Koforidua, Nov. 23, GNA - The National President of Christian Friends of Democracy, Reverend Samuel Adjei, has cautioned political leaders in Ghana to be careful of their comments on the relationship between Ghana and its neighbours, especially Cote D' Ivoire.      He said there were large numbers of Ghanaians staying in Cote D'Ivoire and any comments that could suggest that Ghana was involved in any act to destabilize that country would put the lives of Ghanaian citizens in danger.      Rev. Adjei gave the warning in reaction to comments made by some political leaders during the last Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential debate in Accra.      Rev. Adjei had been involved in providing shelter and seeking help for Ghanaians in dangerous situations in the past in Cote D'Ivoire.      He advised the political leaders to be mindful of their positions in society and the implications of their comments on international affairs.   GNA...

Nsawam, Nov. 23, GNA - The National Youth Authority (NYA), on Friday organized a peace rally for youth in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipality to educate them on their contribution to a peaceful election.       The rally drew members from youth organizations, senior high and junior high schools and political parties.       Mr Emmanuel Ofosu Anim, the NYA Coordinator of the area, observed that the youth had an important role to play in the elections, especially as they constitute about 40 percent of the national population.       He said any role played by the youth, being it positive or negative, will have far reaching consequences on the development and the betterment of the nation, hence the need for education so as to make good decisions.      “During times like these, some of our politicians tend to influence our youth with monetary inducement or offers to get them engage in electoral fraud such as double registration, impersonation, tearing of posters and taking away ballot boxes.”      Mr Anim said those activities could affect the credibility of elections and also create unnecessary tension and anxiety in the country.      “The time has come for the youth to stay away from these negative practices and see themselves as future leaders of the country” he said.      He said it was for that reason that the NYA organized the rally to sensitize the youth on their role in the upcoming election and the need for them to desist from all forms of violence and conflicts before, during and after elections.      Mr Patrick Asiedu, Municipal Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), observed that the role of the youth in the upcoming election was very important since they were susceptible to politicians because of the zeal they had.      Mr Asiedu, therefore, advised the youth to see themselves as agents and ambassadors of peace to educate the citizenry to avoid conflict before, during and after the general election.   GNA...

Adjena (E/R), Nov. 23, GNA - Mr Gordon Amevor, a social commentator, has urged the youth not to allow their differences in opinions to create divisions among them.       He asked them to desist from any form of vandalism and hooliganism as the December polls drew near.       Mr Amevor was speaking at a peace rally organized by the National Youth Authority (NYA) at Adjena in the Asuogyaman District on Friday.       He reminded the youth that they could not fulfill their dreams in a political hostile environment.       Mr Amevor noted that the political and social climate in the country did not ensure unity and constructive engagement that were required to sustain society.       “Our sense of commonality has been destroyed by disunity, social stratifications, tribalism and bad journalistic practices” he said.       He urged them to take whatever they did seriously and never engage ignorantly in any political arguments.        Mr Cephas Atido, District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice said the youth, when well educated, would not be easily influenced by any politician.       He, therefore, commended the NYA for organizing the rally to educate the youth on their roles during elections.      Mr Atido advised the youth to discard the “get rich quick” attitude as it would make them fall prey to people who could influence them with money.   GNA...

