Accra, Nov. 13, GNA – Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, Greater Accra Regional Minister has bemoaned the general retrogression of most sporting disciplines nation-wide and called for massive re-organization to reverse the trend.   In a speech read on his behalf at the closing ceremony of the 7th Greater Accra Regional Sports Festival in Ada, Greater Accra Region, Afotey Agbo said there was the need for regular regional and district Sports festivals to serve as a platform for unearthing talents and groom them for the regional and the national team as well.   The Regional Minister, praised the Greater Accra Regional Sports Authority for ensuring the participation of all Metropolitan, Municipalities and District Assemblies (MMDA’S) in the festival adding that, it will also ensure guaranteed broad based sports talent to represent the region at the 2013 National Unity Games.   Afotey Agbo pledged the continued support of Government and the RCC towards sports promotion and development in the region.   He advised the youth, to seek peace before, during and after the upcoming elections.   Kwame Amponfi Jr, Sports Director, Greater Accra Sports Authority, who read a speech on behalf of the Acting Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Madam Alice Attipoe commended the planning committee for successfully organising the event and the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council for sponsoring the sports festival.   The NSA boss also praised Greater Accra Sports Authority for taking the lead among their compatriots among other regions to raise a team one year ahead of the 2013 National Unity Games.   She expressed gratitude to the regional minister for financing the promotion and development of sports in his region adding that the governments agenda for sports includes employment of qualified technical staff to be posted to the Districts as Sports Development Officers to help develop Sports at the grassroots level and to identify and nurture potential talents for the promotion of sports at the national level.   The Regional Sports Festival was fully sponsored by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council.   GNA...

Sunyani, Nov. 13, GNA – Rural Banks in the country will soon operate MTN mobile money transfer services, Mr Ebenezer Twum Asante, National Sales Executive of Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) said on Tuesday.      He said the company was seriously working out modalities with the ARP Apex Bank to ensure that all rural banks were networked and connected to the service by the end of April, 2013.      Mr Asante announced this when briefing the media to highlight events lined-up for the fourth anniversary celebration of Bisvel Communication Limited in Sunyani.      Bisvel Company is MTN’s authorised dealer in Brong-Ahafo Region to distribute its products.      Mr Asante explained that MTN cherished its relationship with its users and would work to ensure all subscribers especially those in rural areas benefited from other packages.      He said currently the company had more than 11 million network subscribers representing 50.9 per cent of the market share and the leading mobile telecommunication company in the country.      Mr Charles Osei Akoto, MTN Technical Manager, admitted the company was aware of the regular and intermittent network failures and assured users of network quality and stability in 2013.      He said the company’s fibre network reinforcement project was still on course and on its completion many concerns would be addressed.      Mr Akoto said the company’s subscribers in Brong-Ahafo Region had increased from 650 in 2008 to 1.2 million in 2012 targeting that by the end of 2013 an additional 200,000 users would be hooked on to the network.      Alhaji Baba Seidu Issifu, Chief Executive Officer of Bisvel Communication, said MTN’s mobile service had created mutual benefits for both companies.      He said Bisvel had added 81 subscriber acquisition canvassers, 18 value added services ambassadors, 90 local agency scheme agents and 60 retail ambassadors who were tasked with specifics projects to enhance growth.      Alhaji Issifu said the company was a job provider for mostly the youth directly and indirectly with more than 8,000 youth engaged in the number of point of sale businesses, popularly known as “space-to-space” in the Region.      He said through the “project hunter”, an initiative by the company, more than 60,000 subscribers had been connected to the MTN network this year.   GNA...

Bolgatanga (U/E), Nov. 13, GNA - President John Mahama has said the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was playing a useful role in ensuring that the poor and vulnerable gained access to appropriate care.     He said the NHIS model also placed the nation in a position that had attracted other countries to study our model adding that the increasing utilization of the facility in Ghana had reflected on the Human Development Index with the reduction of maternal mortality rates. President Mahama said this when he commissioned a GH₡500,000 NHIS office block in Bolgatanga.     He said though maternal mortality in the country had reduced from 450 to 280, per year, it was still not enough to meet the Millenium Development Goals on maternal mortality and called for concerted efforts to achieve them.     President Mahama called on the staff of the NHIS to continue to work hard to ensure that the scheme improved on its status and became more meaningful to the general populace.    Mr Sylvester Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of NHIS, said the huge volume of work as a result of increasing numbers of people registering, coupled with the complexities of rising costs in renting private premises led to the construction of the office block.   GNA ...

