Mr. Joe Oteng-Adjei, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, on Thursday appealed to chiefs and the people to support the government to stamp out illegal gold mining. He said this after he had seen devastation that illegal miners had caused to the concessions of Bogoso/Prestea Mines of the Golden Star Resources Limited. The minister’s tour of Golden Star Resources Limited marked the end of his week long tour of mines in the Western Region. Mr. Oteng-Adjei said illegal mining was an organized crime that must be eliminated in order to protect the environment and that it could have a long-term effect on the country’s economy if nothing was done about it. Dr. Oteng-Adjei expressed worry that the illegal miners were using mercury in their operations and were polluting rivers with the chemical that could cause cancer. He said the policy on small-scale mining needed to be amended to ensure a more efficient exploitation of minerals. Dr. Oteng-Adjei commended Golden Star Resources Limited introducing an alternative livelihood project for illegal miners and urged them to take advantage of the project.

The Western Regional Office of the Lands Commission has started digitization of its office procedures with the introduction of a file tracking system, Mr Stephen Oduro-Kwarteng, Acting Western Regional Lands Officer, has said. He said their office records system was also being computerized and upon completion retrieval of information and general service delivery would see a marked improvement. “I can assure you that by 2014, issues of missing files will be a thing of the past”, Mr Kwarteng who is also the Coordinator of the Regional Land Administration Project, said. He was speaking at a workshop on land administration organized by the Lands Commission for judges, lawyers and related stakeholders in Takoradi. He said statistics showed that land cases accounted for about 85 percent of all civil cases pending before the high courts in Accra which include investment related, stool, state and family land cases. In the Western Region, 40 land cases are pending before the courts  in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, he said, thus  placing  huge responsibility on both land administrators and judges Mr Kwarteng said there was the need  to ensure fairness, equity and  find way of minimizing   the spate of such litigations  by  their expeditious disposal through effective coordination  and interactions. Touching on the oil find in the region, Mr Kwarteng  said it had brought in its wake an increased demand for land , particularly for  industrial , agricultural and estate development as large track of land are being disposed of by chiefs and family heads. He appealed to landowners to take their time as “some of the so –called investors are only speculators and land racketeers”. To check these however, Mr Kwarteng said, the Lands Commission had put measures in place to curb the emerging menace like organizing public validation to precede the granting of consent and concurrence to grants of large tracks of land. Mr Justice George Buadi, a Sekondi High Court Judge, said there was the need for litigants to use professionals to process documents on their land to prevent being rejected by the statutory or planning authorities and ending up losing title to their land. He said 378 lands cases pending before the various courts between 2010 and 2013  only 179 had been disposed off. Answering questions on the boundary between Ghana and Cote D’ Ivoire at the jubilee Oil Field, Alhaji Sulemana Mahama, Land Management Specialist,  said the issue was being vigorously pursued at a higher level. Mr Robert Hackman Antwi of the Survey and Mapping Division of the Lands Commission enumerated challenges facing surveyors and urged parties to support them with logistics like transportation to fields for expeditious execution of their survey work. The organizers and resource persons expressed regret about the failure of the traditional authorities to attend the workshop as they are key actors in land administration.

The National Security has issued a health warning of deadly fresh tilapia bacteria which can be found in Ghana if preventive measures are not put in place.   The confidential letter addressed to the Health, Food and Agriculture and Environment Ministries details the effects this bacteria will have if found in humans. The poisonous bacteria, vibrio viulnificus, detected in Israel in October this year can also be found in fish pond water. “Symptoms of infected persons include high fever, significant swelling of the area of infection and blood-filled blisters, that can lead to the amputation of infected person’s limbs,” the letter signed by National Security Coordinator, Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, warned. It said the poisonous microbe enters the human body through punctures either caused by fins and scales of contaminated tilapia. It is also through open sores coming into contact with fishpond water in which the bacteria may be present. Consumers of tilapia have therefore been advised on the importance of live pond fish and ensure that fresh unfrozen tilapia are thoroughly cleaned of all scales and fins before being purchased. “It is also recommended that only thoroughly cleaned frozen tilapia be consumed by the public,” the letter cautioned.

