Accra, Nov 24, GNA – The Western West Africa Episcopal District Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Seth .O. Lartey has declared a two-day fast for members to pray for a peaceful, fair and transparent elections in Ghana on December 7th.

Accra, Nov. 24, GNA – ARB Apex Bank Limited made significant gains in the 2011 financial year, recording a profit before tax of GH¢4.021 million, which represents a 15 per cent increase over the 2010 figure of GH¢1,595 million.

Accra, Nov 24, GNA – The Western West Africa Episcopal District Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Seth .O. Lartey has declared a two-day fast for members to pray for a peaceful, fair and transparent elections in Ghana on December 7th.   Speaking in Accra on Saturday, he said, the Church with thousands of members from Ghana, Togo, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, would fast and pray on December 6th and 7th for Ghana, which now has become a beacon of hope for democratic advancement in Africa and the world at large.   He said the call for peace, non-violence, civility and human rights, should be heeded by Ghanaians because the world was looking at Ghana once again to demonstrate its democratic prowess.   “The truth is that the world sees Ghana as a leader in the area of peace, non-violence, civility and good human rights country“, he said.   Bishop S.O Lartey was speaking at the Church’s maiden business forum, which he initiated for business people in the Western West Africa District, who will meet occasionally to develop strategic business development plans for the Church.   He said, when elections were peaceful, “it makes it possible for investors to come, and when we have investors, it means we have more jobs, and more jobs means our people will not become liability for government”.   Bishop Lartey, who was recently appointed, is the 100th bishop in the line of succession of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and has numerous honours and awards from across the globe in various fields of discipline and sectors.   A special Church service will be organised on Sunday November 25th in Accra to welcome Bishop Lartey and his wife Mrs Jacqueline Williams-Lartey to resume his official duties as the leader in the Western West Africa District office in Ghana.   Explaining further the rational for the business forum, Bishop Lartey said it was intended to help business people in the church to understand the value and importance of the work of the Church.   “The work of the Church is not only on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. When you look at the Ministry of Jesus Christ, he did not only teach the people the word of God, but he also fed them, he healed them, he provided for them.   So what we intended to do, as the newly assigned Bishop, is to transform our work in that direction.”   “We will emphasize evangelism - we want to reach a million persons for Jesus Christ.   This is because we believe that once the heart of the person is changed, then he will not want to do armed robbery, gang work and destroy people – he will want to build a community,” Bishop Lartey noted.   “We have a template, wherever we have a church, we want to have a worship centre, a clinic, a farm and some type economic empowerment,” he added.   The government in every nation, he said, could not do the work alone. “All over the world in the advanced countries, it is the private sector that supports government and in most cases that drives growth.   Economic empowerment will be the engine to help us make money in Zion Church and encourage the people to honour their tithing.” Caption Bishop Seth Lartey   GNA...

Cape Coast, Nov. 24, GNA - The Cape Coast Polytechnic has held its 19th matriculation with a call on the new students to be modest about their dressing both within and outside the Polytechnic in order to uphold the good name of the institution.   Dr Lawrence Atepor, Rector of the Polytechnic, who addressed the students, told them not to only dress decently for church services, but also when attending lecturers, in their hostels and anywhere they found themselves, stressing that the school did want “Apuskele ladies and Otto Fista guys”.   He said this year the Polytechnic admitted a total of 953 students comprising 808 tertiary, including Bachelor of Technology students and those enrolled in the evening school and 147 non-tertiary students to pursue courses in Civil Engineering, Applied Sciences and Arts and Business Management studies.   Dr Atepor urged them to resolve individually and collectively to take their studies seriously in order to achieve the main objectives of taking up the programmes and gave the assurance that the staff would deliver value- for-money services to enable them achieve their goals.   He said the school authorities placed a high premium on the corporate image of the Polytechnic and would ensure that the institution was held in high esteem at all times and would therefore unreservedly condemned the acts of insubordination, examination malpractices, stealing, occultism, bullying and any acts that sought to tarnish the reputation of the school.   Dr Atepor told the matriculants to use the appropriate channels such as the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Dean of Students’ Affairs to express their grievances and not to resort to intimidation and demonstration, adding “in civilized societies differences are resolved through dialogue not anarchy”.    He said the Polytechnic placed much importance in the quality of graduates and would not compromise on any form of academic dishonesty and that any of the new students found to have gained admission through fraudulent means would be dismissed in due course.   The Rector announced that in the pursuance of the vision to develop C-Poly into a centre of academic excellence in Technology and Liberal Studies,  the Bachelor of Technology degree programme in Building, has since 2008 been introduced and that the second batch of students into Bachelor of Technology Degree programmes in Mechanical Engineering, had been admitted this year.   He commended the government of Ghana, which through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) continued to provide massive infrastructure, which include lecture halls and residential accommodation for staff and asked the student to reciprocate the gesture by taking their studies seriously to become worthy citizens in the country.   On the December polls, Dr Atepor cautioned the students not to allow themselves to be manipulated by any person to engage in acts that would disturb the peace of the nation, “remember without peace there can be no development” he added.   GNA...