Cape Coast, Nov. 23, GNA – A  Cape Coast  Magistrate court  on Friday  fined  Ebenezer Dickson  a driver GH¢300.00  for careless and inconsiderate driving.   Ebenezer who was convicted on his own plea would go to prison for one month in default.   Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Samuel  Addo told the court presided over by Mr Ohemeng Mensah that at about 2300 hours on May 17 a  police patrol team  spotted the convict who was driving a tipper truck  on  a section of the Cape Coast- Takoradi Highway near the Aggrey Memorial Senior High School  without due consideration for other road users  and caused his arrest.   He said  after police investigations the convict was charged with the offences.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 23, GNA - Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Transport, has expressed concern about road traffic crashes which claim at least six lives daily and 1,800 a year living with a number of injuries and incapacitation.   “The estimated cost of crashes to the economy is 1.6 per cent of the National Gross Domestic Product, valued at about 419 million dollars as at 2009 whilst it is established that, 60 per cent of the victims of road traffic crashes are between 15 and 55 years,” he said.   Alhaji Dauda said within a period of 10 years, Ghana had recorded a total of 125,857 road traffic crashes, 20,503 deaths, and 63,384 serious injuries.   The Minister of Transport made this known at a workshop organised by Nestle Ghana in collaboration with Zurich and Activa International Company, to create an open, honest, “sales free” forum where participants could share good practices, processes and outcomes.   It also laid the foundation for developing a long term sustainable programmes for work-related road safety policy and practice; served as a platform for exchanging ideas on the effective work related road risk management process and steps for implementation within African nations.   Alhaji Dauda said despite the seemingly bad situation, the intensive road safety programmes being undertaken by the National Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders has led to decrease in the fatalities.     The Transport Minister said the National Road Safety Strategies and Action Plans have significantly improved on the road safety situation.   He said the forum would serve as an opportunity for transport organisations with fleet risk exposures in the area to discuss and implement effective fleet safety programmes for the future.   “We should all endeavour to help deliver on the vision to make Ghana’s road transportation system the safest in Africa,” he said, adding that road safety issue is a shared and collective responsibility and we all are at risk.   From January to September 2011; 1,713 fatalities were recorded, representing nearly 4.51 per cent increases whilst injuries increased by 4.68 per cent.   There was two per cent drop in fatalities in Tema, one per cent in Central Region and 25 per cent in Ashanti Region.   Significant reductions in fatalities were recorded in road user classes such as  car occupants, seven per cent; pick-up occupants, 16 per cent; bicyclists, 12 per cent and other road users, 27 per cent.   There was a five per cent increase in pedestrian fatalities, six per cent in heavy vehicles, 31 per cent in bus/mini bus occupants and 49 per cent in motorcyclists.   The Managing Director of Nestle Ghana, Moataz El Hout said  Nestle considered safe driving a priority, hence, the role of the company as one of the initiators and main organisers of the conference along with its partners in Zurich and Activa.   He said the conference is expected to offer an opportunity for participants to deliberate on safe driving measures and policies that could be practically adopted.   Mr Tawia Addo-Ashong, Programme Coordinator, Global Road Safety Facility, World Bank said the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2001 to 2012 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety whilst 02 countries co-sponsored the UN Resolution.   The main goal of the Decade is to raise awareness of the impact of road crashes on global public health and to promote interventions in order to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths by 2020. GNA  ...

Kibi,(ER), Nov. 23, GNA- President John Dramani Mahama on Friday condemned the  political clashes that had over the months been registered in the Akyem Abuakwa area in the Eastern Region.   He said the area is the home of democracy since political stalwarts such as J.B Danquah, Sir William Ofori Atta and former President Edward Akuffo Addo hailed from there.   He said creating political tensions could indict the people and the political history of the area.   President Mahama condemned the clashes, when he addressed a rally as part of his three-day campaign tour of the Region.   Before the arrival of the President at the rally grounds, supporters of both the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party allegedly engaged in verbal and physical clashes that led to the destruction of party posters and other paraphernalia.   President Mahama said political campaigns are about trading of issues, ideas and programmes and therefore, the use of verbal attacks is detrimental to progress and development and should therefore not be tolerated.   He  promised the people of Akyem Abuakwa that would receive their fair share of development projects and appealed to them to vote massively for the NDC to acquire all the development projects of their choice.   “The next time I am coming here as the President of the republic of Ghana, then we would have fixed the Kibi- Koforidua road, which I have seen today in a very deplorable state,” he added.   President Mahama promised to support Okyehene Amoatia Ofori Panin to establish the university he is embarking on at Bonsu, adding: “In our next four years we shall establish a new public university in the…Region.”   Mr Victor Smith,  Regional Minister said Ghana is a democratic country and every person had the rights and freedoms to belong to one political party or the other, and people who interrupt the peace of the area would dealt with according to the laws of the land.   “Whether you are NDC or NPP, all you need to know is that you all belong to Okyeman and therefore need to forge ahead for development,” he said. GNA...

