Accra, Oct. 28, GNA - Michael Ikpoki, Chief Executive of MTN Ghana, has said his outfit has identified golf as a strategic channel to build stronger relationships with a section of their subscribers.   Speaking at the 4th MTN Invitational Golf Competition in Tarkoradi, Ikpoki, who is an ardent golfer, described the event as “a continuation of what his outfit is doing for the sport”.   He said the event is a special one considering the fact it offered the company the platform to bond with their business partners, friends and customers in a relaxed atmosphere.   According to the MTN CEO, his outfit decided to move the competition, which was part of the ‘Oil festival’ from Accra to the region, in a bid to offer their business customers outside the capital the opportunity to be part of the event.   “We have participated in a number of golf events over the past few years and these include the quarterly Spoons competition, MTN Ghana Open, MTN Classic, Asantehene Gold Cup and Accra Open and we intend to continue”. He added.   Edward Butt, captain of Takoradi Sports Club, commended MTN and Gold Fields for supporting the event and expressed the hope that the partnership between the two companies will take golf a step further.   GNA...

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA -   Kwashie Avemegah, 40, emerged the winner of the 4th MTN Invitational Golf Competition over the weekend, at the Tarkoradi Spots Club.   Avemegah, secured a spectacular 40 Stable ford points ahead of his competitors in an 18-hole competition that drew an unprecedented  participants of  74 golfers across the region and its environs.   Playing on a single handicap of four, Avemegah beat Fredrick Boateng to second place with two strokes, as he secured of 38 stable ford points, while Takoradi Sports Club’s Augustine Amoakohene finished third after recording a stable ford points of 36.   Edward Butt, captain of the Tarkoradi Sports Club, finished first in the Men’s Group B category with a 41 stable ford points, Graham Lawes and Peter Clinton all from the Takoradi Sports Club recorded 39 and 38 points to finish second and third respectively.   29-year-old double handicapper Mercy Werner also from the Tarkwah Golf Club emerged tops in the Ladies event after recording 38 stable ford points.   Takoradi’s Sheela Upton produced a 33 stable ford points to finish second, while Philomena Sedo placed third losing to Upton by four strokes (29points).    .   Werner extended her dominance in the ladies Longest Drive category, while Avemegah incidentally won the Men’s event.   Distinguished golfers took home giant trophies and souvenirs from sponsors, MTN-Ghana.   GNA...

Accra , Oct. 28, GNA -The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has removed Ghana from the list of high risk money laundering and terrorist financing countries after it enacted various legislations to criminalise money laundering and fight the crime.   “Pursuant to Ghana’s progress in largely addressing its action plan agreed upon with FATF, Ghana has been removed from the FATF’s public statement and identified in this document,” Mr Samuel Thompson Essel, Chief Executive Officer, Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana, told journalists in Accra quoting a statement from FAFT.   The FATF on February 16, 2012, issued a public statement in which it identified Ghana as a high risk money laundering and terrorism financing jurisdiction and cautioned member states to take into account the risks associated with the deficiencies in the anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing regimes.   Mr Essel said the blacklisting of Ghana by FATF has implications of increased risk profile of the country which could likely affect its credit rating, adverse effect on international trade and investment, as well as increase in opportunistic crimes.   He said the feat to get the blacklisting lifted was achieved through a high level of commitment to FATF as it undertook very significant legislative and institutional initiatives to bring the country at par with other successful anti-money laundering and counter financial terrorist regimes.   Mr Essel said as part of the remedial process the Financial Intelligence Centre was established and mandated to receive, analyse and disseminate financial intelligence to investigating, revenue and intelligence agencies in the country and similar bodies in foreign jurisdictions.   Besides, criminal offences Acts were amended to criminalise offences such as unlawful use of human parts, enforced disappearance, sexual exploitation, illicit trafficking and racketeering.   The Immigration Act and the Anti-Terrorism Regulation were also enacted to criminalise migrant smuggling and criminalise terrorist financing respectively.   Mr Essel said apart from the laws, effort was made to establish and implement adequate measures for the confiscation of funds related to money laundering.   He called for support from the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary in dealing with criminals as well as resources to consolidate and build on the gains so far made, adding that the FATF would undertake an on-site visit in January 2013.   Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said the feat to reverse the blacklisting in a very short time was because of collaborative work among the various agencies and called for concerted effort to consolidate the gains.    GNA...