Jakpahi (N/R), Nov. 24, GNA – The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has donated GH¢3,000 to enable water supply to be extended from a 2.5 kilometre distance to the Japkahi Community in the Kumbungu Constituency.   The support was to demonstrate the PPP’s commitment to meeting the needs of the people and the need for the electorate to vote for the party in the December 7th general elections.   Mr. Frederick Menu, a member of the PPP, who made the donations on behalf of the PPP flagbearer, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, said even though the party was not in power, it had donated towards the water provision of the community.   He said the party would provide prosperity, quality education, good health and incorruptible leadership to the people of the country should it win the coming election, saying that even though the party was not in power, it was providing the basic needs of the people.   He said the flagbearer came to the community two weeks ago and the major problem the people complained about was the request for some funds to extend potable water to the area.   He added that Dr. Nduom promised to do so noting ‘that promise of the flagbearer had been fulfilled’.   Mr. Abukari Alhassan, the Parliamentary Candidate for the Kumbungu Constituency on the ticket of the PPP, promised the people of more social amenities should he be voted into power and advised the people to forget about the NPP and the NDC since those parties had failed the nation.   He described his chances in the coming elections as very bright in the constituency, noting that the NDC, which was a ruling party, had woefully failed in fulfilling its promise in the area.   Mr. Alhassan said his main aim of contesting the parliamentary seat was to enhance the living standard of the people through development at all levels.   Alhaji Baba Yahaya, the Northern Regional Chairman of the PPP told the people that the party was a development oriented, which would speed up development in the rural areas should it be given the nod.   He said the party was coming to rescue Ghanaians from their sufferings because they had been suffering in the hands of the NDC and the NPP for far too long and it was the time for the PPP to alleviate their sufferings.   Alhaji Yahaya was of the view that the party would win at least 10 to eleven seats in the region and would provide skills acquisition to the unemployed and beef up the skills of those in the former services to enhance the development of the country.   GNA...

Akroso (E/R), Nov. 24, GNA – Purchasing clerks and cocoa farmers, who supplied cocoa to Akroso District ‘B’ of Transroyal Limited in the Eastern Region, besieged the district office on Thursday to demand payment of the second tranche of 2010/11 farmers’ bonus.   As at the close of Friday November 23rd, when the Ghana News Agency visited the district office, management had still not responded to them, though the protest continued that day.   The purchasing clerks said their counterparts in Adwumapa, Produce Buying Company and Cocoa Merchants, have all received their bonuses and paid to their respective farmers.   Mr Fred Owusu, one of the clerks said their farmers kept on calling at their society centres to demand for their bonuses, which compelled them to come with some of the them to the District Manager to ascertain the facts themselves.    The District 'B' Manager, who declined to give his full but Nana, admitted failure to pay the bonuses to the farmers. He however declined to explain the cause of the failure to the Ghana News Agency when he was contacted.   Mr Osei Okyere, Manager, Akroso District ‘A’ when approached said Transroyal Management was aware of the administrative bottlenecks of District ‘B’ and were making efforts to resolve them.   Opanyin Yaw Darko, a cocoa farmer at Badukrom near Akroso, appealed to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to look into the matter and retrieve their bonuses for them.   GNA...

