbey thanked the delegates for electing him to contest for the seat, and promised to collaborate with them to ensure victory for the NPP in the December 7 elections.      He asked party supporters to woo the electorate to vote for the NPP in December.     Mr Esserku called on party supporters to bury their differences and campaign for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP flag bearer in Election 2012, and Mr Abbey, so that they could  win the polls.   GNA ...

  Accra, Oct. 15, GNA – The National Sports Authority (NSA) has announced that bonuses for the 2011 All Africa Games held in Maputo, Mozambique are ready for collection.     According Hannah Hamid Issakah, Acting Public Affairs of the NSA, medal winners at the multisport event held from 3-18 September in Mozambique are to contact the General Secretaries of their respective sporting associations on the payment of the balances of their bonuses.      He said: “the exercise has already begun ad and all those who are yet to collect the remainder of the bonus should do so immediately.”     It will be recalled that Ghana claimed 17 medals at the 10th edition of the quadrennial event made up of four gold, five silver and eight bronze.     Gold winners were entitled to 5,000 dollars each; 2,500 dollars for silver whilst bronze medallists are due to receive 1,500 dollars.   GNA ...

  Accra, Oct. 15, GNA – Clement Kofi Humado, Minister of Youth and Sports has congratulated the Black Stars and Black Maidens on their achievements over the weekend.     The Black Stars sealed qualification to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Malawi 1-0 last Saturday in Lilongwe to advance 3-0 on aggregate whilst the Maidens claimed bronze at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, beating Germany by a lone goal.     In a statement, the Minister said: “This achievement by the Maidens who played a major part of the game with ten (10) players shows how determined and strong willed Ghanaian women are.     “It is a milestone in the development of women football in Ghana and Africa. I believe this valiant performance by these girls will inspire the other female national teams to do well in subsequent world tournaments.     “I also congratulate the Black Stars for qualifying to AFCON 2013 by beating their Malawian counterparts on Saturday 13 October, 2012 in Malawi.”     Meanwhile, the Maidens are expected to arrive on Monday evening at 19h00 GMT from Azerbaijan.     The achievement of the Maidens is the first by any national women’s team at a major global tournament.     GNA ...

  Mumford (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA – Mr Kofi Mintah, a founding member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has asked the party's youth to work harder to woo more supporters and  to abide by the electoral laws during the upcoming general election. He also urged them to educate the electorate on the voting procedures to prevent them from spoiling their ballot papers.     Mr Mintah made the observation at the launch of the Young Democrats, a youth association within the NDC, at Mumford in the Central Region.       He cautioned them to desist from hooliganism and to help to make the election incident-free.     Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, Gomoa West District Chief Executive said the inauguration of the Young Democrats was a remarkable event as the party needed the youth involvement to make them grow to become a responsible replacement for the elders after their exit.     The DCE expressed satisfaction that Mumford which used to be a stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was fast becoming an NDC stronghold.     He enumerated a number of development projects the town had benefitted from under the NDC administration, which included the rehabilitation of the market in town, school blocks, toilet facility and a landing beach which was about to be constructed.     He announced that the contractors who were going to work on the construction of the landing beach had arrived in the town and had set up their camp.     Mr Kobina Darko, NDC Youth Organiser for Gomoa West Constituency called on Ghanaians to discard the NPP Flagbearer’s pledge to make Senior High School education free and regard it as mere campaign talk.     He said Ghanaians could have taken him serious if he had said he was going to make attendance to public toilets free in the country.     Nana Kwame Arhin, NDC Constituency Chairman recounted some years past when the party could not get people at Mumford to put on NDC regalia provided for free.     Mr Ivan Paapa Johnson, Chairman of the Young Democrats assured the party that they would work hard to ensure a massive victory in the forthcoming elections. GNA ...