Accra , Oct. 28, GNA - Nii Laryea Afote-Agbo, Greater Accra Regional Minister, says grooming the youth in the word of God was one way of ensuring a lawful society.   "A high sense of discipline, a sympathetic and caring nature and the zeal to do the right thing are all borne of good grooming, which is derived from the word of God."   The Minister said this in Accra on Sunday, at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Deliverance Assemblies of God Church.   "Let us raise our children in the fear of God. When they have their values based in Godliness, they would be able to withstand trials and temptations which could mar their lives," he said.   The Greater Accra Minister said a country which was largely made up of God-fearing people would definitely build a disciplined society.   He congratulated the church for her achievement and expressed the hope that it would continue to impact positively on young people, as well as the society as a whole, for the progress of the nation.   In his sermon on, "Celebrating the Faithfulness of God," Rev. Dr. Ato Bentil, National Treasurer of the Assemblies of God Church-Ghana, said despite the humble beginnings of the church, it had been able to reach great heights after 30 years.   He encouraged people not to feel discouraged by their circumstances, but to strive to achieve their goals.   "There is often a lot more potential in people than they could immediately acknowledge. What is needed is to have faith in God," he said.   Rev. Bentil said the principle of reaping only what one had sown always held in this world, and urged people to work hard towards achieving their aims all the time.   The Senior Pastor of the Church, Rev. Delali Bodza, said the vision of the church was to empower young people with leadership skills, which would help them grow into more useful citizens.   "A good leader is master of himself, and is capable of effectively guiding people in areas where he has already mastered," he said.   Rev. Bodza urged churches and other religious bodies to remain neutral as the country approached Election 2012.   He said since these churches served as checks on the society, aligning themselves to political parties compromised their integrity, and adversely affected the society.   GNA...

Kumasi, Oct. 28, GNA – Mr. Mike Nyinaku, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Beige Group of Companies, has called for the establishment of more Venture Capital Funds to help implement viable business ideas to foster economic growth.   Venture Capital Funds, he said, had become a powerful tool in empowering the youth all over the world, particularly amongst Business graduates, as it serves as an avenue to give them access to the requisite capital to start their own businesses.   It also helps in encouraging the youth to generate ideas that could transform their own lives and the society in general to alleviate the plight of the people.   Mr. Nyinaku was interacting with the media in Kumasi on his companies’ mission statements as they commence operations in the metropolis.   Highlighting on the Beige Capital Susu and Loans, a subsidiary company of the Group, the CEO said the company’s focus was to make loans more accessible to Small-scale and Medium Enterprises(SMEs).   Under the company’s loan terms, a business entity or individual could access loans without having a collateral security but viable business.   The company also puts much emphasis on customer care and is motivated to develop various products to meet their needs.   Mr. Nyinaku said Beige was recently recognized as having the highest capital base portfolio due to good practices, saying it was the policy of the company to work harder in expanding their operations.   In the last five years, Beige had seen its workforce in its six main companies grown to about 874.   GNA...

Agona Swedru, Oct. 28, GNA-Muslim leaders in the Agona West Municipality and Gomoa East District of the Central region have called on political party leaders and their supporters avoid violence and confusion in the campaign message.        According to the Muslims, elections are not war and the shedding of blood but a peaceful and civil process to elect leaders to govern a nation.        These sentiments were expressed by Muslim leaders in the two areas to mark the Eid-Ul Adha festival at separate gathering at Agona Swedru and Gomoa Mangoase respectively, on Friday.        Mr Charles Obeng-Inkoom, National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary Candidate for Agona West, who addressed the Ahmadiyya Muslim members at Agona Swedru, appealed to them to pray for Allah’s intervention for peaceful elections.        He asked the political leaders to accept the election results, adding that the ruling party was ever prepared to accept the verdict to promote democratic dispensation.        Imam of Agona Swedru Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Abubakari Ishaq, said it would not be proper for Muslims to idle around the polling stations after casting their votes.       Alhaji Abdul Karimu Musah, Central Regional “Sadauna”, (Muslim chief in the Region) and former Assemblyman for Agona Swedru old Zongo, said Allah has chosen the president for Ghana already and therefore asked political leaders and their supporters who would lose to accept the results.        He cautioned Muslims youth not to allow themselves to be used to create elections violence since Islam is a peaceful religion.        Alhaji Musah declared that “any truthful Muslim would not offer himself or herself to be used for the purpose that is against the tenets of Islam and Quran.        At Gomoa Mangoase, Osofo Ismiala Obeng, Gomoa Circuit Missionary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, said the Eid-Ul Adha celebration reminded Muslims about the principles and values of Quran which include humility and tolerant.        He called on the political leaders to desist from insults and personal attacks on their colleagues since that practice does not deepen democracy.        Nana Musah Gyedum, President of the Gomoa Managoase Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, cautioned political leaders to guard against utterances that could affect the upcoming elections.   GNA...