New Dormaa (B/A), Nov. 24, GNA – A sod-cutting ceremony for work to begin on 10 development projects under the Urban Development Grant (UDG) in the Sunyani Municipality has taken place at New Dormaa near Sunyani.   The projects to be undertaken simultaneously, comprised construction of two kindergarten blocks, office and a store each at Jinijini and Mensakrom, a three-unit classroom block at Abesim, semi-detached teachers’ quarters at Nwanwasua, a CHIPS compound at Yawhimakrom.   The rest are a sick-bay at Saint James SHS, construction of four boreholes at Nsagobesa, Nwanwasua, Daadom and Yawsae, 20-seater place of convenience each at New Dormaa and Atuahenekrom and the provision of 300 dual desks within the Sunyani Municipality.   The projects are being financed with GH¢790,480 allocated under the UDG to the Assembly for its qualification in the 2010 Functional Organisational Assessment Tool (FOAT) assessment. The World Bank approved the projects for implementation.    Mr Kwasi Oppong-Ababio, Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive said, “The NDC Government is committed to providing infrastructure in every sector of the economy to ensure total transformation of the country”.   He announced that since assumption of office in 2009, the Government had undertaken 237 projects in the Municipality out of which 139 had been completed and 98 were still on-going and at various stages of completion.   Mr Oppong-Ababio said the Assembly had not relented on its efforts in ensuring the total development of the Municipality and emphasized that the projects were carefully selected to address the needs of the people in the beneficiary communities.   On Election 2012, he noted that sustaining peace and democracy for national unity and development should be of interest to all and sundry and reminded the people that no country could develop in a chaotic situation.   “We are a nation of one people with a common destiny. We should be mindful and circumspect with our utterances that can plunge the country into chaos.”   Mr Oppong-Ababio advised the youth to be aware of politicians, who would lure them into causing violence, especially during the elections and desist from acts that had the tendencies of drawing the country back.   “Let us protect and promote our young enviable democracy,” he added.   Nana Kusi Boadum, New Dormaa Nifahene, expressed concern about the attitude of the people towards development projects with the poor attendance at the ceremony.   He pointed out that apathy among the people should change and asked them to refrain from accusing the chiefs and elders for not initiating development projects when they were not much concerned about development in the area.   GNA...

  Tema, Nov 24, GNA - The Tema Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has organized a day's election seminar for its members with a call on media practitioners to tilt their reportage towards conflict prevention during the December 7th general elections.    Mr Afful Monney, GJA National Vice President, who made the call on Friday, reiterated that to prevent creating chaos and conflict during the electioneering period, journalists must desist from declaring unconfirmed results.   The seminar, which was on the theme: “Towards a peaceful election: the role of the media”, was sponsored by the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA), Tema Development Corporation (TDC), Ghana Shippers Authority, and Everpure Ghana Limited.   Mr Monney added that media practitioners must rather endeavor to enhance upon the professional reportage delivered during previous elections.   He called for comportment of journalists at the polling stations as well as using of only authentic sources, and cross checking of facts before broadcasting.   He further asked journalists not to allow their political preferences to colour their reportage, but must focus on issues and provision of equal space and time to all political parties contesting the elections.   Mr Gabriel Manu, Tema Metropolitan Director of the Electoral Commission in a presentation said even though the law does not allow journalists to participate in the special voting, on December 7th properly accredited reporters could be allowed to vote early to enable them monitor and report on the election as expected of them.   Mr Manu also urged accredited journalists to announce their presence to the presiding officers at the polling stations before taking pictures and other information to avoid any confrontation and misunderstanding.   He gave the assurance that to ensure that the election process was smooth and fast, the register had been arranged alphabetically for easy location.   He added that his outfit had recruited a total of 2,340 people to supervise the election at the 468 polling stations under his jurisdiction.   Out of the 2,340 officers, Tema East Constituency would have 610; Tema West Constituency, 765; Tema Central Constituency and Kpone-Katamanso constituencies, 405 and 560 respectively.   Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Maxwell Atingane, Tema Regional Police Commander, in a speech read on his behalf by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Olivia Turkson, Tema Police PRO, said all Ghanaians had a responsibility to ensure a smooth electoral process before, during and after the election.   DCOP Atingane stated that the media must be agents of development rather than directly or indirectly affect the emotions of the public negatively through the broadcast of inflammatory statements that would incite opposing factions.   He also implored the media to be factual in their reportage and to desist from rushing to declare winners since the authority to declare results rest in the arms of the Electoral Commission.   He also urged the media to quickly inform the Police when they received information on challenges facing people at any polling station.   Mr Godfred Blay Gibbah, Chairperson of the Tema Chapter of the GJA, said the seminar was aimed at sharpening the skills of members to enhance their reportage during the election.   He said the seminar theme was very important because journalists must be fair, accurate and objective in their reportage to ensure a peaceful election.   Nii Adjei Kraku II, Tema Mantse, who chaired the programme congratulated the GJA for their contribution towards the development of democracy in the country and urged them to continue the good work.   GNA  ...