Accra, Nov. 13, GNA -The ECOWAS Parliament's Joint Committee on Education, Science, Technology, Youth, Sports and Culture on Tuesday commenced a five-day sitting in Accra to deliberate on development, peace and stability in the region. The Accra meeting will reflect on the theme: "Religious Tolerance and Harmony," and make recommendations for a regional forum to be convened on the issue, which has become a catalyst for maintaining lasting social balance, or a vehicle for violent conflicts, social exclusion and public disorder. Malian Parliamentarian Yaya Sangare, who co-chairs the joint committees, told participants at the opening of the sitting at the Coconut Grove Hotel that religion had become an issue that when ignored exacerbated tensions and revived multiculturalism. He said the issue called to mind that peace and tolerance were never a definitive acquisition, and that it was the permanent and collective duty of the legislators to ensure that the foundations of human relations were strengthened through the promotion of tolerance, dialogue, respect and mutual understanding.      “No matter how good our democracies may be, it is imperative for we the key players to ensure that the minorities are guaranteed their rights and privileges,” he said.      He called on the participants to work assiduously to improve inter-faith dialogue as a factor of peace in the region.   GNA ...

Accra Nov. 13, GNA – Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Dr Omane Boamah, have filed a motion on notice seeking a review of the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) on the leasing of a state bungalow offered to Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, a former Minister of State.      Mr Ablakwa and Dr Boamah both Deputy Ministers noted that the SC made a fundamental error in the interpretation and enforcement of Article 20 (5) and (6) in relation to state or public property. They contended that the SC’s decision was a miscarriage of justice and that it should look at the matter again by way of a review. According to the two they had made some discovery of new evidence which after the exercise of due diligence was not within their (applicants) knowledge or could not be produced by them at the time when the decision was rendered. The SC on May 22, this year in their 6-3 majority decision ruled that Mr. Ablakwa and Dr Boamah, the plaintiffs had failed to lead evidence to the effect that the allocation of the bungalow to Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey smacked of cronyism, arbitrary, capricious, discriminatory and a gross abuse of the discretionary power vested in a public officer under the country’s constitution. According to the majority opinion, the Supreme Court is a court of law, equity and justice governed by rules and regulations. “Our rules mandate that people who invite the court to condemn others for wrong doing to be in the position to justify what they call on the court to do”. In response, Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey however contended that the application did not disclose the exceptional circumstances for review adding no error in the interpretation of the Article 20 (5) and (6). He is therefore praying the court to dismiss the motion on notice for review. Mr. Ablakwa and Dr. Boamah in 2008 sued the Attorney General and Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey over the allocation of Bungalow No 2 Mungo Street at the Ridge Residential Area in Accra to the latter, which he occupied at the time. They contended that Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey’s action contravenes Articles 20 (5) and 20 (6) and smacked of cronyism and gross abuse of discretional powers of a public officer, and, thus, questioned the legitimacy of the sale, disposal or transfer of any government or public property to Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey.      In the substantive action, the Deputy Ministers are also praying the court to order that any such direction for the disposal, sale or outright transfer of the said property in dispute or any other public land to Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey was illegal and unconstitutional.      The applicants were seeking a declaration that by virtue of Articles 20(5), 23, 257, 258, 265, 284 and 296 of the 1992 Constitution, the government was obliged to retain and continue to use, in the public interest, the property in dispute.     They were further seeking a declaration that the purported sale of the said government bungalow, located at St Mungo Street, Ridge, Accra, by the previous government to Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey was in utter contravention of Articles 20(5), 23, 257, 258, 265, 284 and 296 of the 1992 Constitution.     GNA ...