Agona Swedru, Oct 28, GNA-The Agona West branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Saturday launched its Election 2012 campaign with a call on supporters to desist from politics of insults and personal attack to ensure peace and tranquility.   Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, Central Regional Minister, who launched the campaign, urged the local electorate who have on three consecutive times voted for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to this time vote massively for President John Dramani Mahama and Mr Charles Obeng-Inkoom, parliamentary candidate for Agona West.   Mrs Doe said the NPP failed to live up to the expectation of the people and appealed to the chiefs and people to change the sitting MP come December7, for more development projects.   According to the Regional Minister, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has nothing better to offer the people of Agona West adding, the eight year regime of the NPP did not go down well with the electorate in the areas of developmental projects.   She assured the supporters that the elections would be free, fair and transparent to enable the country to continue to enjoy peace and stability.   Mrs Doe said President Mahama came to succeeded late President J.E. A. Mills to continue the good plans and vision he had for the country.   She urged the electorate to ignore vain promises of the NPP especially, the free Senior High School education policy.   Mrs Doe said the government under President Mahama has better plans to make education wholesome to enable the nation produce suitable scholars.   Mr Samuel Oppong, Agona West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said 72 projects have been executed in the three- and-half year rule of the NDC as compared with the NPP’s 12 projects in eight years   He mentioned some of the project as schools, health centres, roads and sanitation.   Mr Oppong denied that the Agona West MP, Mr Samuel Obodai, has given him 100,000 Ghana Cedis for development projects since he assumed office as MCE eight months ago.   Mr Obeng-Inkoom pledged to serve the people well if voted the Member of Parliament for the area adding, the area was lagging behind in developmental projects needed to transform the lives of the people especially, the youth.        Other Speakers were Maame Pokua Sawyer, Agona East NDC Parliamentary Candidate, Mr Solomon Nkansah, Deputy National Propaganda Secretary, Mr Boye Amissah, Presidential Staffer and Mr Kofi Turkson, executive member of Friends of  Mr Obeng-Inkoom, parliamentary candidate for Agona West.   GNA...

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA – A second half brace from midfielder Kennedy Ashia powered Liberty to their first win of the season.   The “Scientific Soccer lads” beat Aduana Stars 2-0 in their Week five 2012/2013 Premier League encounter on Sunday at the Sly Tetteh Stadium, Dansoman.   Ashia scored twice in three minutes to hand the hosts a deserving victory and further boost their standings on the league log.   Win-less from their last three games at home, Liberty put up a spirited performance which landed them the maximum points at the expense of Aduana, who were of out of steam in the second half.   Possession belonged to Aduana in the opening minutes as the midfield trio of Alex Aryee, Daniel Darkwa and Francis Larbi kept the ball to themselves; but it was Liberty which made serious attempt at goal.   Petit midfielder Kwame Boahen made a mess of the first chance at goal as he blasted wide from close range on 28 minutes, after Richard Antwi had laid to his path.   Four minutes later, Aduana goalie Stephen Adams scored full marks when he calmly collected Ebenezer Assifuah’s point blank header in the penalty area.   Liberty resumed strongly and six minutes into the second half, Michael Appiah failed to break the deadlock when he shot feebly into the waiting hands of Adams after Assifuah had done all the work and put him through.   Three minutes later, Adams grabbed the ball outside his line, yielding an indirect free-kick that marked the beginning of their woes. Ashia will teach his colleagues how to score – curling home after Boahen set him up.   On 57 minutes, Ashia sealed his brace by blasting home from a goalmouth action, with a shot that zoomed into the far corner of the net.   It was Liberty all the way and seven minutes from time, Adams was to his rescue by palming away a spectacular volley by Boahen at the edge of the penalty area.   Ashia,thus took his tally to four in the five-week old premiership and remains his side's leading marksman.   GNA...