  Anomabo (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA – Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron, Mfantseman Municipal Chief Executive, has asked Ghanaians to have a free-minded discussion on the education policies of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).      He said this would inform the people as to which of the policies would be beneficial to the nation’s future leaders.     Mr Hayfron said such discussion must be devoid of partisan politics because “it is the nation’s future that is at stake.”     Addressing a durbar at Anomabo to climax the annual “Okyir” festival of the chiefs and people of Anomabo at the weekend, the MCE said whilst the NDC is saying that it would expand education facilities to make many people have access to secondary education, the NPP is saying that it would make the secondary education free.     Mr Hayfron urged Ghanaians to assess conditions in the nation’s kindergartens, primary and the junior secondary schools and see whether they were the best for the senior high schools to be made free.     Responding to an accusation made by Nana Egyir Aggrey, Mpuntuhen of Anomabo that politicians had made the town “a Promise Land” where they failed to redeem promises made to the people, Mr Hayfron said he would not hold brief for the past politicians but could say with confidence that the NDC had redeemed all promises made to the people of Anomabo.     He said a visit to the Kwegyir Aggrey Senior High School in the town alone could tell the work the NDC Government had done over there.      The MCE appealed to people in the private sector to create jobs for their youth to do and stop relying on government alone to solve the unemployment in the country.     Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Deputy Central Regional Minister urged politicians to live in peace and also bear in mind that the society was bigger than the political parties they affiliated with.     He appealed to politicians to support their opponents in their quest to access projects for their areas and stop what he called “pull him down attitudes.”     Mr Quansah who is also the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West said discussions were ongoing for the conversion of the Anomabo Health Centre into Accident and Trauma Centre to cater for the victims of the numerous road accidents which occur in the area.      The MP commended the Anomabo Union on its efforts to bring development to the town.     Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the NPP Parliamentary aspirant for Mfantseman West called for peaceful election devoid of troubles on December 7.     In a welcoming address, Nana Egyir Aggrey expressed concern about unfulfilled promises made by politicians.     He called for upgrading of the Health Centre into a hospital and a permanent accommodation for the Police Station.     Nana Egyir Aggrey commended the government for siting a Fisheries University which was under construction in the town.     The Mpuntuhen instituted a GH₵15,000 Education Endowment Fund to support needy but brilliant children.      GNA ...

  Accra, Oct. 15, GNA – The Public Consultations Programme for National Action Plan under the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Ghana initiative takes off on Wednesday October 17.    The programme will be organised in three zones and climaxed with a national validation workshop at the Accra International Conference Centre, on November 7th to look at all reports from the three zones for further action.    The consultation for the northern zones comprising the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions is slated for October 17 at the Modern City Hotel, Tamale.    Dr Tony Aidoo, Head of Policy Evaluation and Oversight Unit at the Office of the President, who announced this in Accra on Monday said, the public consultations for the middle zone comprising the Eastern, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions would be held at the Senator Hotel in Kumasi on October 24.    “Public consultations for the southern zone comprising the Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western regions will take place at the Sanaa Lodge in Cape Coast on October 31st,” he said.    He said participants had been drawn from both government institutions and civil society organizations to ensure fair representation on each side.    Launching the programme, Dr Aidoo said OGP is a new voluntary, international multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to their citizenry to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.     He said Ghana was already doing much in this area and under the OGP those efforts needed to be demonstrated, monitored and evaluated over a period of time.     Dr Aidoo said in September 2011, Ghana signed onto the OGP initiative to improve public services, increase public integrity, manage public resource effectively, create safer communities and increase corporate accountability.     He said in connection with that Ghana was expected to develop a national Action Plan for submission to the Global Secretariat of the OGP by December 2012 and demonstrate progress in implementation by April 2013.       He said a 20-member National Steering Committee for OGP Ghana was inaugurated in August this year, to plan, develop and implement Ghana’s Action Plan in accordance with the process of multi-stakeholder consultations agreed by OGP member countries.  The steering committee was also expected to influence institutional arrangements to achieve the envisaged open government result.     The Public Sector Reform Secretariat serves as the secretariat for OGP-Ghana, with the support of the World Bank and in collaboration with the Institute of Democratic Governance, a civil society group to provide technical expertise and logistic support to the activities of the Steering Committee. GNA ...

  Apam (C/R), Oct. 15, GNA – Mr Lee Ocran, Minister of Education, has donated a quantity of furniture to schools in Gomoa West District.     The presentation of the furniture was an outcome of the Minister’s visit some schools in the district about three months ago.     During the visit, the Minister observed that the schools were in need of furniture and therefore ordered 1,900 dual desks, 2,800 mono desks, 400 tables and 2,400 chairs for kindergarten children and 260 tables and chairs for teachers.     Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, Gomoa West District Chief Executive who presented the furniture on behalf of the Minister to the District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service for distribution to schools expressed gratitude to the Minister for the gesture.     He said the furniture would go a long way to enhance teaching and learning in the schools.     The DCE said the donation re-enforced government decision to expand access to facilities in schools to make teaching and learning comfortable.     “These are some of the basic things the schools need to promote quality education but not make SHS education free,” the DCE pointed out.     Mr Aidoo-Mensah expressed concern about use of classrooms for public activities such as meetings and church services and advised teachers to ensure that good care was taken of the furniture to make them last.     Mr Victor Okoe Marbell, Human Resource Officer at the Gomoa West District Directorate who received the items on behalf of the Acting District Director assured the donor that a good care would be taken of them.     He said furniture situation in the schools was worrying and thanked the Minister for solving one of the major problems facing the district.     GNA ...

