Atimpoku (E/R), Jan. 17, GNA - The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has held a stakeholder consultation meeting, involving Local Government Officers from the Eastern and Volta regions, to gather their inputs into the draft of the National Development Planning Regulation.Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) from the two regions formed part of the stakeholders at the meeting held on Thursday at Atimpoku in the Asuogyaman District.Article 87 of the 1992 Constitution mandates the NDPC to conduct studies and make strategic analyses on macro-economic and structural reform options and to make proposals for multi-year rolling plans for the even development of districts in the country.The NDPC, established by Act 479, 1994, is also to monitor and evaluate the implementation of development policies, programmes, projects and to report annually on national development progress as well as advise the President on development planning, policy and strategy.Similarly, the National Development Planning (System) Act of 1994, Act 480, was enacted to provide a legal framework for the implementation of decentralized planning in Ghana.Mr Paul Victor Obeng, Chairman of the NDPC, said in a speech read on his behalf that 19 years after the enactment of ACTs 479 and 480, the Commission had not prepared the required Legislative Instruments (LIs) containing the regulations that would ensure compliance with the planning requirements under specific provisions in the two Acts.Mr Obeng said to be able to deliver on its mandate to bring optimum benefit to all Ghanaians and to effectively implement decentralized planning in the country, the Commission had therefore decided, this time, to take steps to have the requisite Legislative Instruments (LIs) drafted and enacted.He said the decision was derived from the 2012 Manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which promised to take steps to complete the implementation of the National Decentralisation Action Plan.Mr Obeng appealed to stakeholders to contribute their experience and expertise for the possible revision of the draft LIs for final implementation.Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso, the Eastern Regional Minister, expressed worry that the absence of planning regulations to guide the decentralized planning system had negatively affected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in matching resource allocation to the Annual Action Plans (AAPs) that they had prepared.She said some districts achieved less than 60 percent implementation of their Action Plans due to the absence of the regulations.Ms Ntoso therefore commended the NDPC for the workshop, adding that, the regulations were coming at the right time to enable the MMDAs to match their resource allocation to their respective AAPs.GNA

Sekondi, Jan. 17, GNA – Prof Franklyn Achampong Manu, Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), says building the resource capacity of teachers was imperative than infrastructural development.“Investment in learning is very important and not just the physical infrastructure. What matters is the human infrastructure,” he told the GNA at the maiden matriculation ceremony of GIMPA’s satellite campus in Takoradi.Prof Manu said the country also needed to train more PHD holders for tertiary institutions in order to maximize the benefits of quality education.The matriculation saw 89 undergraduate and master’s students officially admitted into the GIMPA family.He said, “Cuba has not the best of educational infrastructure but yet they are able to produce quality human resources and are able to export some to other countries.”Professor Manu said investing in learning would also require the provision of internet services, audiovisuals equipment and other learning materials, adding that education in today’s world was critical to the individual’s self advancement and nation building as a whole and therefore called on government to invest more in learning rather than infrastructure.GNA

Cape Coast Jan.17, GNA - The Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly has made an upward adjustment in the fee charged for the registration of marriages at the Assembly.The Assembly last year charged 20.00 Ghana cedis for normal process of registration which takes 21 days but is now charging 30.00 Ghana cedis and special cases which involve less than 21 days public notice moves from 30.00 Ghana cedis to between 35.00 Ghana cedis and 85.00 Ghana cedis depending on where the marriage will be celebrated.Mr Edward Steele-Dadzie, Principal Executive Officer in charge of Marriage Registry at the Assembly, told the GNA on Friday that last year the Assembly made 18,360 Ghana cedis from the registration of 693 marriages as against 10,125 Ghana cedis from 675 marriages registered in 2012.Out of the figure, 580 went through the normal process of 21 days public notice and 113 were special cases which took less than the 21 days’ notice.He said 17 days into the New Year, 38 marriages including one special case had so far been registered with the Assembly.Mr Steele-Dadzie said the oldest couple to register their marriage last year was aged 81years for the groom and 63 for the bride and the youngest couple 23 years old for the groom and 21 for the bride.He said in 2012 the oldest couple to register their marriage was 82 years old for the groom and 52 for the bride and the youngest couple was 21 years for the groom and 18 for the bride.Mr Steele-Dadzie said those whose marriages were contracted under the customary or ordinance stood to benefit from the PND C Law 111/112 and the CAP/127 ordinance law in case of the demise of a spouse.He appealed to couples to have their marriages registered to enable them benefit from the provisions under the law.GNA