Obuasi, Oct 28, GNA – Ashgold maintained their fine home record by beating King Faisal 1-0 in their fifth-week fixture in the Glo Premier League duel at the Len Clay Stadium on Sunday.   After a scoreless first half, Ashgold opened the second session as the stronger of the two sides and pinned the visitors into their own area. The homers pressure paid off three minutes into the half when Faisal Ransford Kwakye handled the ball in the penalty box.   Kwakye’s attempt to clear a ball ended up in a handball  which referee Joseph Lamptey  awarded to Ashgold. Yakubu Mohammed stepped up to effect the kick which he did expertly to push the victors into the lead in what turned out to be the only goal of the game.   Faisal lifted their game in search of parity which never materialized.   GNA...

Gomoa Aboso, (C/R), Oct. 28, GNA- Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, Central Regional Minister has called the chiefs and the people of the region to vote massively for President John Dramani Mahama and National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Election 2012 in honour of the late President Mills.         She said a landslide win for the NDC would go a long way to indicate that the people love the NDC which the Late President J. E.A. Mills once led.         Mrs Doe made these known when she launched campaign for the Gomoa Central branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Gomoa Aboso, near Agona Swedru in the Central Region.         She said President Mahama has unified the NDC across the country when he became the head of state following the sudden death of President Mills.         The Regional Minister said President Mahama is continuing the good work the late President started to ensure socio-economic advancement of the people, especially those in the Central Region.         She said the President did not abandon the people of the Central Region as he chose Mr Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur who also hails from the region as the Vice President and his running mate for 2012 elections.         Mrs Doe also urged the supporters not to rest on their oars but rather intensify their campaign to win more votes since winning is by numbers.         The Regional Minister asked Ghanaians to reject the free Senior High School education policy being promised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo because it cannot be feasible.         Mr Ekow Anyanful, Central Regional Secretary of NDC urged Ghanaians, especially, those in the Gomoa Central to vote for President Mahama and Ms Adjoa Apoh, the NDC parliamentary candidate.        He said the NDC government has established two additional public universities to absorb more students who would graduate from the SHS.        Mr Kingsley Ehunu Armah, District Chief Executive for Gomoa East, enumerated a number of projects the Assembly has executed since the NDC came to power in 2009 to improve living condition of the people.        Ms Apoh appealed to the people of Gomoa Central to vote for a competent candidate to represent them in Parliament.   GNA     ...

Obuasi, Oct 28, GNA - Ebusua Dwarfs playing their last home match ban at the Len Clay Stadium were held to a goalless draw game by visiting New Edubiase United on Saturday.   In a game that had action centered in midfield, both teams battle to undo each other but the required breakthrough never arrived.   With scanty chances getting created by both sides, Edubiase’s Basit Adams and Alhassan Nuhu came close to breaking the deadlock in the 70 and 73 minutes respectively but poor calculation upfront caused them.   Dwarfs had their fair share of the wasted opportunity when Prince Arthur with the visitors’ goalkeeper Eric Nii Baah shot wide in a clear opportunity at goal late into the game to share the points with Edubiase.   GNA...