A chorus of bleating goats rises and falls on a hot sunny day. Cats meow in cages awaiting buyers. Customers fight through the thick crowds of traders to buy one product or another and the main street has been consumed by Okada riders who chase every stopping vehicle in the hope of picking up passengers. Cacophony of sounds from the filtered water sellers and the Ayigbe biscuit (local biscuit) sellers blends with those of bus conductors (mates) calling passengers.A first time traveller obviously would not miss these scenes in the market of Abozume, a town in the Volta Region.The market, which is located on the main road, attracts customers from all walks of life.As  expected, many women preparing towards the Christmas would be moving from one shop to another to buy  different kinds of goods which are then resold on the market.Clothing, toys, gift hampers and flowers are among the items mostly sold by the market women.But the tables turn when you get to the Goat Market at Agbozume, located  just a few metres away from the main market,where women are engaged in the sale of livestock, especially goats, to earn a living.Here, market women gird their loins against stubborn goats that would not follow their owners quietly by pulling them using the rope tied to the necks of the animals.Ropes get entangled and commotion ensues between a goat and its owner.When the Daily Graphic visited the market Wednesday, the market day, the women were competing with a handful of male counterparts to sell their livestock.Apart from the women who sell goats, others were seen selling birds like ducks, fowl, and doves. The rest sold cats and dogs.The trading in these animals  has been done by the women in the community for more than 50 years.  some of the women  sell  charcoal also.The Agbozume communityAgbozume is located in the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region .The municipality, which is fast growing and relatively urbanised mainly as a result of the port town of Aflao, which consists of some other major urban communities, including Denu, Klikor, Adina and Blekusu.The municipality is dominated by an agrarian economy with almost 60 per cent of the population engaged in agriculture, fishing and commerce. Also, about 98 per cent of the total farmlands in the district are under subsistence food crop production involving maize, cassava and vegetables. The rest of the farmland is devoted to the cultivation of non-traditional cash crops, mainly mango and chili pepper, which is meant for export. The livestock sub-sector, however, constitutes about 10 per cent of agricultural activities. The main livestock types reared in the district include cattle, sheep, goat, pig, poultry and quite recently grasscutter. The tradersMadam  Akos Gawube, who has been trading for the past 30 years,  told the Daily Graphic that the business was handed down to her by her parents who inherited it from their parents.“I have been in this business for as long as I can remember and this is what I do to take care of my family,” she said.Narrating how she got her goats, Madam Gawube said she got them from her customers who reared them in their homes.“I go round from house to house and buy them from those who would want to sell their goats, then come back to the market to sell them,” she said.She said depending on the number of goats she was able to sell in a day, she made at least GH¢5 to GH¢10 per head. This means that if she is able to sell 10 goats, then she makes an average of GH¢50 to GH¢100.While the trade may be thriving, the women lack capital to expand . This makes it a  hand-to-mouth business.Madam Gawugbe, who has five children — two boys and three girls — said she would appreciate it if she was granted loan to enable her to expand her business,  saying, “I only come out on Wednesdays and this means making money once a week.”For 50-year-old Madam Christie Alaglo, she has been selling birds — chickens, ducks and  doves — for the past 32 years.The trade was also handed down to her by her forefathers hence it has been in the family for many years.She also gets her birds from owners who want to sell their birds, and then she resells them in the market. The prices of her birds ranged from GHC5 to GHC120 depending on the weight of the animal.The mother of six, through the sale of birds, had been able to send two of her children to the University, two to the senior high school, while the rest are currently in the junior high school.Madam Alaglo, however, expressed fury that successive governments  after every election neglected women.