Wa, Jan. 17, GNA – The Swiss Red Cross has organized a training session in repairs and maintenance of ophthalmic (eye) equipment for equipment technicians in Wa.The training is to enable the technicians to take charge of the maintenance of the equipment as part of efforts to sustain the project following the exit of the Swiss Red Cross on December 31, 2013.Mr. Evans Kevi, Swiss Red Cross Training and Development Coordinator, said the training was in partnership with the Ghana Red Cross Society and the Ghana Health Service.He said the Swiss Red Cross eye care project had been in the Region for about 20 years and had established eye care facilities in almost all districts in the Region.He said these facilities were not just established but were also equipped with modern eye care equipment that stood the test of time.Mr. Kevi said they also supported the training of ophthalmic nurses including over 600 volunteers in various communities to help identify and report people with eye diseases to the facilities for treatment.Mr. Edward Kaba, Deputy Director of Administration at the Upper West Regional Health Administration, expressed gratitude to the Swiss Red Cross for bringing the project to the Region.He commended the Project Coordinator for providing good leadership that enhanced the success of the project in the region.He further lauded him for his foresight in thinking and putting in measures to ensure the sustainability of the project even as they exited.Mr Kaba appealed to the technicians to take the training serious so that they would be up to the task in the repairs and maintenance of the equipment in the absence of the Swiss Red Cross.Dr. Zakarea Al-Hasan Balure, the Regional Eye Care Coordinator, advised the public to undertake regular eye examination for early detection of any eye disease.He also appealed to people to wear glasses or contact lenses, avoid looking direct into the sun, eat healthy diet, quit smoking and also avoid poking things into their eyes and to avoid buying glasses from unapproved sources.GNA

Tamale, Jan. 17, GNA – Dr Prosper Akanbong, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, has said management and staff of the Hospital would continue to work hard to justify the government’s investment in refurbishing the facility. “I must commend the government for honouring its campaign promise by giving the Tamale Teaching Hospital a facelift and I assure the people of Ghana especially Northern Region that management and staff would work hard to ensure that this Hospital becomes the best in the country,” he said. Dr Akanbong gave the assurance on Thursday during the inauguration of the Phase One of the Tamale Teaching Hospital Facelift project for which late President John Atta Mills cut sod in April 2010. The first phase included the construction of a four-storey building, an accident and emergency unit with full complement of modern equipment and CT scanner as well as the refurbishment of existing structures. President John Dramani Mahama inaugurated the new facilities and cut the sod for the second face to begin. Dr Akanbong said with the refurbishment and the new four-storey 400- bed facility, it had improved the work of the Hhospital and that management and staff would strive hard for more excellence. “We are in our second gear to deliver quality healthcare to the people and we need the cooperation of all to ensure that we achieve the needed results,” he said. Dr Akanbong said despite the problems that the Hospital faced in the past, it was adjudged the best in the country and commended the staff on its outreach programme. Madam Sherry Ayitey, the Minister of Health, gave the assurance that the government would continue to invest in people and that offering the best healthcare to the people was one priority area of the government. She said the government in its first four years in office was able to build a lot of polyclinics, Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds as well as giving facelifts to some health facilities. Mr Bede Ziedeng, the Northern Regional Minister, said the refurbishment of the Tamale Teaching Hospital was a fulfilment of a manifesto and expressed the hope that before 2016, the government would be able to fulfil all its campaign promises.GNA