Half Assini (W/R) Oct. 28, GNA-The Half Assini Police have arrested five persons believed to be armed robbers who take delight in terrorizing travellers on the Mpataba-Elubo Highways in the Jomoro district of the Western Region.         The suspects are Charles Abeiku Frimpong, 20 from Mankessim in the Central Region, Kojo Ibrahim Brenya from Asutuare, Kojo Anumeba 18, from Asafo, Ismanu Adams 18, and Mubarak Mohammed all from Kumasi in Ashanti Region.          The Jomoro District Police Commander, Superintendent John Ferguson Dzineku, made this known to the Ghana News Agency at Half Assini.          Mr Dzineku said following a highway robbery on Oct. 23 at Nyame Bekyere near Elubo, during which a Nigerian woman, Madam Roseline Oguneleke, was shot dead by the perpetrators after robbing the passengers of their valuable item, the Police in the area started a night patrol on the highways.          The Police Commander said on October 24, 2012, at about 1200 hours, the Police patrol team came across a Nissan Almbra Taxi with Registration Number AW 8062-12 which they suspected tobe a get-away vehicle and begun monitoring it.          According to Mr Dzineku, somewhere on the road, the suspected robbers turned around the taxi and blocked the road in an attempt to attack the Police vehicle whose occupants were dressed in civilian clothing.          He said later when the robbers saw that the vehicle was rather a Police car, they sped off only for five of them to be arrested later and during a search on them, a foreign pistol was found on one of them who confessed to the Police that he shot the Nigerian woman.          Superintendent Dzineku said during a search on the vehicle at the District Police Headquarters at Half Assini, one Pump Action Gun and a locally manufactured short gun and 18 pieces of life “BB” cartridges, 16 rounds of ammunition and a bunch of keys were found concealed in the bonnet of the taxi.          The Police Commander said the suspects would be arraigned before the Half Assini district magistrate court immediately after investigations.   GNA...

Kumasi, Oct. 28, GNA – Asante Kotoko on Sunday broke the jinx surrounding their inability to win matches with an emphatic 2-0 victory over visiting Berekum Arsenals in their Glo-Premier League day-five clash at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.   Having drawn their first four games, the Porcupine Warriors with their pride at stake attacked like wounded lions in the first half and succeeded in pinning down their opponents to their own half.   Skipper Kofi Nti Boakye and dribbling magician, Michael Helegbe, tormented the Arsenal defence with their slippery runs and came close to breaking the deadlock but the glorious chances that came their way were wasted in the 33rd and 45th minutes, respectively.   Arsenal resumed the second half a transformed side and tried to catch their opponents on the break.   Enoch Asare, who led the Arsenal attack, nearly stunned the Porcupine Warriors when he rose above the defence to connect an Isaac Osei in-swinger but the ball missed the post by inches.   Having survived this early scare, Kotoko resorted to a compact game and concentrated most of their attacks in the midfield where Michael Anaba, Issah Yakubu and Nurudeen Ali operated effectively.   In a desperate move for a goal, Kotoko’s Ben Acheampong who received a pass on the left flanks ran deep into the opponents’ goal area and let go a carpet pass which was connected home by Helegbe in the 71st minute.   The deafening cheers that greeted the goal ostensibly motivated the Kotoko players to probe for more which did come six minutes on through Joseph Ochaya.   It was a beautiful goal by all standards, as the Ugandan import hit a volley with his favourite left-foot from a Helegbe's corner-kick to give the home team all the much-needed three   GNA...

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA – Herewith the standings of the 2012/2013 Glo Premier League after the match day five games played on Sunday, October 28, at the various league centres.   Club P W D L GF GA GD PTS Medeama SC        5 4 1 0 6 1 5 13 Brekum Chelsea   5 3 1 1 6 1 5 10 AshGold     5 2 3 0 6 3 3 9 Tema Youth       5 2 2 1 8 6 2 8 Asante Kotoko   5 1 4 0 5 3 0 7 King Faisal 5 2 1 2 5 6 0 7 Aduana Stars     5 1 3 1 3 4 -1 6 All Stars            5 1 3 1 6 6 0 6 Liberty   5 1 3 1 4 4 0 6 Heart of Lions   5 1 3 1 6 7 -1 6 Amidaus Profs.  5 1 1 3 5 6 +1 5 Dwarfs   5 1 1 3 4 5 1 5 Hearts of Oak    5 1 1 3 8 10 -2 4 Edubiase    5 1 1 3 5 10 -5 4 RTU    5 1 3 1 4 7 -3 3 Arsenals  5 0 3 2 2 6 -4 3                     GNA  ...

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA - Herewith results of match day five of the Glo Premier League games played on Sunday, October 28, at the various league centers.   Tema:             Amidaus      2      Lions           2   Tamale:         RTU              0      Medeama   2        Berekum:     Chelsea        2       Hearts        0        Dansoman:  Liberty         2      Aduana       0            Obuasi:         Ashgold       1      Faisal            0   Wa:                A. Stars         1      T. Youth      1   Kumasi:       Kotoko          2      Arsenal        0   Obuasi:       Dwarfs           0      Edubiase     0     GNA...