Accra, Nov. 23, GNA – The 340 megawatts (MW) Kpone Independent Power Project at Kpone near Tema at the cost of 600 million dollars, has taken off.   The power plant which has a nominal capacity combines cycle gas turbine technology using GE frame 9E gas turbines, will operate on both natural gas and liquid fuel to ensure high and continuous power supply.   Cenpower Generation Company Limited, a Ghanaian Company is undertaking the project, the Ministry of Energy said in a statement issued in Accra and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Friday.   The Ministry described the project as a significant milestone in a journey which began in 1999, when the initial preparatory work started towards the construction of the thermal power plant at Kpone by a Ghanaian Independent Power Producer (IPP).   Rand Merchant Bank, a division of First Rand Bank Limited has been appointed as the mandated lead arranger of the debt funding for the project with support from the export credit Insurance Company of South Africa under the Department of Trade and Industry.   The statement said Africa Finance Company (AFC), Infraco Limited, and Cenpower Holding Company limited (CHL) are shareholders of the project.   The 76 per cent ownership by AFC and CHL makes the power plant one of the largest African Private Sector owned power project.   A 20 -year power purchase agreement was signed between Cenpower Generation Company limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana.   Group five of South Africa and the consolidated power of South Africa are the contractor’s handling the project.   The implementation of the project “guarantees technology transfer from the foreign technical experts and ensures domestic participation and therefore local content which will result in job creation for many Ghanaians, while adding on to Ghana’s generation capacity for enhanced development”.   According to the Ministry of Energy, the project implementation guarantees technology transfer from the foreign technical experts and ensures domestic participation and local content which would result in job creation for many Ghanaians.   The project will also add up to Ghana’s energy generation capacity to enhance national development.  GNA  ...

Winneba (C/R), Nov. 23, GNA – Nana Ofori-Owusu, Progressive People’s Party (PPP) Parliamentary Candidates for Effutu, has called on members and supporters of National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) to halt the animosity among them.   He noted that winning political power is not war hence the need for the two parties to smoke the peace pipe for the best interest of Effutu State.   “Effutuman is the only town that we have and we must not allow politics to divide us. Let us unite as one people, forge ahead to contribute our quota towards the proper growth and development of the area,” he stressed.   Nana Ofori-Owusu made the call when he addressed the chiefs and people of Winneba Zongo.   He said the engagement of the two parties in clashes would not determine their electoral victory.   He said the PPP as a party has come to ensure that Ghanaians irrespective of colour, ethnicity or political affiliations enjoy the peace of the country.   Nana Ofori-Owusu said the party would not be part of any violence in other to win power.   He said it is about time people change their voting pattern and vote the PPP to free them from the hardship the NDC and NPP have brought on them.   He appealed to the people to go out in their numbers on December 7 and vote for Dr Papa Kwesi Ndoum as president and he as Member of Parliament for the area.   Alhaji Subeamana Salagah, Chief of the community also appealed to NDC and NPP supporters in the area to stop fighting and embrace peace for the sake of the development.   He called on the law enforcement agencies to bring to book people who would involve in any act that could disturb the peace to serve as deterrent to others.   “Ghana needs peace, Winneba needs peace and we should let the interest of the country be our top most priority.   “We can forge ahead and there is the need as people to use amicable means to resolve our differences to achieve total peace during and after the elections,” he said.   The chief urged the people to advise their children to stay away from anything that could contribute to violence and not allow themselves to be used by politicians to create confusion to enable them achieve their political ambitions. GNA  ...

Kumasi, Nov. 23, GNA – The Sociology and Social Works Students Association of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has presented gifts valued at GH¢2,000.00 to the Kumasi Children’s Home in support of the upkeep of the kids.        The items included bags of rice, edible oil, used-clothing, sachet water, toiletries and plastic chairs.        This comes on the heels of the celebration of this year’s Universal Children’s Day.         Mr Adusei Amponsah, President of the Association, said it was their contribution towards helping to make life a bit comfortable for the children.        He promised regular visits to the home.        Mr Anthony Agyemang, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, thanked the students for the gesture and appealed to individuals and organizations to emulate it.        He called on all to share in the responsibility of taking care of orphans, the vulnerable and socially disadvantaged children in the society.   Members of the Association feted, played games and had fun with the kids.   GNA  ...