  Jirapa, (U/W), Oct. 15, GNA – Women smallholder farmers in the Jirapa District of the Upper West Region, at the weekend alleged that some politicians in authority allocated to themselves tractors brought into the country by government for farmers.    The farmers said  that the tractors were to help boost  food production, but some politicians were taking them, to the detriment of the actual beneficiaries.      The women smallholder farmers expressed the concern at an engagement platform with parliamentary aspirants of the Jirapa constituency, in Jirapa.     It was organised by Action Aid-Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the Community Aid for Rural Development, on the theme: “Smallholder Agriculture Sensitive Manifestoes and Party Pledges to Reduce Poverty”. The farmers called on government to ensure that the practice was stopped, to make the tractors accessible to smallholder farmers, especially the women.       According to the women, in the area, two out of three farmers were women; seven out of 10  bags of maize were produced by women; nine out of 10 persons in agro-processing were women and eight out of 10 persons in the marketing of food were women, yet they had limited access to inputs, and tractor services.     They appealed to the Government and Parliament to ensure that more investments were made in women smallholder farmers, by increasing public spending on smallholder agriculture, devoting special budget for women farmers, and affirmative action of 40 per cent of agricultural resources, targeted at women, to increase food production and reduce poverty.     Mr. Tontie Binado, Action Aid Right to Food and Climate Change Programme Officer, said the platform sought to draw the attention of key stakeholders to the challenges confronting smallholder farmers that had the potential to undermine food security and poverty reduction efforts in Ghana.     He said recognising the role of the legislature in giving policy direction in the country, the NGO hoped that the nationwide platforms would offer vulnerable farmers the opportunity to bring out critical issues, which would inform agricultural policy decisions in the next Parliament.     Mr. Tontie said the NGO also believed that if issues affecting smallholder farmers were addressed appropriately, it  would contribute to ensuring food security, improving rural livelihoods, and poverty reduction in the country.   GNA ...

  Accra, Oct. 15, GNA - A proponent of the Akuafo Cheque system under which farmers are paid with a special cheque for the purchase of cocoa has thrown his weight behind the demand of cocoa farmers that the payment system in its original form should be brought back. In a statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday, Dr Michael Gbordzoe, who said he and three others submitted proposals for the Akuafo Cheque system to the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), defended the merits of the system in its original form and said the gains must not be lost. "The significant advantages that the farmers have gained through the Akuafo Cheque payment system should be defended and not thrown away," he said. The Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Shea-nut Farmers Association should do everything legally possible to exert pressure on the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the current Government to put measures in place now to entrench the original Akuafo Cheque payment system to the advantage of the farmers and the nation Ghana and not allow this to be manipulated by the Licensed Buying Companies. Dr Gbordzoe said the rationale behind the introduction of the Akuafo Cheque payment system included the failure or inability of COCOBOD to pay the cocoa farmers for cocoa and the acute liquidity problems prevailing at the time leading to the withdrawal of the 50 cedi notes from circulation. "Even if the PNDC could mobilize funds from any sources at that time to pay the farmers for their produce, the banks would be left with serious and acute-to-chronic liquidity problems if the COCOBOD were to embark on cash payments." If cash payments were effected, most farmers would put their sums of money 'under their pillows' or elsewhere at home and would not necessarily or willingly go to banks to save their money. Farmers are now being paid in cash and with the Akuafo Cheque system. Dr Gbordzoe said paying through the cheque system implied also creating savings accounts for the farmers, preferably with the Agricultural Development Bank or other Ghanaian-owned banks, with long term advantages for the farmers and the banks. "The farmers' cheque payment system would also contribute in a way to the capitalization efforts of the banks since the farmers would not normally withdraw all their monies from the bank within a short period of time," he said. The system was also to eliminate the tremendous influence of middlemen associated with cash payments by buying agents leading to the farmers getting less net earnings for their produce. Dr Gbordzoe said most of these factors were still relevant today, especially liquidity factors, net earning for the farmers for their produce, reduction of the influence of middle men associated with local or foreign controlled Buying Agents or Companies, and speculation on the commodities associated with cash-flows.     GNA ...