Accra, Oct 28. GNA-A farewell service was on Sunday organised for Most Reverend Doctor Justice Yaw Offei Akrofi, Anglican Bishop of the Accra Diocese, after 36 years of service in the Church.   The service which was held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra, attracted clergies from all walks of life including the United States of America and other West African countries.   Speaking at the service, Most Rev Dr. Akrofi entreated Ghanaians not only talk about peace but work to ensure that it was attained especially as Election 2012 drew closer.   “Elections are here once again and as Ghana is seen as the oasis of peace on this continent, we should be careful with our words and actions to avoid unnecessary conflicts “, he said.   Dr Akrofi, who is also the Archbishop of the Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA), called on all especially those in authority to ensure that actions that had the potential to cause mayhem in the country were seriously checked.   He expressed regret about the numerous conflicts that had plagued many nations on the African continent due to political differences and greed.   He urged Christians to endeavour to resist temptation and the unnecessary accumulation of wealth and work towards the dissemination of the salvation power of Christ.   Most Rev Dr Akrofi debunked politics of insults and called on Christians to respect people in authority and the political system of the country.   He noted that although he had officially retired from church activities, he would continue to make himself and his expertise available to the church and the work of God.   Dr. Mrs Maria Akrofi, wife of Dr retired preacher and an Anaesthetic consultant, on behalf of the family, expressed appreciation to God for the life and the ministry of her husband and led the congregation in intercessory prayer for the Anglican Church, the Diocese of Accra, the country and humanity.   People who had had encounters with the Most Rev Dr Akrofi paid glowing testimonies to him and his family for the impact they had made on them and their communities.   GNA    ...

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA – The Chiefs and people of Bongo in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region has launched the annual “Azambene” fire festival in Accra.   The festival, which attracts friends and well-wishers, is celebrated to commemorate the creation of the present Bongo, thus marking the inheritance of the land from Busasis, the original owners of the land.   It provides an opportunity where chiefs, queen mothers and the entire district come together to reflect on issues of development and also as a platform to fight indiscipline and indecent practices as well institute good programmes and policies in the interest of the district.   The theme for this year’s celebration is “Culture Re-awakened to Support Youth in Education”.   Bonaba Baba Salifu Alemyaarum, Paramount Chief of Bongo, said the festival for centuries was celebrated only in Bongo, adding that “for the past six years it had assumed a district character and celebrated in a modernized way.”   He said the launch of festival in the national capital ‘Accra’ this year was done with the hope to find at least a sizable representation of all the communities under the Bongo District.   Bonaba Alemyaarum said through the festival, Bongo had done a lot to preserve the environment.   He said the traditional council had been transformed into a community based organization, which had benefited from the United Nations Development Programme Small Bongo for Grants Support to promote tree planting.   Bongo district is one of the deprived districts in the Upper East Region. A survey in the district had revealed the inability of most parents to meet the high cost of education of their children resulting in low human resource base in the district and retarding development.   Bonaba Alemyaarum said since the festival assumed a distract character, a lot of success had been achieved and that there were challenges as well.   He said the fund also supported the renovation of a sports arena for the district team following its qualification into the division one league last year and needed befitting sports arena for its home matches.   He said there was an ongoing process to established a community radio and that all the villages were committed to contributing to towards achieving that .   Bonaba Alemyaarum said the festival was the only source of funding and was woefully inadequate to meet the increasing demands of students been sponsored.   He said information and education was key to development and that the unavailability of a radio station in the district was retarding the progress of development.   Mr Albert Abongo, Member of Parliament for Bongo, said education was the bedrock of every country and that the introduction of the educational fund in the traditional area was in the right direction.   He said the outreach celebration of the festival would help sensitize the people and also make provision for people outside the district to contribute their quota for development.   Mr Clement Akugry, District Chief Executive of Bongo, said another reason for the launch in Accra was to market the culture of the people of Bongo.   He said the theme of the celebration was in line with the District Assembly’s programme, which was to ensure that every village had a school. Since his assumption as DCE, he said, the Assembly had put up 52 classrooms blocks.   Mr Akugrey said the district had no standard hospital and that it was depending on the chip zone clinics, which was a source of worry to the people. He added that Assembly was working with the Ministry of Health to construct a district hospital.   He said because geographically the district is located in a rocky area, it was making commercial farming difficult for the people.     GNA...

