Accra, Oct 26, GNA - Parliament is to vet two justices, Mr Justice A.A. Benin and Mr Justice J.B. Akamba, for appointment to the Supreme Court.   This follows their nomination by President John Dramani Mahama in accordance with Article 144 (2) of the Constitution on the advice of the Judicial Council and in consultation with Council of State.   First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, who read a communication from the Executive on the floor of the House referred the issue to the Appointments Committee for consideration.   The Committee is expected to vet the nominees and present its report for debate before Parliament adjourns on Wednesday October 31, 2012.   A statement issued by Parliament has urged the public to submit memorandum to the Committee not later than 1700 hours of Monday, October 29, 2012 to guide the process of nominations.     GNA...

Atuabo (W/R), Oct. 26, GNA - Chinese Development Bank (CDB), has made an advance payment of 225 million dollars to Sinopec Petroleum International Corporation, contractors for the gas infrastructure project in the Western Region. Dr George Sipa-Yankey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), who made this known at Atuabo in the Ellembelle District on Thursday, said the amount is part of the CDB’s 85 per cent commitment towards the gas project whilst Ghana made available 34 million dollarsrepresenting part of the 15 per cent commitment. Dr Sipa-Yankey made this known on Thursday when the Standing Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs paid a visit to the project site to assess the progress of work. He said so far, the GNGC had spent 300 million dollars on the project, which involved the purchasing of more than 10,000 pipelines, construction of warehouses, office and accommodation complex, water treatment plant, filling of the platform of the project site with laterite and gravels as well as laying of offshore and onshore pipelines and other contingency expenses. The total cost of the project is estimated at 750 million dollars and government is supposed to pay additional 192 million dollars to Sinopec to complete the first phase of the project on schedule. Mr Samuel Agyena the Civil Engineering-Lead of the GNGC, said because the area low line, the contractors are filling the platform of the project with laterite and gravels to a minimum of 2.5 metres to maximum of 3.5 metres above ground level to avoid flooding during downpour. He said currently, the contractors had filled only 0.6 metres representing 10 per cent of the earthwork done so far and attributed the slow pace of the project to the erratic rainfall pattern in the area. Other project sites visited by the chiefs included Bobrama in the Ellembelle District and Mampong in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. The 200km pipeline, starts from the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah on the Jubilee Oilfields to Atuabo in Ellembelle District, through to Domunli in the Jomoro District to Aboadze Thermal Plant in the Shama District where the regulatory and metering station would be located. The first phase of the gas project includes critical components such as lying of offshore and onshore pipelines, installation of gas processing plant at Atuabo, the construction of distribution station at Essiama, block valves as well as regulatory metering station at Aboadze. President of the Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Lower Axim, Awulae Attibrukusu III on behalf of the Committee, expressed satisfaction over the progress of work. GNA...

Accra, Oct. 26, GNA – The Office of the President on Friday denied claims by some radio stations that President John Dramani Mahama was attacked by female students of a Nursing College in Sefwi Wiawso who pelted him with sachet water. A Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. John Abdulai Jinapor, in a statement, described the news as false and politically motivated, peddled by some detractors to destroy the image of the President.     The statement said President Mahama did not visit any such institution and never encountered any such group of students and wondered why “out of nothing, some people still want to make something out of the nothing”. The statement noted that the story was a concocted one and also has political undertones, but not unexpected in view of the genuine and tremendous support President Mahama received from the people of the Western Region during the just ended tour. The story will not douse the surging popularity of the president in the Western Region since the people; especially the youth have given their unflinching support to the National Democratic Congress and President Mahama, the statement said. The statement assured Ghanaians that President Mahama and his team would continue to run an issue based campaign and would therefore not be drawn away from the real issues. GNA...

Sunyani, Oct. 26, GNA – Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister has reminded Ghanaians of the need to maintain the nation’s position as the beacon of democracy in Africa.       He advised politicians against personal attacks on their opponents but discuss issues for their supporters to take a cue from them to ensure peace during the coming elections.       Mr Nyamekye-Marfo was addressing about 1,000 Muslims at this year’s celebration of Eid-Ul-Adha, festival of sacrifice at the Sunyani Coronation Park in Sunyani on Friday.       He said political activists should not misconstrue the concept of democracy as disrespect for authority but rather respect of the views and opinions everyone in society.       Nana Takyi Abeam, Guantoahene of Sunyani Traditional Area, who deputised for the Omanhene, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, said it was God who appointed leaders and appealed to the leadership of political parties in the Region to ensure that peace prevailed during the electioneering campaign.       He urged politicians to listen to the views and verdict of the electorate to move the community, region and the nation forward, while they led exemplary lives worthy of emulation.       Alhaji Umar Abdul Kadir, Brong-Ahafo Regional Chief Imam, thanked Allah for successfully bringing the Islamic Calendar to an end and urged Muslims to continue to be law abiding.       Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Sunyani West Constituency, appealed to Ghanaians not to allow politics to tear them apart and ensure that unity prevailed.        Mr Nyamekye-Marfo on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama presented a bull, 20 bags of rice to the leadership of the Zongo Community, Omanhene of Sunyani and Brong-Ahafo Regional Imam. GNA...