Accra, Nov. 13, GNA – Prince Kofi Amoabeng, Chief Executive Officer of UT Financial Services on Tuesday appeared before an Accra circuit court.        Amoabeng made his appearance after the court had indicated its intent to arrest him if he failed to appear before it on Tuesday.        The court admitted him to bail in the sum of GHc 300,000 with two sureties to reappear on December 11.        At yesterday’s sitting, prosecution told the court that since the matter was brought before the court in July this year, the accused had not turned up in court hence prayed for a bench warrant for his arrest.        Mr Addo Attuah, counsel for Amoabeng, informed the court that he had filed a letter from the Attorney General’s office dated August 28 to suspend the prosecution of the matter.       Counsel said that letter had been copied to the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) quoting Article 88 of the Constitution which gave the Attorney General the power to prosecute and delegate its powers to police to prosecute.     Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Aidan Dery, told the court that he had not been informed by his superiors to discontinue with prosecution of the matter.         The court noted the AG had the power to enter into nolle prosequi (that is discontinue) a matter adding that the letter to discontinue to the matter was not addressed to the court as such could not discharge Amoabeng.        Amoabeng is standing trial with legal practitioner, John Aidoo, over alleged fraud charges.    When the case was called Amoabeng was absent       Amoabeng has been charged with fraud, and John Aidoo, a lawyer, is being held for abetting crime.         Amoabeng is accused of releasing title deed documents of one Naa Otuah Sawyne, which was in the custody of his bank to one Alexander Adjei, now deceased, to secure a loan of GHc 1,279,000 from the HFC Bank.         In the case of Aidoo, the court admitted him to bail in the sum of GHc 300,000 with two sureties after he had pleaded not guilty to the charge of abetment.         Prosecuting, DSP Dery said the complainant; Ms Sawyne is a novelist residing at Dansoman in Accra.        He said in October 2005, the complainant decided to sell her house at Number 23 Ringway Estate in Accra; hence she entered into a sale and purchase agreement with the late Alexander Adjei.        Prosecution said the complainant and Adjei agreed on 280,000 dollars as the purchase price, which was to be paid in three installments, in October, November and December 2005.        On October 14, 2005, Adjei paid 100,000 dollars as agreed but failed to pay the remaining amount, the prosecutor said.        According to DSP Dery, the complainant, being the vendor, was due to travel to UK so she borrowed GHc 25,000 cedis from UT Financial Services and used the title deed of her house as collateral.        The complainant, prosecution said, therefore prepared and signed a deed of assignment conditionally in respect of sale transaction with the understanding that the final transaction would be witnessed by her lawyer, one Martin Nwousu, and handed over to the buyer upon full payment of the purchase price.        DSP Dery said, however, on May 22, 2006, Adjei now deceased, used the complainant’s title deed, which was at all the time in the custody of Amoabeng to obtain a loan facility from HFC Bank.       On September 27, 2007, Amoabeng, without recourse to the complainant, wrote a letter to State Housing Company informing them that Adjei had purchased the complainant’s house and requested them to issue their consent to assign the property to Adjei.          Aidoo, the solicitor Secretary of SHC, having records that the complainant owned property in question, signed a letter of consent and gave consent to mortgage the property on July 23, 2009, an act which he (Aidoo) had no capacity to do so.   GNA ...

Bolgatanga (U/E), Nov.13, GNA - Three major Hospitals in the Upper East Region are to go biometric in the vetting and facilitating of payment claims by service providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) beginning December 2013. The Navrongo War Memorial, Bolgatanga Regional and Bawku Presbyterian Hospitals would be part of the national programme that would be rolled out to manage vetting of claims of service providers in the region. Mr Sylvester Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of NHIS, said this after the President, Mr John Mahama commissioned an office block in Bolgatanga to house the NHIS office. He said the NHIS was concerned with the challenges beneficiaries incurred in gaining access to their NHIS cards and said that would soon be a thing of the past as the new biometric system to be put in place. Mr Mensah said access to health and utilization of NHIS cards was increasing each year with utilization increasing to 25.4 million from 5 million in 2007 and then to 12.5 million in 2008. He said the increasing rate represented a growing public interest in the scheme and efforts are being made to ensure Ghanaians gained access health care services. Mr Mensah said the NHIS would establish call centers at the point of service throughout the country to receive complaints and ensure rapid response to issues that arise from them.   GNA ...

Kumasi, Nov 13, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday directed the Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture Affairs to review the allowances of chiefs and submit proposals to government for immediate action.      The President has also authorized the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture Affairs and Attorney General’s Department to work out modalities that would facilitate efforts aimed at ensuring that paramount chiefs and Queenmothers effectively work together.     President Mahama, National Democratic Congress presidential candidate for Election 2012, gave this directive when he addressed a special meeting of the National House of Chiefs at Kumasi.   The meeting attracted leaderships of various regional Houses of chiefs and Queenmothers from selected paramountcies of the country.     President Mahama said he was aware of challenges of chieftaincy, and that his administration would work hard to provide the necessary legal, infrastructural and logistical support for the institution.     The President said government had procured 12 vehicles for distribution to all the Regional Houses of Chiefs and the National House of Chiefs.     He also promised that government would complete all abandoned and uncompleted offices of the various Houses of Chiefs to facilitate their work.     President Mahama appealed to chiefs advocating the location of district capitals in their traditional area to exercise restraint since political demarcations were not conterminous with various traditional areas of the country.       President Mahama promised to support chiefs to institute effective Alternative Dispute Resolution to complement efforts of other judicial systems in the country.     Naa Professor John Nabila, President of the National House of Chiefs, appealed to government to review the inadequate allowance for chiefs at all levels.     He requested that such allowance should include linguists and other sub or divisional traditional authorities, who help chiefs to carry out their duties.   GNA ...