Kumasi, Nov. 23, GNA - Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene and Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has urged the government to do more to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities of the health training institutions to expand enrolment and achieve quality.       He said he found it both disheartening and shameful the situation where the university, this year, had to turn down over 60 per cent of qualified applicants who gained admission to programmes of study at its College of Health Sciences.       This, he said, gave the cause for concern considering the fact that the country had signed up to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which, among other things, sought to provide health for all by the year 2020.         The Asantehene was addressing the Founders’ Day Special Congregation of the KNUST in Kumasi on Friday.       In all, 1,253 students from the School of Graduate Studies and Institute of Distance Learning graduated, 13 of them were awarded Doctorate degrees by the university.       The day is commemorated in November every year to honour the memory of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and the late Asantehene, Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyemang Prempeh II, for their singular contribution to the institution.      Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the university was making plans to build a 70-bed Medical Centre and that acting together with the Ministry of Health, they had secured funding for the project which is awaiting cabinet and parliamentary approval.       He appealed to the government to act quickly to enable them to access the funds.      The centre, on completion, would serve as a tertiary referral facility and teaching hospital for the university’s medical, dental and other health professional schools and faculties.       The Asantehene said city campuses of the KNUST were to be established in Kumasi and Accra to give many people access to science and technology education.       Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, said they would continue to liaise with the appropriate bodies to come out with demand-driven programmes to strengthen industry. GNA  ...

Accra, Nov. 23, GNA – The Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), in collaboration with National Peace Council (NPC) and Asanteman Council on Friday, declared its intention to convene a joint high-level meeting with Presidential Candidates of Election 2012 on November 27.   The meeting to take place at the Great Hall, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in Kumasi is aimed at getting the presidential candidates to publicly take a collective stand against "electoral violence, impunity and injustice", which is a recurring problem of elections in Ghana.   Participants to the meeting includes Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Kwaku Asante, Chairman of the NPC, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, Chief Justice, former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor, Professor John Nabila, President of the National House of Chiefs, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, and Inspector General of Police Paul Tawiah Quaye.   Also invited are leaders and representatives of political parties and their youth wings, representatives of civil society, business and trade associations, security agencies, relevant organs of state, members of the Diplomatic Corps and media organisations.   In a statement issued in Accra and copied to the Ghana News Agency Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, IDEG Executive Director said review of the many commendable interventions so far has pointed to the need for a high level meeting with the Candidates.   He said the historic meeting in Kumasi would provide a public space within which the Presidential Candidates as political leaders would openly and collectively take a stand against all acts of electoral violence, impunity and injustice during and after the December 2012 elections.   Dr Akwetey said a public manifestation of a unified stand by the political leaders against a serious threat to peaceful elections had been lacking. GNA  ...

Kumasi, Nov. 23, GNA – Mrs Rebecca Odua Akita, Ashanti Regional Librarian, has appealed to individuals and organisations to assist the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) to enable it to effectively operate, particularly its children libraries, established in various communities.   She appealed to teachers and parents to encourage children to read story books to broaden their outlook and develop their writing skills.   Mrs Akita was speaking at the closing ceremony of a quiz and essay writing competition, organized by the GhLA for 19 selected basic schools in the Kumasi Metropolis, as part of this year’s International Children’s Book Day celebration, in Kumasi.    She said the Ashanti Regional Library has acquired computers for some community libraries that had been connected to the Internet.   Martyrs of Uganda Junior High School (JHS) emerged winner of the essay writing competition and received assorted books, a beautifully designed shield and “T” shirts.   Saint Louis Demonstration JHS and Salvation Army JHS took second and third positions, respectively and were also presented with books “T”-shirts and certificates.   Fregina Learning Centre came first in the primary schools quiz competition, with Glory of God International and State Primary, taking the second and third places.   They carried away books, “T”-shirts and certificates and gifts were presented to the best child library user. GNA  ...

Tetrefu (Ash), Nov 22, GNA – Hajia Ajara Rafai, a member of the National Commission for Civic Education, has urged all to act with responsibility on voting day to prevent trouble. She said anything likely to stoke tension and confusion must be avoided and invited chiefs and religious leaders to help persuade the youth, not to hang around the polling centres, after casting their ballot.    Hajia Rafai was speaking at separate durbars held by the Commission to highlight the need for peace at Kuntanase and Tetrefu in the Bosomtwe District.    The durbars were held under the theme, “Promoting peace in December 2012”.    Hajia Rafai called for political tolerance and asked the people not to allow themselves, to be divided on the basis of party affiliation.     Mr Alhassan Yakubu, the NCCE Ashanti Regional Director, drew attention to the need to respect the electoral rules and regulations to avoid prosecution.    He advised the electorate to refuse to be influenced with money and gifts to vote against their conscience.    Nana Anthony Boateng, Regional Coordinator, Integrated Community Centres for Employable Skills (ICCES), appealed for more resources to aid the NCCE to effectively carry out its mandate of helping the people to have better understanding of the civic responsibilities.   GNA ...