“Politicians talk of empowering women but when they gain power they fail to do so. The government has to come and support us so that we can also work to pay our taxes for national development,” she said.The market condition The state of the market was  nothing to write home about.While an army of houseflies was seen busily attacking a pile of rubbish left behind the market, the traders were  busily clearing a space to erect sheds.The heavy stench from the animal droppings,  which have accumulated in  the market over a period of time, made it almost impossible to breathe.Traders say the situation is worsened when  it rains as the stench virtually consumes the whole market making it less attractive.The place gets muddy and sticky when it rains and shoppers and traders  end up with clots of dirt on their clothes.Washrooms are non-existent in the market.How the market startedThe Revenue Officer in charge of the market, Mr Daniel Dogbatse, said the market was started by the chiefs in the community and handed over to the assembly later.He said before it was handed over, the women sold under sheds built by them. Later the assembly, after they gained control of the market, constructed a structure about four years ago for the women to sell in.However, he said, the structure could not stand the test of time as the roof began to wear out and gradually the roofing sheets started disintegrating.Mr Dogbatse said  on a rainy day, the women were virtually drowned in the water as it filled the structure and rose to their knee.This development has, therefore, pushed the women out of the structure to build their thatched sheds by the street. The open structure, coupled with the lack of sanitation facilities, has provided an avenue for the residents close to the market  to dump their refuse there.Mr Dogbatse said the women had consistently reported this to the assembly but were yet to see results.“I am just an employee here. I collect the tax and present it to the assembly. So it is the assembly that can answer your questions on what is being done about the market,” he said.The appealThe secretary to the market women, Madam Comfort Lavoe, called for the urgent renovation of the market as it formed part of the sources of livelihoods for the women.She said it was unpardonable that over the years, the market had been given little or no attention by authorities in the community.She recalled that four years ago, the market was filled with rain water such that they could not operate within the designated area given to them.“We need help, we need support to be able to operate,” she said, adding that they paid 40 pesewas per goat and 20 pesewas per bird that were brought to the market for sale yet there had been no development in the market.Madam Lavoe also complained about the sanitation problem in the market,  adding that their health was in danger.ConclusionWomen's role in agriculture is growing at a faster pace than men and they are significantly taking over tasks which were traditionally thought to be the domain of men. This would, therefore, mean that in the not-too-distant future, women will take over a significant proportion of the food chain processes, beginning from intra-household distribution to market distribution. Agbozume women are an example of such women. Their courage to take up roles which were originally known to be played by men attests to the fact that the world is gradually changing and a new role of women is evolving.

A Programme and procurement implementation management information system has been launched to ensure transparency in the award and execution of government contracts. The new accounting software is also to provide a framework that will give Ghanaians the platform to be abreast of happenings in government agencies in the country.The project, which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), is primarily to halt the arbitrary award of contracts and to help the government in the fight against corruption in the country.At the launch of the system, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kwasi Opong Fosu, said the enterprise was an initiative of President Mahama to bring transparency and accountability to the planning, contracting, procurement, monitoring and implementation processes of public projects and programmes.The  motive for the establishment of the contract portal, the minister added, was to ensure proletarian democracy, hence the need to engage the public to influence decision making by the government.“Citizens of Ghana want transparency and accountability and expect their government to involve them in decision making,” he said.The MLGRD, he said, had decided to embark on an open government initiative to meet its mandate for good local governance and grassroots democracy.Practicability of the contract portalThe portal would provide the means for the local government institution to collaborate with its stakeholders and interface with the public.The system would also afford the public the chance to send in their comments by uploading pictures and videos to share their concerns to the appropriate authorities whenever they had issues or problems that needed to be addressed. The portal in itself would automatically log activities and capture relevant data and information that would enable the efficient management of operations and business processes.The general public would also have the chance to promote transparency and accountability in governance, since some of the data gathered would be published online for them to deliberate and send their feedback for easy implementation.As part of the smooth running of the system, the MLGRD has trained over 700 employees in the sector to ensure its success.A call centre has also been established to support users of the new system with an improved investment in an ICT infrastructure to facilitate digital activities and online engagement among the various publics and appropriate stakeholders.