Atimpoku(E/R), Jan. 17, GNA- The National Development Planning Commission(NDPC) has not prepared Legislative Instruments to ensure that District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies comply with planning requirements 19 after the enactment of the law establishing the Commission.This was contained in a speech read on behalf of Mr Paul Victor Obeng, Chairman of the NDPC, at the opening of a stakeholders’ meeting involving Local Government officers from the Eastern and Volta regions to gather their inputs into the drafting of the National Development Planning Regulation at Akosombo on Thursday. The meeting is being attended by Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) from the Eastern and Volta regions. He said the Commission had decided to take steps to have the requisite Legislative Instruments (LIs) drafted and enacted to be able to deliver on its mandate to bring optimum benefit to all Ghanaians and to effectively implement decentralized planning. Mr Obeng said the decision was derived from the 2012 Manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which promised to take steps to complete the implementation of the National Decentralisation Action Plan. He appealed to the stakeholders to contribute their experience and expertise to have a positive impact on the draft LIs. Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso, the Eastern Regional Minister, expressed worry that the absence of planning regulations to guide the decentralized planning system had negatively affected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in matching resource allocation to their Annual Action Plans (AAPs) which they had prepared. She said some districts achieved less than 60 per cent implementation of their Action Plans due to the absence of the regulations. Ms Ntoso commended the NDPC for the workshop, adding that, the regulations were coming at the right time to enable the MMDAs to match their resource allocation to their respective AAPs.GNA

Kumasi, Jan 16, GNA – Efforts at helping to provide farmers especially vulnerable women with adequate security of land tenure have been stepped up and these are found in the Ahafo-Ano North and Assin South districts. This is being spearheaded by the Land Resource Management Centre, an NGO, under a project dubbed “Innovative Tools to Secure Land Rights in Ghana” implemented in 12 communities in Ashanti, and the Central Regions. Mr. Mark Kakraba Ampeh, the Project Director, said the goal was to protect the land rights of the farmer for improved agricultural productivity. He was speaking at a workshop held in Kumasi to share the lessons from the pilot phase of the project, which lasted for two-and a-half years. It brought together traditional authorities, land owners, tenant farmers, land sector agencies, land commissioners, government agencies and NGOs. Mr. Ampeh said there was the need for land owners and tenants to engage the services of qualified surveyors for proper demarcation of their lands and efficient documentation of farmlands. The workshop provided the platform for participants to share experiences and challenges and to discuss some innovative tools developed by the Centre. These include community-based land survey with the involvement of para-surveyors, formation of community-based dispute resolution committee and land agreement templates. Mr. Kofi Abaka Blankson, Senior Officer (Planning and Administration) Ghana Land Administration Project (LAP), said that land survey was a special field and therefore must be handled by only professionals. Mr. Joseph Okyere, Programme Director, Landseal Company, urged the government and civil society to do more to support land data collection. Nana Nsuase Poku Agyemang, the Ashanti Regional Stool lands Officer, appealed to communities to insist that stool lands revenue was openly and transparently accounted for by district assemblies.GNA

Ho, Jan 17, GNA - A trade unionist has called for an overhaul of human resource practices within the public sector in content and context as labour readied to dialogue with government over consistently low wages in Ghana. Mr Elvis Van-Lare, Volta Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) , said in many public organizations positions were largely without job descriptions, undermining performance evaluation and reward systems. He was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Ho Wednesday on issues connected with workers welfare including pay, work environment and attitude to work. Mr Van-Lare said institutions became weak, non-functional and less productive if their Human Resource departments were clueless. He said this situation could leave room for tried and tested appraisal administrations being overrun by decisions motivated by self-interest and pressures from sneaky workers. Mr Van-Lare disagreed with the notion that the Ghanaian public sector was voluminous, saying the issue was rather the inability of functional Human Resource Managers to identify the less used workers, re-train them based on aptitude for redirection to other areas. He said public sector emoluments in Ghana had remained one of the lowest in the sub-region despite the many touted policies to address the issue. He made available to the GNA a TUC document which quoted a World Bank report entitled “Building State Capacity in Africa: New Approaches, Emerging Lessons” published in 2004.The report said in part “the top salary in Ghana’s Public Sector declined (in dollar parity terms) by 46 per cent (from $ 6,261 in 1992 to $ 3,373 in 2000) while the bottom salary declined by 55 per cent (from $ 555 to $ 252 during the same period)”. Mr Van-Lare said “analysis of earnings in Ghana shows that real earnings declined by over 200 per cent between 1960 and the early 1980s and the declining trend continued in the 1990s”. He said what the Single Spine Pay Policy had set out to do failed even before it started as the disparity between formal private sector wages and public sector wages remained big and this meant the public sector would continue to lose more of its valued workers to the private sector. Mr Van-Lare said generally increases in salaries under the Single Spine Policy were swamped by hikes in prices of goods and services. He said in certain cases poor knowledge of job functions by Human Resource Managers resulted in low ratings in job evaluations and therefore zero or minimal pay increases. Mr Van-Lare said he could not understand why some countries not endowed as Ghana could pay their public sector workers better than Ghana and expressed dismay at the squalid environment of some workplaces, rickety furniture and stench-ridden lavatories.GNA