Kumasi, Nov. 13, GNA - MTN Ghana has pledged to continue contributing to the development of the society through its corporate social responsibility to the various communities across the country. Mrs Adwoa Afrakoma Baah Obeng of the Northern Sector Branch said they would continue to give back to society. She said this when the company feted its staff and members of their families in Kumasi. Also invited to share in the merry-making were orphans from the Ashan Children’s Home at Danase in the Afigya-Kwabre District. They were treated to some exquisite “Azonto” dancing alongside free eye screening. Mrs Obeng assured their customers of quality service delivery and encouraged them to remain loyal. The company later presented bags of cement, rice, sugar, maize and fruit drinks valued at about GH¢7,000.00 in support of the orphanage.       GNA ...

Kumasi, Nov. 13, GNA - Pregnant women have been cautioned to refrain from self-medication since that could have harmful effects on their unborn babies. Dr Joseph Opoku Buabeng, Head of the Dental, Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat Directorate of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) said they should also ensure that they vaccinated their kids against measles, meningitis and other diseases. Avoiding the urge to self-medicate, he noted, would significantly assist in reducing the incidence of deafness among children. Dr Buabeng gave the advice at the start of a two-day free health screening for children with hearing defects at the Jamasi School for the Deaf in the Sekyere South District. KATH and the Starkey Foundation, a United States (US)-based NGO, jointly carried out the exercise where about 960 children were expected to benefit. The goal of the exercise was to identify those, who could be assisted with hearing aids. Mr William F. Austin, Founder of the Starkey Foundation, said most of the cases of deafness were the result of the inappropriate use of drugs. He said it was important to be careful about the drugs they take, especially for the treatment of malaria and underlined the need for decisive action to tackle noise nuisance and early treatment of ear infections.       GNA ...

Accra, Nov. 13, GNA - Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey (Rtd), Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), has stressed the need for other institutions to collaborate with the GCAA towards search and rescue operations in the event of emergencies.    He said there was the need for other aviation stakeholder institutions to join the GCAA in such collaborative efforts in order for Ghana to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) requirements under Article 25, which stipulates that each contracting state must provide measures of assistance to aircraft in distress in its territory as it may find practicable.      Air Cmdr. Mamphey said this at the opening of a two-day Aviation Search and Rescue Seminar in Accra.   In a statement issued to the GNA, he said there was also the need to strengthen relationship with each collaborating institution and to develop the human capacity to make certain that personnel were ready and prepared to work in the event of any emergency.       The importance of collaborative efforts, he noted, had been brought to the fore by the Allied Air accident on June 12 and thus highlighted the need for increased training for the personnel.      He also called on relevant aviation authorities to put measures in place to guarantee the safety and security of their patrons in the event of mishap.    The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, National Disaster Management Organization, the Ghana National Fire Service, National Ambulance Service, Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Armed Forces, and the Ghana Police Service among others.   Participants would be trained in identified areas of Search and Rescue, including communication and coordination exercises and full-scale search and rescue exercises.     GNA ...

Kumasi, Nov. 13, GNA – A group of lecturers from the various tertiary institutions, calling themselves “Intellectuals for National Development” (IND), have expressed their opinion on the free Senior High School (SHS) discourse, saying it is feasible and cannot wait.     The group said considering the resources of the country, infrastructure and teachers, “there is absolutely no excuse to delay introduction of free SHS in Ghana”.     They said with determination and the right priorities, backed by political goodwill and the integrity of the leadership, nothing was impossible.     Dr George Mainoo, the Communication Director of the group, said this at a press conference held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.     He said the inability of previous governments to make education free was mainly due to the lack of funds but the picture was now different as the “nation at the moment had enough resources to meet the full cost of secondary education”.              “Ghana, once a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about US$6 billion as at 1992 can now boast of GDP of about US$37.12 billion as at 2012 and a middle income nation.”     He said additionally, it has become an oil-producing country with the potential to become an industrialized nation and that “any action vigorously embarked upon to reduce corruption and setting priorities would make money available for education.”     Highlighting some benefits the country stood to gain with the policy, Dr Mainoo said it has the potential to provide abundant and quality supply of human resources to support its industrialization.     Again, it would improve the quality of life and income levels of the people as parents could save money for other things.     He rejected the claim that the free SHS could compromise the quality of the nation’s education saying the policy “implies the provision of a comprehensive educational programme emanating from the 1992 constitution and emphasizing principles of social justice for every Ghanaian school going child, irrespective of his/her background”.     GNA ...