The Paramount Chief of Berekum Traditional Area in the Brong Ahafo Region, Daasebre Amankona  Diawuo II, has sworn an oath of allegiance to the occupant of the Golden Stool,  Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. Riding in a palanquin, amid drumming and dancing at the forecourt of the Manhyia Palace moments before he swore the oath of allegiance, Daasebre  Amankona  Diawuo, who is known in private life as Dr Leo Ofori and belongs to the Kontire division— the right wing of the Asanteman Council, was introduced by the Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu Asare Amankwatia V,  who is the head of the Kontire division, as tradition demands.Other paramount chiefs who joined the Bantamahene to introduce Daasebre Amankona Diawuo to the Asantehene included the Paramount Chief of Asokore, Nana Dr Susubribi Krobea Asante, and the Asokore-Mamponghene, Nana Boakye Ansah  Debrah, who is also the head of the right wing division of the Kumasi Traditional Council.A medical practitioner and surgical specialist by profession, Daasebre Amankona Diawuo was involved in  a legal tussle over his enstoolment, but was eventually cleared by the Brong Ahafo House of Chiefs and the Supreme Court, making it possible for him to swear the oath of allegiance to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II during a sitting  of the Asanteman Council. Otumfuo Osei Tutu recounted the historical facts which traced Berekum as part of  Asanteman long before the Asante Confederacy in 1935.He said the Berekum paramountcy had been part of Asanteman for  many years and therefore charged Daasebre Amankona Diawuo to initiate programmes and policies that would accelerate the pace of development in his traditional area.That, he said, would raise the standard of living of the people for him to leave a legacy that would be  cherished by the present and future generations.Moments after Daasebre Amankona Diawuo had sworn the oath of allegiance, Berekum citizens who had filled the Manhyia Palace in their numbers started jubilating amid drumming and dancing.

The first phase of the expansion of the Takoradi Port is nearing completion. The project involves the extension of the main breakwater, provision of facilities to handle bulk commodities and dredging of access channels. President John Dramani Mahama is, therefore, expected to cut the sod for the second phase of the project in the first week of December 2013.A Deputy Minister for Information and Media Relations, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, told journalists at the Flagstaff House yesterday that the expansion programme was in line with the government’s decision to step up infrastructural development in the country to cater for both local and foreign investor needs.Takoradi PortThe first and second phases of the project totalling $344 million are expected to be executed within two years.The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) signed an agreement with the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the first phase of the project.Total traffic at the Takoradi Port rose by 32 per cent from 4,948,553 metric tons in 2011 to 5,310,697 metric ton in 2012, while imports recorded in 2012 were 2,314,856 metric tons, as against 2,088,533 metric tons in 2011.Other projectsMr Kwakye Ofosu said apart from the Takoradi Port expansion project, government would construct more schools and roads to help provide alternative means of livelihood for the people, irrespective of their geographical locations.Last week, President Mahama visited the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions where he cut the sod for the commencement of work on some development projects, inspected ongoing ones and inaugurated some completed projects.Mr Kwakye-Ofosu said the President had also lined up a number of visits to the other regions where he was expected to thank the people for their support in the 2012 general elections and also inspect and inaugurate projects in line with the better Ghana agenda.He said President Mahama was satisfied with the desire of Ghanaians to engage the government on its development agenda, and urged them to criticise constructively to enable the government to chart the best path for development.“The President is interested in feedback, and will, therefore, be happy to hear from people through the social media,” he said.The deputy minister, however, cautioned that much as the government welcomed constructive criticism, it would not countenance insults and other utterances that would undermine the peace and unity in the country.