Nkaseim (B/A), Nov. 24, GNA - Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Francis I. Zangina, Asutifi South District Police Commander has appealed to the public to collaborate with the Police to ensure a free and fair election on December 7th.   He said the Police had acquired much experience from previous elections conducted as well as identified some causes of electoral violence at polling centres.   DSP Zangina made the call at an educational forum organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Ghana on Friday to educate the public on the need to ensure peaceful election this year.   It was on the theme: “Promoting Citizenship Education to Enhance Election Peace, Transparency and Credibility in Ghana”.   DSP Zangina urged the public to report conducts and actions of people whom they suspected might create tension to breach the prevailing peace before, during and after Election 2012.   He noted that the Police conducted investigations on reported cases and tip offs from informants, but did not rely on rumours and encouraged the public to come out voluntarily with information that would enable them to perform in the interest of the nation.   DSP Zangina said all the necessary mechanisms and measures had been instituted by the Police Administration to ensure that the citizenry exercised their franchise without fear or intimidation from any group or persons.   He said the Police was neutral and ever ready to provide equal security assistant to all political parties during their campaigns and rallies.   DSP Zangina warned that any person, political activists or supporters, who tried to misbehave or violate the electoral laws, would be arrested and prosecuted.   Mr Batong Braimah, Asutifi South District Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), urged the public to have confidence in the EC.   He said the biometric voters register now in place would not affect voting but help to control and check all electoral malpractices.   Mr Braimah urged the public to visit the polling stations to cast their votes on time and return home safely for peace and tranquility to prevail.   Mr Jimaken Attah John, Asutifi South District Director of NCCE, urged the public to understand that election was a democratic system through which the citizenry exercised their right. This he said reinforced the principle that governance power was derived from the sovereign will of the people.   He urged the public to develop and promote political tolerance since all Ghanaians could not belong to the same political party and pleaded with the public to avoid political insults and fabrication of lies against personalities with the aim of sustaining or gaining power.   Ms Ellen Owusu-Adjei, CDD Representative, observed that in spite of the success in the country’s previous elections some weaknesses and flaws were exposed.   She stressed the need to reform key democratic governance institutions, administrative arrangements and to improve citizens' understanding and appreciation of peaceful democratic elections.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 24, GNA – ARB Apex Bank Limited made significant gains in the 2011 financial year, recording a profit before tax of GH¢4.021 million, which represents a 15 per cent increase over the 2010 figure of GH¢1,595 million.   Mr Nathaniel Arthur, Board Chairman of the Bank announced this at the weekend during the 10th Annual General Meeting of the Bank held in Accra.   Total assets of the Bank grew from GH¢129.8 million in 2010 to GH155.8 million in 2011, representing a 20 per cent increase.   Mr Arthur said, “Total deposits recorded amounted to GH¢120.3 million as against GH¢99.8 million in 2010, an increase of 21 per cent”.   He added that shareholders’ fund was GH¢193 million as compared with GH¢15.5 million in 2010 which was an increase of 24 per cent.   Mr Arthur disclosed that management of ARB Apex Bank would soon roll-out a seamless mobile banking application to all rural and community banks as a platform for Short Message Service alerts and other mobile phone-based products.   He said the future of the ARB Apex Bank Limited was bright considering projected impressive growth rates of the Bank’s balance sheets, adding “already the bank has made a profit of GH¢6 million as of the third quarter”.   Mr Arthur announced that the Bank was currently an International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)-compliant. IFRS are designed as a common global language for business affairs so that company accounts are understandable and comparable across international boundaries.   The Standards had become necessary due to the growing international shareholding and trade and are particularly important for companies that have dealings in several countries.   IFRS are progressively replacing the many different national accounting standards and are the rules to be followed by accountants to maintain books of accounts which are comparable, understandable, reliable and relevant.    Mr Duke Osam-Duodu, Acting Managing Director of ARB Apex Bank Limited, said the Bank was in the process of developing strategies to enable the rural community banks to sustain their current business lines for the delivery of products and services to the public.   The business lines included a Central Share Registry to manage rural community banks’ share registers, custodial services to serve as custodians for the second and third tiers of the new pension scheme on behalf of the employees of the Bank, and an insurance management to offer brokerage services for the community banks’ insurance products to ensure economies of scale or scope.   Others included Rural Finance Wholesale Fund to provide revolving and medium-term loans to rural community banks for on-lending to their clients and long –term funds to support commercial farmers.   Mr Osam-Duodu said the bank was collaborating with the World Bank, German Development Co-operation (GIZ), and Danish International Development Agency for the implementation of the business lines.   GNA...