Accra Nov. 13, GNA- Nana Nkansah Boadi Ayeboafo, the owner of the five-storey building which housed the collapsed Achimota Melcom Shopping Complex has been remanded into police custody by an Accra District Magistrate Court.            In the dock with Ayeboafo on Monday was Carl Henry Clerke, Municipal Head of Works Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) who was also remanded.            The two accused persons are facing a provisional charge of negligently causing harm.            They have pleaded not guilty to the charge before the court presided over by Mrs. Mariam Affoh and are to reappear on November 30.            Prosecuting Mr. Yaw Twumasi-Ankrah, the Chief Prosecutor of AMA told the court that on November 7, this year at about 9:45 am a five-storey building that housed Melcom's Shopping Complex at Achimota, Accra, collapsed while workers and shoppers were inside the building.            Mr. Twumasi-Ankrah said in the process, 82 persons and others got trapped.             He said a Combined Emergency Team from the Ghana National Fire Services, National Ambulance, Ghana Police Service, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ghana Armed Forces and other security personnel were able to rescue 82 persons some of whom were currently on admission at the 37 Military Hospital.            According to the prosecutor during investigations, it came to light that the owner of the building was Ayeboafo and it is believed that the materials used in the construction of the building were of low quality.            On the part of Clerke, the prosecutor noted that Clerke failed to perform his rightful duties as head of Works Department of the AMA.            Mr. Twumasi-Ankrah told the court that investigations were ongoing and prayed the court to remand the accused persons to assist in the investigations.   GNA ...

Accra, Nov. 13, GNA –The People’s National Convention (PNC) said it will institute proactive measures to deal firmly with corruption, a canker in both public and private sectors, if voted into power in the December 7 general elections.     A PNC government will fight corruption through the establishment of a special unit that would use innovative mechanisms to keep an eye on activities of public officials, private companies and foreign investors to nip corruption in the bud.     These are contained in PNC Election 2012 manifesto, captioned: “The PNC under the leadership of Mr Hassan Ayariga, as the President”,   copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday.      It stressed that the PNC would deal swiftly and effectively with cases of corruption and provide adequate resources from a dedicated fund to the Economic and Organised Crime Office and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice.     The manifesto said that in order to make people desist from corruption, the PNC would apply effective sanctions on people who would be found to be corrupt.     Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on election 2012, titled: “Matters of concern to the Ghanaian voter,” indicated that the issue of corruption was of major concern to the Ghanaian voter.     Most respondents wanted government to severely punish corrupt officials, strengthen state institutions that deal with corruption and enforce laws on corruption.      The respondents called for public education on corruption, payment of appropriate wages to workers, and leaders should lead exemplary lives and there should be revision of assets declaration laws of people in authority, to curb corruption.    On the issue of national security, the PNC noted in its manifesto that the sanctity and security of the 1992 Ghana Constitution and territorial integrity are paramount, and to ensure their inviolability, national security under a PNC administration shall be given maximum attention and support, to deliver on its mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of Ghana.     The manifesto said: “In this connection, the Armed Forces, the Police and other security agencies charged with this task shall be modernized and re-equipped with the latest weapons and hardware to make them second to none in Africa.     “All entry points and government establishments shall have close circuit monitoring systems to enhance the work of national security”.        The PNC noted that under the Presidency of Mr Ayariga, the government would re-introduce the border guard concept to effectively police Ghana’s borders, adding it would also establish Army and Police Reserves for national emergencies.    The party hopes to modernize and well-resource the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prison Service, Ghana National Fire Service, National Disaster Management Organisation and other units that carry out emergency services, to deliver on their mandates.    However, in a survey conducted by the NCCE on the issue of national security, most respondents called for the provision of logistics for security personnel, challenge government to train more security personnel to maintain peace in the country, especially during elections.    The respondents called on government to provide every community with a police station, pay good salaries to security personnel, and proposed stiffer punishment for armed robbers.         GNA ...