Saltpond, Oct. 28, GNA – The Sariki of Saltpond Zongo, Maamah Nomabo IV has cautioned Muslim youth to desist from violent activities before, during and after the upcoming general election.   Sariki Maamah Nomabo known in private life as Alhaji Ben Ahmed Mahmood, Chief Pharmacist Technician at Ankaful Psychiatrist Hospital, disagreed with people who perceive Muslims as violent and trouble fomenters.   He reminded the adherents of the religion that Islam meant peace therefore there was no reason why they could use their behaviour to give negative meaning to the religion.   Sariki Maamah Nomabo was addressing a Muslim prayer meeting at Saltpond Victoria Park to mark the Eid-Ul-Adha on Friday.   He urged the youth to channel their exuberances into helping to develop Zongo communities.   “The devil finds jobs for the ideal hands therefore be sure you engage yourselves in doing something better so that you are not attracted to something anti social”, he advised.   He advised the youth not to allow peer pressure to direct their future.   Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Central Regional Deputy Minister, said he had instituted scholarship schemes for brilliant-but-needy students at any Senior High School to promote quality education among Muslims.   Mr Quansah, who is also a Member of Parliament for Mfantseman, appealed to Muslims to invest in education of their children to enable them benefit from the scholarship and other schemes the Government had put in place.   The MP donated a cow to the Muslim community for the celebration of the Eid-Ul-Ahda and tiles for the Central Mosque at Zongo.   Alhaji iddirsu Ibrahim, Chief Imam of Saltpond, who led the prayers prayed for a successful peaceful election.   At Gomoa Kokofu, the Imam, Ayuba Mohammed cautioned Ghanaians against defacing and destroying posters of their political opponents.   He said the posters were acquired at a great cost to aspirants therefore they must protect them from being destroyed.   The Imam advised Muslim to vote for political parties of their choice and go home after casting their votes.     GNA...

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA – Samsung Electronics has announced the regional launch of Samsung Galaxy Note II and Samsung Galaxy Camera at the Galaxy Note II World Tour in Cape Town, South Africa.   The mobile device, which was showcased at the event, satisfies the consumer desire to use technology as a means of self expression.   A statement issued by Samsung said the Galaxy Note II is also a perfect example of a mobile device that encourages users to unleash their inner creativity with a perfect viewing experience and special features which users can discover information and capture their ideas quicker, express thoughts freely and manage their tasks more efficiently.   The Galaxy Note II builds on the success of its predecessor, Galaxy Note, which was the first smart phone for truly personal, artistic and creative expression and featuring a 5.5” (140.9mm) HD Super AMOLED screen. “The Galaxy Note II provides a phenomenal viewing experience with breathtaking visuals and crystal clear detail.”   Air View, which allows users to hover with the S Pen over an email, S Planner, image gallery, or video to preview the content without having to open it; and Popup Note, which lets users open S Note instantly as a pop-up window anywhere on the screen, offering an intuitive, easy multitasking experience.   An Advanced S Pen is longer, thicker and ergonomically designed for the perfect grip and provides a more precise, comfortable, and natural writing and drawing experience and also enables unique experiences in personalized and expressive content creation, making it the ultimate smart phone for on-the-go creativity.   The phone is powered by Android 4.1, Jelly Bean with a 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor, the GALAXY Note II brings powerful performance in content creation, sharing and multitasking capabilities and comes with NFC Near Field Communication (NFC), the fast-growing short-range communication technology that enables a variety of features and services ranging from contactless payments and data exchange to user-customized “smart tags”.   Combining its mobile leadership and camera innovation, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Camera developed to fit the changing ways consumers communicate in an increasingly visual communication age.   This latest addition to the Galaxy family combines the best features from both the camera and smart phone worlds into one stylish new device, top photographic features, which include 21 times super long zoom for increased usability, a 16M BSI complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor and ‘Smart Pro’ mode that makes it easy for users to achieve high-quality, professional-like images in just a few steps.   From the smart phone world, the Galaxy camera includes 3G and 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity, full Internet browsing support and access to hundreds of thousands of applications on Google Play and Samsung Applications, all running on the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Operatin System.   These features can be enjoyed on a beautifully vivid 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD screen, allowing users to easily shoot and edit images from the palm of their hands.   For added mobility, the Galaxy camera also comes with a Voice Control option that lets users control a number of functions such as “Zoom in” and “Shoot” by using their voice.   The launch of the Galaxy Note II adds to Samsung’s comprehensive portfolio of enterprise mobility devices including the Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1), Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), and Galaxy S III for businesses today.   Samsung Electronics Company Limited is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies, employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries.   The company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units, Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems and Digital Appliances, Information Technology Solutions, Digital Imaging and Device Solutions consisting of Memory System LSI and Light Emitting Diode (LED).     GNA...