Sunyani, Nov 23, GNA – Mrs Dorothy Gordon, Director General, Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Information Communication Technology (ICT), has advised nurses to take keen interest in the study of ICT to enhance productivity.   She said nursing was currently one of the lucrative professions in the international community, but practitioners without basic knowledge in ICT would be unproductive.   Mrs Gordon gave the advice when addressing 100 female students at the opening session of a three-day ICT Training Programme in Sunyani on Friday.   The Centre in collaboration with the National Communication Authority (NCA) is organising the training for the participants drawn from selected tertiary institutions in the Brong-Ahafo Region.   Mrs Gordon was worried that female students in tertiary institutions in the country had no interest in the study of ICT and lacked basic knowledge on the use of the computer.   She explained that was why the centre in collaboration with the NCA had designed the programme nationwide to bridge the digital divide between female students and their male counterparts.   Mrs Gordon noted that without the knowledge of ICT the students would find it difficult to acquire gainful employment on completion and was hopeful that the participants would take the course serious for their own benefit.   She advised the participants to ensure that they imparted the knowledge acquired to their colleagues who did not get the opportunity.   Mr Kwasi Oppong-Ababio, Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, expressed concern that the youth used the internet to promote sexual promiscuity instead of their studies.   He said parents now seemed to have lost control over their children because of unhealthy habits they had copied from the internet. He advised the participants to always use the internet for entrepreneurial and research purposes to broaden their horizon.   Mr Oppong-Ababio said the Assembly was constructing a modern ICT centre at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani for the general public.   GNA...