Accra, Nov 13, GNA - The Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) is supporting the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Ghana, with 50,000 dollars, to facilitate the organisation of this year’s week. The week, which is celebrated globally, is being held on the theme: “Fostering Job Creation and Economic growth through Entrepreneurship.” GEW is part of the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators, who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. In Ghana, the week’s events are being hosted by Youth Enhancement International, a youth development and services organisation. The LESDEP financial support will help in the organisation of the event throughout the 10 regions of the country. Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Ambassador of GEW, said the Ghanaian youth must adopt and embrace entrepreneurial skills and aspire to establish their own jobs with the skills they have acquired. He said Ghanaians had enormous talents that could be channeled into entrepreneurship. Dr Grabrah advised the youth who had decided to go along the entrepreneurial route to gather courage to get back even if they failed in their first attempt. The events to be held are StartUp Weekend Accra scheduled from the 16th to the 18th of November. This activity is aimed at bringing individuals together to build and validate ideas within 54 hours.  Winners of the event will get funding and technical support to bring their ideas into fruition. The Entrepreneurs Go-to-school event will allow entrepreneurs from various industries to visit schools across the country to inspire, educate and mentor young people on the importance of entrepreneurship by sharing their entrepreneurial journey and experiences. Mr Stephen Gyasi Kwaw of Youth Enhancement International said the objective of the go-to-school event was to increase awareness and a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship among young people and to empower young to develop their enterprise skills.   GNA ...

Accra, Nov. 13, GNA – The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has proposed a budgetary allocation of  70,000 dollars for Media Relations for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.     The huge figure further adds to the several holes being punched into the budget submitted by the football governing body to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for review and consideration last week.     According to the budget chanced upon by GNA Sports, the GFA has penciled down the throat-choking five-figure sum, 70,000 dollars on just Media Relations.     This is contrary to reports that the GFA has yet to perform any such act that amounts to Media Relations at a major tournament. However, Media Relations continues to be a regular feature in the budget for such major tournaments especially with the Black Stars.     Globally acclaimed search engine, Wikipedia defines Media Relations as “working with various media for the purpose of informing the public of an organization's mission, policies and practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner.     “Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people responsible for producing the news and features in the mass media.”     The aftermath of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa popularized the term ‘media relations’ after then Minister of Youth and Sports, Ms. Akua Sena Dansua revealed that 50,000 dollars was earmarked for that purpose.     The sporting media was up in arms with the Sports Ministry and the GFA after the 50,000 dollars revelation following concerns from the personnel that no such activity occurred at the event generating massive brouhaha weeks unending after the competition.     Another interesting revelation in the proposed budget is Entertainment which has been pegged at 5,000 dollars. There were no further explanations to that point, GNA Sports gathers Joseph Langabel, Chief Drummer of the Black Stars provided some form of stress-free drumming and dancing to the team during last year’s tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.     Other notable additions are 5,000 dollars for the Extra Physiotherapist for the team, 5,000 dollars each for three proposed  security men and 8,000 dollars each for the Team Liaison Officer and Psychologist.     Another official tagged ‘Team Administrator’ will be entitled to 10,000 dollars.     The total budget for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations stands at 7,728,158 dollars, of which 1,064,900 is for the training camp in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from 7-16 January next year.     GNA ...

Half Assini (W/R), Nov. 13, GNA - Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs)have been asked to create the enabling environment for community participation in local governance. Madam Fustina Essando Yedu, head of Department, Environmental Science Policy and Management of Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), who made the call, reminded MMDAs that the local government system seeks to enhance grassroots participation in decision-making. She was speaking at a three-day workshop on social accountability for heads of decentralized department, assembly members, chiefs and representatives of civil society organizations in the Jomoro District, at Half Assini on Monday. It was organised by the Institute of Local Government Studies in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Local Governance Decentralization Programme for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies throughout the country. The programme aimed at introducing participants to community participation in local governance and accountability. Madam Yedu noted that there had been confrontation between some Assemblies and the people over the issue of accountability, and expressed the hope that the workshop would help participants to find solution to problems. Mr Sylvester Daddie,   District Chief Executive for Jomoro, appealed to the ILGS to live up to expectation on its duty of bringing to bear the practical meaning of local governance in the country. He asked the participants to contribute positively to the workshop, and make suggestions for the improvement of the decentralization process. Mr Daddie called on the people to support the assembly for the development of the area.       GNA ...