The Financial Division of the Fast Track High Court in Accra could not hear the case involving the businessman, Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome, last Wednesday as a result of the inability of the presiding judge to sit. Consequently, the case has been adjourned to December 5, 2013. The reason for the inability of the Judge, Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, to hear the case was not given.At the last sitting on November 27, 2013, lead counsel for Mr Woyome, Mr Osarfo Buabeng, had told the court he had received a letter from the prosecutor, Mr Matthew Amponsah, a Chief State Attorney, that he was ill and could not be at the hearing and, therefore, asked Mr Woyome’s lawyers to seek a new date from the judge. Mr Woyome is on trial for defrauding by false pretences and causing financial loss to the state but has, since June 5, 2012, denied the charges.The accused, who has denied any wrongdoing, is alleged to have made fraudulent claims to the government, resulting in the payment of GH¢51.2 million to him.Facts of the caseState prosecutors say Mr Woyome, in February 2010, made a false representation that the government owed him two per cent of €1,106,470,587 for his services of financial engineering for the rehabilitation of the Kumasi, Accra and El-Wak stadia, ahead of the CAN 2008 African Cup of Nations.At the hearing on November 6, the ninth prosecution witness told the court that responses from the Bank of Austria to two institutions in Ghana indicated that there was no agreement to provide funding for any project in Ghana.Two institutions — the Police Administration and the Attorney-General’s Department — had written to the bank for responses on whether Mr Woyome had any agreement with the bank to provide funding for projects in the country.The witness, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Edward Odame Okyere, an investigator with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, said the bank also responded that there was no binding offer from it to fund projects in Ghana.

The management of Wire Weaving Industries (WWI) Ghana Limited, has completed and handed over the fencing of the Kaneshie Police Station to the District Police Commander. At the handover ceremony, the Marketing Manager of WWI, Mr Elias Ashkar, said the company was motivated to undertake what he described as the beautification project because it was in line with its corporate social responsibility.He recalled that the company had undertaken similar projects at the Airport and Nima Police stations, as well as the Police Headquarters and at the Ghana Immigration Service offices.“It is also important to state that our contribution to the Ghanaian society is not only limited to beautification projects. Indeed, we have continued to contribute immensely to the annual National Farmers Day celebration, not to mention our assistance to needy individuals and institutions in our society,” he added.Mr Ashkar congratulated the contractors on completing the work on schedule and also with utmost precision.The Commander of the Kaneshie District Police, Chief Superintendent F. S. Adikah, thanked the management of WWI for its kind gesture and urged his personnel to ensure that the station derived maximum benefit from the project.  He also used the platform to appeal to other corporate bodies to assist the police to complete their office complex project.

About 400 women at Ayanfuri and surrounding communities in the Upper Denkyira West District in the Central Region have undergone a day’s screening for breast cancer. Organised by Perseus Mining Ghana Limited, the exercise, which was in line with the national mine safety week celebration, was part of efforts by the company to fight breast cancer, which continues to afflict many women in the country.Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Ghana, especially among women, and in spite of the efforts by government and other organisations to check it, the disease continues to take its toll on women.Inadequate medical attention, superstition, late reporting of the symptoms to hospitals and related matters have combined to militate against efforts at arresting the situation.The screening exercise at Ayanfuri was undertaken by health personnel at the Ayanfuri Pentecost Clinic.Women who showed symptoms of the disease were referred to major hospitals for further attention.Addressing the women before the exercise, the Social Development Manager of Perseus Mining, Madam Florence Ansere-Bioh, said the company was concerned about the disease and believed that it was within its social responsibility commitment to support its partner communities in dealing with the menace.“Perseus, as a community neighbour, believes that what affects the community affects the company as well,” she said.Madam Ansere-Bioh said the company set aside GH¢750,000 annually as development fund to support development projects and programmes in the mining communities.A medical assistant at the Ayanfuri Pentecost Clinic, Ms Gifty Antwi, described breast cancer as a deadly disease that should not be taken for granted.She advised women to make the periodic examination of their breasts a priority medical issue to ensure that symptoms would be detected early for the necessary attention.