Tema, Jan 17, GNA - The Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service has appealed to the public to treat any threat made on their lives with seriousness. Superintendent of Police Rebecca Nyamah, Tema Regional DOVVSU Coordinator, told the GNA in an interview that every threat of harm or threat of death made on a person's life must be immediately reported to the police. She said some people had been murdered by relatives, spouses and other people because they neglected such threats issued to them in the past. SP Nyamah said threats such as "you will see" are criminal and must therefore be treated as such by lodging a complaint with the Police for action to be taken. The Tema Regional DOVVSU office recorded an increase in cases of threat of harm and threat of death in 2013 compared to 2012. A total of 104 and 88 reports on threat of harm and threat of death respectively were recorded in 2013 compared to the 88 threat of harm and 76 threat of death received in 2012. Out of the 104 threat of harm cases, Ashaiman accounted for 73 of the cases while the Tema New Town, Dodowa, Ada, Prampram, Community 11 and the Community Two offices recorded none. The Tema DOVVSU also recorded 1,458 criminal cases and 1,829 family related cases. Four-hundred-and-forty-one cases of the family related cases were referred to court, 278 to Family Tribunal, 157 to Social Welfare Department and six to the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). Officers in DOVVSU offices settled the remaining 1,388 of the family related cases. The unit was successful in securing 12 convictions with a minimum sentence of one to 25 years whiles 77 cases are pending before court.GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - The Northern Development Forum (NDF) has expressed concern about the news in the public domain that Senior High Schools in the three Regions of Northern Ghana may not be able to commence the academic year on schedule due to delays in receiving their feeding grants.In a release signed by Dr Hakeem Wemah, Chairman of NDF, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, the Forum underlined the point that Northern Ghana was lagging behind the rest of the country in many educational indicators.“It is for this and other reasons that we would appreciate it very much if the current situation is addressed with all the seriousness that it deserves in order to prevent a seemingly bad situation from getting worse.”NDF observed that the problem of delayed release of grants seemed to be a perennial one, and wondered how such administrative lapses continued to persist.“We are therefore appealing to the relevant state institutions responsible, particularly the Ministry of Education, GET-Fund, Ministry of Finance and the Scholarships Secretariat, to work together to solve the current problem without delay”, it said, adding that students should not be made to undergo such needless suffering or become disadvantaged due to administrative actions or inactions.The release also stated that NDF was ready to engage with all relevant stakeholders in finding a lasting solution to the problem.NDF is a non-political, non-partisan, non-religious and non-ethnic organization that serves as a platform to galvanise support for the development of the three Northern Regions of Ghana. GNA

Nkrumah (Ash), Jan. 17, GNA – A 20-year old suspected robber is being held by the Police at Nyinahin in connection with a robbery attack at Nkrumah, a farming community in the Atwima-Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.It left two assembly members and one other person hurt.George Duru, together with two others on the run, raided the community at about 0130 hours on Thursday, held many of the people at gun-point and robbed them of their monies and valuables.They shot the assembly member, Mr Iddrisu Salifu, in the waist and one Kwame Poku, in the arm.The two were rushed to the Kwadaso SDA Hospital in Kumasi and are reported to be responding to treatment.Police Superintendent Ephraim Kwarteng, the District Commander, who confirmed the incident to Ghana News Agency said for about a-half of an hour, Duru and his gang held the entire community hostage amid sporadic gunshots.Some of the young men later mustered courage and engaged the robbers, forcing them to flee.They managed to capture Duru but his colleagues slipped through, leaving behind a motorbike, which has been impounded by the police.GNA