Aboabo No. 4 (B/A), Oct. 26, GNA – Two Civic Education Clubs formed under the auspices of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) have embarked on a peace float at Aboabo.      More than 200 members of the Aboabo Salvation Army Senior High School (SASH) and Aboabo Number Four Methodist Junior High School (JHS) paraded through the principal streets of Aboabo, near Dormaa-Ahenkro.          They sang patriotic songs and displayed placards some of which read “We need peace”, “Students deserve to learn in peace”, “Politicians, Our destiny is in your hands” and “Stop the war drums, preach peace messages”.     At a forum held at Aboabo Number Four to climax the float, Mr Kwaku Adinkrah Kosopreh, Dormaa Central Municipal Director of NCCE, noted that campaign towards all general elections in Ghana formed part of the citizen’s civic responsibility and must therefore be held in a mature and peaceful atmosphere.     He deplored the current trend of political campaigns where some activists openly abused their political opponents on air, describing the practice as being “alien to our tradition”, and appealed to members of the civic clubs to endeavour to serve as worthy ambassadors for peace in their schools, homes and communities.     Mr Kosopreh warned the youth against yielding to attempts by politicians to use them for their selfish agenda, particularly during the campaign and on December 7.     He called on all schools and youth groups in Aboabo to join the peace campaign to ensure that no section of the Aboabo community was left to degenerate into political violence.     Mr Frederick Opoku Fokuo and Emmanuel Asare, Patrons of the two clubs, acknowledged the numerous benefits that members would derive and appealed to other schools in Aboabo to establish their own clubs.     Mr Labane Omari Mohammed, President of SASH Civic Club recounted the experience of sister African countries where election-related conflicts had left many dead or permanently incapacitated adding “We have to be careful we do not jeopardise the future of the current generation deliberately”.     Nana Kwadwo Kyeremeh, Krontihene of Aboabo Number Four urged the citizenry to take a cue from the messages carried by the students and desist from any acts that had the potential to foment chaos and anarchy.       He reminded the people that violence would not only deprive them of their lives and livelihood but would also make them refugees in other countries.  GNA...

Ho, Oct. 26, GNA - Mr Ransford Tay, Deputy Chairman of the New Horizon Foundation of the Blind (NHFB), a disability welfare and rights support group has urged politicians to come out boldly on the issue of inclusive education for the disabled. He said while the parties went into frenzies variously in defense of free-SHS education now, as against quality education now and free SHS later, they (parties) should come out clearly on educational opportunities for the disabled and their funding. Mr Tay was addressing the Annual General Convention (AGC) of the NHFB in Ho on Friday. He said the wellbeing of the disabled, especially their educational needs, must attract more attention from politicians than it was having. Mr Tay said the policy for inclusive education currently was not backed by adequate budgetary allocations. The Foundation, which is based in Ho, was founded three years ago. Besides advocacy, it is in networking, skills training, and social support schemes for the disabled. Miss Ellen Alai, Volta Regional Director of the Department of Women, wondered why politicians kept experiencing disability interest policies during their many travels to other countries, but would not implement same in Ghana. She said whereas public buses in those countries were able to let in the wheel chair and the occupant through a mechanism, buses in Ghana would carry but charge for the wheel chairs separately as luggage. Miss Alai expressed dismay at the general lack of concern for the disabled in the planning and management of the towns and cities as seen in the packed walkways, markets, access to buildings and lavatories. She said the state could give priority to the disabled in job employment like ticket vending and even HIV/AIDS counseling, where the visually impaired would encounter the carriers without knowing their identities. She called for a free and compulsory eye and ear test of all kids before they start school. Mrs Nancy Anku, an educationist, said it appeared the public was too numb over serious issues of state, such as matters affecting the interest of the 20 percent disabled population. He said individuals and groups must nudge politicians to work in the interest of the people. GNA...

Sunyani, Oct. 26, GNA – Mr Kwasi Afena, Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of Grassscutter Farmers Association (BARGFA) has appealed to government for assistance through the Public- Private-Partnership (PPP).       He said lack of technical support and inadequate extension services had resulted in farmers losing all their investments and this scared away prospective farmers.     Mr Afena said this when presenting a concept paper at a day’s workshop organised by the Association with assistance from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund.       The workshop was aimed at finding solutions to challenges that confronted the domesticated grasscutter farmer and ways to commercialise the production of grasscutter.     He said the high incidence of business collapse was due to the high death rate of starter stock breed.     “The agricultural extension officers mandated to offer technical support are not able to do so due to their limited knowledge and expertise,” he said.     Mr Afena attributed the cause to their unified mode of training where extension officers learnt a little bit of everything in the sub-sector without specialisation.     He called for specialised training of extension officers that would enable farmers and prospective farmers have access to experts in specialised areas.     Mr Afena called on veterinary officers to help ascertain the causes of death of starter stock breed.     He said the grasscutter industry had the potential of creating wealth, reducing unemployment and generating revenue for the government and called for assistance to encourage the grasscutter farmer to venture into large scale production to meet the high demand.     He encouraged favourites of the delicacy of grasscutter to discard the notion that the domesticated grasscutter was not as tasty as those in the wild.     Dr Cyril Quist, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of MOFA, advised the farmers to keep proper documentation on their production activities to enable them measure their output. GNA...

Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A), Oct. 26, GNA – The Dormaa Circuit Court at Dormaa-Ahenkro has fined Kwakye Ameyaw, a driver, an amount of GH¢420 fine for possessing timber products without authorisation.     He was convicted on his own plea by the court presided over by Mr Alexander Osei Tutu.     Police Chief Inspector Bismarck Boye-Lartey, prosecuting, told the court that three police personnel from Dormaa-Ahenkro on service duty at Kuren, a farming community near Dormaas-Ahenkro, on October 13, 2012 intercepted a KIA Mighty Truck with Registration Number GR7741-09 loaded with 100 pieces of chainsaw lumber.     He said upon inspection it was realised that the lumber was not covered by the requisite documents and after investigations charged with the offence.       Meanwhile, the court has directed its registrar to liaise with the police to sell the impounded lumber and the proceeds paid into the Consolidated Fund. GNA...