Shelleyco Gas Petroleum Limited, a gas retail company with six outlets across the country, has donated items to the Agona West Municipal Assembly in support of this year’s National Farmers Day celebrations. The items worth GH¢1, 600, included five boxes of Keybar soap, 16 knapsack spraying machines, 50 machetes and 16 pairs of wellington boots. Making the presentation at the forecourt of the municipal assembly, Mr John Jojo Aidoo, Supervisor of Shelleyco Gas at Mandela, Agona Swedru, said the presentation was in response to a request by the assembly for support to reward farmers in the municipality. He noted that his company recognised the enormous contributions of farmers towards the  growth of the economy.According to him, his outfit which had been operating in Swedru for some years now, presented the items as part of its corporate social responsibility to the society in which it operated. The Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Oppong, who received the items, thanked the company for the items, and expressed the hope that other corporate bodies in the area would emulate their gesture. He added that government needed private sector support to reward hardworking farmers in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer of Tobinco Pharmaceutical Limited, Mr Samuel Amo Tobin, has welcomed the decision of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to intervene in the company’s disagreements with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). He described the intervention as “a good thing” and expressed the hope that it could help resolve the problem between the company and the authority.Reacting to a call by the committee for a ceasefire in an interview, Mr Tobin said a media war between one of the country’s biggest drug distributors and its regulator would not be in anybody’s interest.He, however, appealed to the committee to act quickly, so that “we can get on with what we do best — importing and distributing good quality drugs for Ghanaians”.He noted that drugs were perishable goods and had expiry dates.According to him, if the issue was not expeditiously dealt with, “it can hurt our business”.Meanwhile, the workers of the company and about 2,000 well-wishers, have since yesterday, been holding prayer sessions for a way out of the company's current problems with the FDA.According to Citi News, “The management of the company and its workers believe the current crisis the company is going through could be spiritual, hence organising prayer sessions to drive the devil out”.The Spokesperson for the workers, Daniel Kweku, revealed that “their decision to embark on the prayer is because the issue at hand is beyond what any human eye can see”.Similar prayer sessions are ongoing in the Volta and the Ashanti regions.The company has also declared today a prayer and fasting day.Parliamentary CommitteeThe Parliamentary Committee on Health yesterday called for a halt in the ongoing media war between Tobinco Pharmaceutical, the Ministry of Health and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG), on the one hand, and the FDA, on the other.It said it deemed the current situation as unnecessary and unhelpful and urged all parties to cooperate in the ongoing inquiry to create a congenial atmosphere for the resolution of all issues.Moratorium In a press statement issued in Parliament yesterday, the committee recommended that the FDA should consider granting a moratorium of at least three months to all affected manufacturers and importers of food, medicines, herbal preparations and medical devices.That, according to it, would bring their products into compliance immediately as required under the Public Health Act, 2012.Tact and discreetnessThe committee asked the law enforcement agencies to exercise tact and discreetness in their efforts at investigating and enforcing the law in consonance with the rule of law."We believe that only painstaking investigations will lead to successful prosecution of offenders," it said.The statement added that due attention should be paid to the reputation and integrity of business concerns until they were proved guilty of an offence."The committee wishes to assure the public that all will be done in collaboration with major stakeholders to protect the public health of residents of Ghana," it stated.  BackgroundTobinco applied for an interim injunction at the Accra High Court against the FDA to restrain the latter from further destroying the products of the company .Although Tobinco claims to have complied with all the laws in relation to the importation of drugs into the country, particularly the Public Health Act 2012, Act 851, there has been counter-claims by the FDA.The company averred that after registration of a particular drug with the FDA, the company started distributing that drug throughout the country and added that it was only when the drug had been certified and registered with the FDA that it went ahead to distribute it.According to it, in September 2013 the FDA, which detected that some drug had not gone through clinical trials in India, summoned Tobinco and the Indian manufacturer and the manufacturer explained that since the drug had already gone through clinical test, it was thought that there was no need for it to go through further clinical trials.Not satisfied with the explanation, the FDA imposed a GH¢40,000 fine on Tobinco for the importation of an unregistered drug, which was duly settled.Since then, the feud between the two parties has degenerated into a media war, with FDA sticking to its ground that Tobinco had violated some regulations, while Tobinco insists that it has done nothing wrong.