Fasen (W/R), Jan.17, GNA - The town of Fasen in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region, was on Thursday thrown into a state of pandemonium when the ghost of a 39-year old man allegedly arrested a fetish priest.The ghost of Kweku Musu purportedly manifested itself in a woman, Maame Abome, and arrested Nana Tandoh, the fetish priest, who supposedly shot him spiritually.The Chief of Fasen, Nana Obomu Nketsia, III, confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency.He said Oldman Armoo’s mobile phone got lost about three months ago and upon several announcements he did not find it, therefore, he reported the theft to a powerful fetish priest, Nana Tandah at Kwamekrom, to deal drastically with the thief. Interestingly, the chief said, Armoo bought the phone from the fetish priest therefore Nana Tandoh performed all the necessary rituals at his shrine and then preceded to Fasen, where the phone was stolen, and shot a gun three times in the air.The chief said the one who stole the phone then left the phone at the door mat of the owner, Armoo, in the evening.The next day, Armoo went to Kwamekrom and informed the fetish priest about the return of the phone and asked Nana Tandoh to reverse the ritual but he told him it was too late and warned Armoo not to touch the phone.Unfortunately, the chief said, Kweku Musu, died mysteriously last Monday January 13, and when the family of the deceased inquired about the death of their relative from a shrine, it was revealed that Nana Tandoh killed him.Therefore, the family of the deceased returned to Fasen to bury Kweku Musu on Thursday January 16, however, the ghost of the deceased manifested itself in a woman and went to Kwamekrom and arrested the fetish priest from his shrine.The chief said the ghost dragged the fetish priest, including the gun and a pot to funeral ground thereby creating pandemonium at the town.Nana Nketsia said the residents of the town then brought the fetish priest to the palace where he confessed shooting Kweku Musu with a spiritual gun.The chief said it took his personal intervention to prevent the fetish priest from being lynched by the angry mob.Nana Obomo said he had asked the family of the deceased to report the case to the police.He said currently, the fetish priest had returned to his shrine at Kwamekrom, however, the gun, bullets and a clay pot had been seized and kept at the chief’s palace at Fasen.GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA – The Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) on Thursday cautioned that it would descend heavily on pirates who are plagiarising their publications.The Bureau said its publications are being heavily pirated especially in the Greater Accra, Volta, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Western and Central Regions, which had contributed to its dwindling fortunes.Madam Benedicta Esi Anibri, BGL Acting Director gave the warning in an interview in Accra with Ghana News Agency on the sideline of a two- day retreat of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and its agencies.She noted that the anti-piracy exercise would minimise the menace and increase patronage of their publications.“This will help increase the Internally Generated Funds of the Bureau,” she said.She said offenders would be taken to court so as to deter social deviants and to eliminate them from the system.Madam Anibri said the BGL’s vision is to provide effective and excellent services for the development, promotion, orthographic control and learning of Ghanaian Languages and cultural aspects through pragmatic strategies and to influence government policies on language.She said in pursuant of its mandate, the Bureau had collated the list of textbooks recommended by the West African Examinations Council, colleges of education, Ghana Education Service and the universities for reprint, stating that in all 33 titles had been selected and five printers awarded the contract to undertake the reprinting project.The Acting Director said the Bureau would be purchasing a van for it sales promotion throughout the country.She lauded the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation for giving the Bureau air time to broadcast during adult education programmes to educate the public during special occasions such as the international mother tongue day.She appealed to other media houses to give the BGL the needed support to help promote the learning of Ghanaian Languages.GNA