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA – The Dominion University College (DUC) became affiliated to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) since June 2010 to offer various degree programmes in Business, Computer Science and Arts, authorities of the UCC has affirmed.   “The affiliation status was granted after meticulous programme and institutional assessment and reviews…Indeed, the Governing Council (UCC) is satisfied with the evidence of human resources, infrastructural and curriculum provisions for the smooth take off of the training of students.   “It is for this reason that UCC accepts as an institution, to mentor and provide the necessary guidance towards the award of degrees at DUC,” Professor Domwini Dibire Kuupole, UCC Vice-Chancellor stated on Saturday at the DUC’s first matriculation ceremony to admit first batch of students in Accra.   DUC is an autonomous Christian tertiary institution sponsored by Christian Action Faith Ministries International (CAFM), a Christian organization that has trained many renowned Christian leaders serving in Ghana and abroad for over thirty years.   Prof Kuupole, whose speech was read for him, noted that the overall aim for affiliation was to offer mentorship to DUC in its quest to produce persons with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills for employing reflective and objective thinking in their fields of endeavour in order to contribute meaningfully in creating value.   “As mentor we bring on board our expertise, experiences, and guidance and even resources, which we share with our affiliated institutions to enable them achieve their dreams and goals successfully. “We promise timely moderation and mentoring exercises, which may be arduous but necessary for ensuring quality…we assure you further that there will be no cutting corners and short changing to hasten any procedure.   “In UCC we abhor cheating, non compliance, and complacency and so we demand that any institution aligned with us must share the same values…We stand for quality, efficiency and effectiveness in the pursuit of our goals,” Prof Kuupole stated.   The UCC Vice Chancellor, therefore, tasked DUC Governing Council to uphold the virtues of UCC.   Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, DUC Acting President in an address cautioned the students that as Christian University, DUC abhorred indecent life styles, use of illicit drugs, smoking, immorality, cultism, homosexuality and other associated forms of social vices.   “Anyone found engaging or compelling others to engage in cultism or dealing in any criminal act will be summarily expelled and handed over to the Ghana Police Service for possible prosecution.   “As a civilized community, there are legitimate and rational ways to express your feelings without undue recourse to violence and destruction of DUC’s property or other public property.   “We will not tolerate premeditated destruction of properties under any condition or pretext,” Dr Spio-Garbrah who was a former Minister of Education stated.   He noted that DUC would explore innovative ways of securing funds and resources to sustain the growth and development of the institute.   He said DUC in partnership with Government and other private institutions would next month publish a Directory of Scholarships and Financial Assistance to enable parents and students have a good compendium of information on wide range of sources of scholarships and financial assistance available to students.   Dr Spio-Garbrah assured the students that in addition to modern infrastructure at DUC, plans were ahead to develop other projects to provide world-class facilities to enhance learning and research for students.   On behalf of DUC Chancellor, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Bishop James Saah of the Christian Action Faith International, tasked the students to adhere to academic rules and regulations.   In all, 60 students took the matriculation oath for Bachelor of Business Administration, 26 were admitted for level 100; six for level 200; and another six for level 300.   Other programmes are Bachelor of Arts- Theology, Pastoral Care and Missionary which admitted 11 students at level 100; and six for level 200. For Bachelor of Science Computer Science with Management, five students were admitted to level 100.    The DUC School of Business offers a comprehensive four-year programme leading to either Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA).   The BBA programme covers four different areas of specialization namely accounting, banking & finance, marketing and human resource management, and the BPA specializes in public sector accounting.      The ceremony was attended by high profile personalities including Mrs Charlotte Osei Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education, Mr Justice Francis Emil Short, former Chairman of Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, large family members and cross section of Action Chapel members.     GNA...