Takoradi (W/R),Nov.24,GNA - The Western Regional Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),Mr.Daniel Darlington has called on Ghanaians to vote for the party if they really love th late President John Evans Atta Mills and the achievements chalked during his administration.   He said the love and unity exhibited by Ghanaians during the demise of Prof.Mills should be reciprocated as they go to the polls by voting massively for the NDC.   The ideals of the late President,he noted,had been pronounced by sitting President John Dramani Mahama who was treading on the path of late President Mills.   Mr.Darlington expressed these sentiments in an interview with the Ghana News Agency(GNA) after an NDC mini-rally in Takoradi.   He said as a tested and proven leader,President Mahama had brought his expertise to bear on the affairs of the nation in the last four months.   "It is therefore certain that the President will be retained in office to continue to execute the Better Ghana Agenda to better the lot of Ghanaians'', said the Organizer.   Mr.Darlington added that the Mahama-led administration had a lot of interventions for the youth and asked them to campaign massively for the NDC to retain power.   He reminded Ghanaians that the Mills-Mahama led government had not been vindictive as was witnessed in the erstwhile NPP regime because the NDC had not embarked on any agenda to persecute and prosecute political opponents since it took the reigns of government in 2009.   The Organizer expressed optimism that the NDC will win most of the seats in the Western Region due to the rapid development of the area.   GNA...

Accra, Nov 24, GNA - The Ministry of Environment Science and Technology (MEST) says it has come to its notice that the Better Ghana ICT Project beneficiaries published in the Ghanaian Times and the Daily Graphic have some inconsistencies.   This was contained in a press release issued by the Ministry and copied to the Ghana News agency (GNA) on Saturday.   According to the release, the list of student beneficiaries from the Pentecost University College had been inadvertently exchanged with that of the Presbyterian University College.   The MEST wishes to assure the general public that all anomalies regarding the publication of the Better Ghana ICT Project beneficiaries would be rectified.   “We also wish to state that there are built-in mechanisms in the distribution system of the laptops to ensure that only the beneficiaries of the Better Ghana ICT Project will benefit as they will present their current student identity cards before collecting the laptops,” the release added.   GNA...

Hohoe, Nov. 24, GNA - The Chiefs and people of Gbi Traditional Area are grieving the destruction of their ancestral royal regalia, especially its palanquin, which was lost in the violence that rocked the area five-months ago, as they sojourn to Peki to climax the GbiDuKorza festival.   Togbega Gabusu VI, Paramount Chief of the Area lamented that the Gbis continued to count the loss of their ancestral palanquin and the royal sword, which are embodiments of traditional authority and epitomize ancestral bonding, that were lost in the attack on his palace by some enraged youth from Hohoe Zongo.   He disclosed this to a three-member delegation from the National Peace Council, led by Mr Francis Azumah, its Executive-Secretary.   He stated that he would participate in the event with a heavy heart since the items of traditional adornment had not been found or replaced.   “The difference will be that while my counterpart dances and displays in the palanquin to set the tone for the celebration, I will be reduced to spectatoring,” he narrated.   Togbega Gabusu said the Gbi land needed peace and his chiefs and subjects attached unalloyed importance to peace but warned that that should not be countenanced for a sign of weakness.   He noted that, "We respect the law and crave for everlasting peace but justice must prevail to guarantee unblemished reconciliation and co-existence between the indigenes and the settler Zongos".   Togbega expressed indignation about the lack of action on the rehabilitation of the devastated palace, the ancestral seat of the Gbis, stating “As I continue to remain homeless and sleep in the streets of Hohoe, we are abiding by the terms inherent in the peaceful process.”   Dr Margaret Kweku, Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive said peace building was a process and pledged the Municipal Security Council’s support towards building bridges for lasting peace.   The Executive Secretary  commended the parties for agreeing to live in peace and allowing the processes towards actualizing total reconciliation to work.   He  promised to send their grievances to the appropriate quarters, and said the regalia issue was high on government’s agenda but that its efforts could not be disclosed.   He said conflict in any part of the country was of grave concern to Peace Council and other state actors, alluding that conflict was robbing people of the requisite development in such hotspots countrywide.   He praised the parties for exercising maximum restraint, which prevented the unfortunate event from escalating.   The area is under a state of emergency resulting from an arson attack on the palace of Togbega Gabusu following a misunderstanding over the burial of the Imam of the local Muslim community, and the earlier electrocution of a Muslim boy.   A Presidential Fact-finding Committee is currently sitting and inviting citizens from both sides of the June 11 disturbances, in an attempt to chart a road-map for reconciliation and lasting peace in the area.   GNA...