Tamale, Jan. 17, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday announced that government has expanded the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover other diseases.These include breasts and cervical cancer and mental illness.Other services brought on board include family planning, care for pensioners and children under the age of five.President Mahama announced this when he jointly inaugurated the Regional offices of the National Health Insurance Authority and the National Communications Authority (NCA).The inauguration formed part of President Mahama's two-day official visit to the Northern Region, where he inaugurated a 39.3 million- Euro project at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.President Mahama would also inaugurate completed development projects in the Bunkprugu District and climax his visit with a durbar at Nalerigu in the Mamprusi West District.He said government would roll out claims centres throughout the country to speed up the recovery of national health insurance claims.President Mahama said the health capitation programme is a major way in which the NHIS could be sustained for future generations and appealed to health professionals to lend their support to government to implement the programme to achieve maximum benefits.On the NCA, President Mahama said government is constructing a 780- kilometre fibre optic cable to facilitate internet connection throughout the country.He said under the project all district capitals would be hooked to the internet, while additional 200 towns and communities along the cable project would also benefit.He said apart from South Africa, Ghana is the next largest user of broadband mobile phone services in the African continent, attributing the breakthrough to better implementation of information communication technology policies.President Mahama said the mobile phone network enjoys a total of 27 million subscription, attributing the high figure to the ability of Ghanaians to own more than one mobile line.Madam Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Health said the NHIS programme recorded a total of 9.1 million subscribers.She said the figure is expected to increase to 12 million by the close of 2014.GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA – Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) on Thursday announced that government would soon build an ultramodern multi-purpose theatre in Kumasi.She said the theatre would have a creational facility, ultramodern shopping mall, seminar and conference facilities for major international meetings and provide jobs for Ghanaians.Mrs Ofosu-Adjare, who was interacting with the media during the opening ceremony of a two- day retreat programme of her Ministry in Accra, said a financial agreement was reached in 2013 by the government and the Türk Eximbank for the project.She lauded Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene for providing land for the project.She said government is committed to public private partnership for the promotion of the tourism, culture and the creative arts industry.Mrs Ofosu-Adjare observed that the first year MoTCCA) had proved to be eventful with the Ministry and its Agencies hosting several reputable events.She declared that the sector continues to be the fourth foreign exchange earner for the country.GNA

Accra, Jan. 16, GNA - The Plant Breeders Bill before Parliament, on Thursday generated disagreement with proponents insisting it is the way Ghana should go while opponents maintain it would be disastrous for the country.At media sensitisation workshop on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), proponents and opponents took turns to brief journalists on why GMOs should be embraced or why Ghana should tread cautiously.The day’s event is a partnership between the Graphic Communications Group Limited and the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development to equip journalists with the requisite knowledge on GMOs.Professor Walter Alhassan, Scientist and a proponent said GM is a subset of biotechnology and noted that the technology seeks to increase yield, improve protection from insects and disease, increase crops’ tolerance to heat, drought, and other environmental stress.According to him the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is presently conducting confined field trials on BT cowpea and BT cotton in the Northern Region.Prof Alhassan said biotech in agriculture would ensure access to appropriate improved crop varieties in production to achieve food security.He explained that a GM seed for agricultural production is a choice farmers would have to make when Ghana goes commercial in production, whilst Ghanaian consumers also make similar choice to purchase and consume GM foods.Biotechnology in agriculture involves the use of scientific methods to produce genetically modified food crops that are more pest, disease and drought resistant and with short maturity periods.The Biosafety Law in Ghana was passed in 2011, to allow the application of biotechnology in food crop production involving GM Organisms to enter food production.The law also ensures an adequate level of production in the field for safe development, transfer, handling and use of GMOs.Opponents are of the view that GMOs are organisms which genetic material have been altered using genetic engineering techniques and come about as a result of laboratory process that fuses genes from one species with another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic.In most cases, they are used to produce genetically modified foods for the western countries and can be produced on a large scale within a short time and therefore serve as a good relief to countries battling food insufficiency.Its introduction into the country they say would come at a cost, especially given that they will compete with naturally produced crops for patronage and consumption.Mr Yaw Opoku a member of Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG), an advocacy movement, has called on parliament to delay the passage for a thorough debate on GM foods, saying selling your food sovereignty is worse than slavery “and that is exactly what the bill sought to do”.However Prof Alhassan said there are adequate and thorough safety measures in the country to manage environmental and health risks associated with biotechnology.Mr Opoku on the other hand debunked the assertion saying there are a lot of regulatory bodies in the countries that are not living up to expectation.Mr Ken Ashibgey, Managing Director of the Daily Graphic said the debate on the GMOs is taking many twists with civil society groups emerging to support or oppose it.He said there is the need for journalists to be informed to lead the debate on the subject.GNA