(A GNA feature by Francis Ameyibor)       Accra, Nov. 13, GNA – Ghana’s sixth consecutive general election has attracted various campaign strategies unknown in our democratic dispensation with leading political parties struggling to catch the attention of the electorates.     With the demise of late President John Evans Atta Mills, the political environment changed dramatically, with the Presidential tickets of the two leading parties suddenly turning from the south/north team for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to a north/south dimension.    Under its Election 2012 manifesto: “Advancing the Better Ghana Agenda,” the NDC claims that since 2009 Ghana had made significant progress, attaining and sustaining middle-income status for the first time in the nation’s history.   In an executive summary the NDC claims that it is presenting to the good people of Ghana, the 2012 manifesto that seeks to renew the covenant the party has with the people of Ghana in pursuance of our common and cherished goal of ‘Advancing The Better Ghana Agenda’ for all.      “This Manifesto is based on the achievements over the last four years during which period we established a firm foundation for delivering a program of economic recovery and sustained welfare for the people of Ghana.     “The 2012 NDC Manifesto therefore underscores our commitment to build a prosperous and equitable society”, it declares.     The NDC said under their management they have succeeded in maintaining a substantial growth rate and reducing inflation to single digit consistently.     “Our public and private sector policies and programmes have been robust and successful in building the foundation for the sustained prosperity that we promised our people.     “This solid foundation has to be advanced in a manner that our growth trajectory is accelerated, our social and welfare initiatives for ordinary citizens is expanded, the opportunities to provide access and quality education to ALL our children is achieved, and our nation is able to feed itself and reap the benefits in expanded trade of our diversified agricultural produce,” President Mahama stated.     The NDC is therefore using its achievement record over the past four years as basis for re-election, using a manifesto which they described as a bold, forward-looking agenda, which enumerates the party’s solemn commitment to advance the Better Ghana Agenda, under President John Dramani Mahama.     The party is pledging to expand the economy from its marginal middle-income status to a full-fledged middle-income status where growth and prosperity are spread equitably across the country and poverty is substantially reduced across the country.      It pledges to ensure that ENERGY FOR ALL becomes the bedrock of socio-economic transformation by expanding production and intensifying regular and reliable access to electricity and energy including those who currently do not have access.     The NDC says it would rapidly expand access to quality education at both the basic and secondary levels of education by ensuring that the 20 per cent of children who are not in school gain access to schooling; and the nearly 50 per cent who do not have access to secondary-level education gain access to JSS and SHS;     Promoting a thorough decentralized governance agenda in a manner that empowers regions and districts to acquire the needed resources and capacities to make decisions and be accountable to citizens, as well as providing the needed leadership to ensure that citizens’ voices matter in decision-making; that their demand for accountability is fulfilled and their aspirations for a Better Ghana "are reflected in the programmes and projects emanating from this Manifesto".    According to the NDC, the Peace and Stability bestowed on the nation by its recently departed father, Professor John Evans Atta Mills guided its preparation of the Election 2012 Manifesto.     The party therefore urges the electorate to peruse the manifesto and see why it is important to give President Mahama the mandate to continue to advance the Better Ghana Agenda.     It states that  the country's economic performance will be deepened and diversified to provide a basis for the provision of the basic human needs of the people under the next NDC administration.     "Our governance will be more thoroughly decentralized to enable citizens to access resources and demand accountability for services; Our infrastructure development will be intensified to accelerate the transformation of Ghana into a full middle-income status".         The manifesto also expalins that agriculture will be modernized to involve a strong partnership between private agricultural investors and peasant small-holders in a manner that introduces capital, technology and an expanded local and global market access.        According to the NDC all of these will enable the economy to expand, creating the needed jobs that will propel prosperity for all and Advance the Better Ghana Agenda.     The NDC says the 2013 administration journey will begin with a renewal and consolidation of the Social Compact we long established with the people of Ghana through years of sustained policies for the realization of social equity and developmental justice.      At one of his public engagements President Mahama noted that events of the last few months had demonstrated more vividly and vindicated the assertion by the founder in 2008 that “Ghana is larger than all of us, and the NDC’s victory is the victory of ordinary and truthful Ghanaians guided by the proven history and performance of a Social Democratic Party and Government.”     The President said in four years since the NDC began the “Better Ghana” agenda, it had kept faith with the people, supporting them to work hard to produce the nation’s wealth, to uphold truth, abhor corruption, and distributing the benefits of hard work equitably for the greater, social and economic well-being of all Ghanaians.    "As the new leader of our great party and the NDC’s Presidential Candidate for the 2012 elections, it is my pledge to provide the needed leadership to ensure that citizens’ voices matter in decision-making", President Mahama stated.     The party's campaign promise on education seeks, among other things, to eliminate the remaining 60 per cent of identified ‘Schools-Under-Trees’ and provide decent facilities for all rural schools;  ensure 100 per cent access for all children of school-going age in compliance with the constitutional requirement of FCUBE.  "Our educational assets will be rapidly expanded to provide equitable access for every child to enter and complete basic education, enter and complete secondary school" it says.    On health, it indicates that the next NDC Government will double the number of Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds from about 1,600 to 3,200 to meet the needs of under-served communities.    On Youth and Sports, the NDC promises to establish a GH¢10 million Jobs and Enterprise Development Fund to encourage and support young people to become successful entrepreneurs and create sustainable job opportunities.    On the economy the manifesto says the next NDC government will pursued in the next four years:  an average GDP growth rate of at least 8 per cent per annum and a single digit rate of inflation;     It further states the party's intention to establish Commissions of Enquiry to investigate matters related to public land acquisitions and empower the office of the Sole Commissioner responsible for the management of judgement debts to ensure the best interest of Ghana is served at all times.     "As social democrats, the NDC believes that it is the duty of the Government to pull the marginalized, disadvantaged and the poor into the mainstream of the socio-economic order. "We believe that universal access to health care, education, affordable food, water, electricity and housing is the right of every Ghanaian" says the manifesto, adding that the NDC Government will establish and implement a framework for collective and individual contribution to the peace, safety, security and stability of the country when retained in power.    The party declares that its 2012 Manifesto contains the policy initiatives that are required for building the new era of social justice and equity, a goal that has been pursued for the past two decades and which the NDC shares with many millions of Ghanaians.  The million dollar question is: "Will these campaign promises win the hearts and minds of the Ghanaian electorate so as to bring the NDC the much-needed votes?" This, obviously, is a question whose answer can be obtained only on December 7, 2012.       GNA ...

Sunyani, Nov. 13, GNA – A Leading Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Brong-Ahafo Region on Tuesday refuted the wrong perception in the country that the party belonged to “Akans” only.     Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Frank Opoku Adjapong expressed concern that some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were going around painting such wrong picture about the party in the Region to make it unpopular.     He said the NPP remained a strong party under a great elephant that abhorred ethnicity that was why it always chose a running mate from the northern part of the country to bridge the gap.     Mr Adjapong, a businessman, said the NDC had no message for their campaign therefore the party’s hierarchy in the Region had set up various groups going round the Zongo communities to paint such wrong notions about the NPP.     He said for almost four years that the NDC took power the government had not done anything meaningful in the Zongo communities.     Mr Adjapong said when the NPP handed-over to the NDC, former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s government had laid a solid foundation for development but the NDC could not build on that.     He cited that the National Health Insurance Scheme was on the verge of collapse while pupils and students benefiting from the school feeding programme had reduced drastically.    Mr Adjapong appealed to Muslims to ignore such calculated and deliberate ploys adopted by the NDC to make the NPP unpopular but rather vote for the party on December 7.     Mr Adjapong said the combination of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as the NPP presidential candidate and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as running mate was the best opportunity Ghana would ever have for development to thrive.     GNA ...

Wa, Nov. 13, GNA – Dr. Yaw Baah, Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has called on Ghanaians not to wait for politicians to give them promises but as voters they should rather tell them what they  need in terms of development.     He said politicians who are seeking the mandate of the people must begin to engage the people in a common platform for them to tell them what they need and what should be given to them first in order to add meaning to the democratic path that the country had chosen.     Dr. Baah, who made the call during the Upper West Regional Council of Labour meeting in Wa, stated that the labour union and others must begin to lead the crusade to change that practice.     “The only way we can get our politicians to do the right thing is to tell them what we want and force them to do it according to the way we want it to be done”, he said.   Dr Baah said the purpose for holding the Regional Council of Labour meeting was to brief workers on national issues and also to elect new Regional Executives to lead workers in the region for the next four years.     Some of the national issues Dr. Baah touched on were about the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) and the new pension scheme.     He said the Single Spine had come to stay and it should be made to work effectively and efficiently for all beneficiaries.     He said it was true that under the Single Spine, some people benefited more than others but noted that on the average everybody who had been enrolled into the policy benefited something.     Dr. Baah advised workers especially the young ones to make it a point to always visit SSNIT office frequently to check on their contributions and other details that would guarantee them a smooth retirement when the time comes.     GNA ...