Accra, Jan.22, GNA-Assistant Superintendent of Police Odame Okyere, an investigator, has denied claims by lawyers of Alfred Woyome that the second and third payment of the GH¢51.2 million judgment debt was paid after pre-trial negotiations at the commercial court. He said as far as he was aware, only the first installment of the GH¢51.2 million was ordered by the court with a condition that if the accused lost the case he would be made to refund the money. ASP Okyere made the statement when continued his testimony at the trial of Alfred Woyome, the businessman at the centre of the GH¢51.2 million judgment debt at the Accra Fast Track High Court. Mr Woyome is standing trial for defrauding by false pretence and causing financial loss to the State. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is on GH¢20 million bail with three sureties to be justified. ASP Okyere also stated that per the offer letter that Mr Woyome secured from Bank Austria, the expiry date was November 30, 2005. He said the construction of the stadia was a turn-key project and as such Waterville was required to look for funds to execute the project which had nothing to do with the government. He saideven though the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports are an organ of the government, however Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for CAN 2008 set by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is an autonomous body. ASP Okyere further gave evidence that the Coat of Arms embossed on the offer letter was used as a means of inviting bidders from Ghana and outside to bid for the stadia project. When asked by Mr Osarfo Buabeng, counsel for Woyome, whether during his investigations he interrogated Mr Alex Segbefia, former Deputy Chief of Staff, whether Mr Woyome sought any help from him on the matter, ASP Okyere stated Mr Segbefia denied any knowledge of the matter, saying Mr Woyome only came to his office on a different issue. He said even though he was aware that the Ministry of Finance negotiated with Mr Woyome for the payment of money and the letters for the agreement were signed by Mrs Efe Simpson, but was not aware that the second and third payment of the GH¢51.2 million judgment debt was as result of pre-trial negotiations. Sometime in January 2005, the government invited bids for the rehabilitation of the Ohene Djan and Baba Yara Sports stadia and the construction of two stadia at Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale. At the end of the bidding, some companies were short-listed and invited to submit proposals for the projects and among them was M-Powapak Gmb/VAMED Gmb and Company. At the end of the evaluation process, the Finance and Evaluation Committee declared the financial proposals of M-powapak /Vamed Engineering as the most responsive and recommended them to the Central Tender Review Board. However, before the Board could receive a final approval, the government terminated the process. Meanwhile, in the course of the tendering process, Vamed Engineering had assigned its rights and responsibilities to Waterville Holding (BVI) Ltd. After the termination of the tendering process, Waterville protested and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government to commence rehabilitation works on the Ohene Djan and El-Wak stadia, both in Accra. The MoU signed on November 30, 2005, required Waterville to engineer funding for the project on behalf of the government from the Bank of Austria Creditanstalt, guaranteed by the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. The company arranged bridge financing and subsequent to the MoU and Waterville was authorized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to move to the site and start work, pending the signing of a formal contract. On December 19, 2005, Waterville engaged M-powapak, led by Woyome, to provide it with financial engineering services in respect of the projects. A formal contract for the rehabilitation of Ohene Djan and El-Wak stadia was entered into by the government and Waterville Holding Limited on April 26, 2006. However, before the contract could become effective, the government terminated same due to Waterville’s inability to engineer funding for the project as contained in the MoU, which formed a condition precedent to the contract. Waterville, who initially protested the termination, eventually accepted the move and proceeded to claim monies for the initial works done under the MoU. The government paid a substantial amount of Waterville's claims out of which the company fully paid M-powapak, represented by the accused, for the financial engineering services rendered under the contract. Payment to the accused for his services was duly acknowledged by him in a termination agreement dated 25th November 2006, which brought the relationship between them to an end. Sometime in August 2009, however, the accused having received all monies due him under the financial engineering services rendered to Waterville took advantage of the change of government and falsely presented to government officials that the previous government owed him money for financial engineering services rendered to it under the contract with Waterville. In his claim to government officials, the accused, who had no contract with government, claimed that as part of the financial engineering services rendered, he managed to arrange €1,106,470,587 for the government through the Bank Austria Creditans out of which he claimed he was entitled to two per cent as financial engineering fees. Investigations, however, revealed that there were no such funds made available for the benefit of the country by Bank Austria as claimed by the accused. Further investigations revealed that the accused had no contract with the government to provide any services. The only arrangement on financial engineering services the accused had was with Waterville Holdings Limited, and those services had been fully paid for and acknowledged by the accused in a termination agreement. GNA

Sunyani, Jan. 22, GNA – Ten people lost their lives, properties worth 238,869 Ghana cedis were lost and large tracts of land had their vegetation cover burnt in in fire outbreaks in the Brong-Ahafo Region last year. Assistant Fire Officer Kwame Larbi Apraku, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, told the GNA on Tuesday that the region recorded 678 fire outbreaks in 2013 as against 598 in 2012. He said 275 of the fire outbreaks were domestic and 175 were bush fires. He said the Service was collaborating with all stakeholders in the Region to intensify their fire education campaigns to be able to achieve a target of 20 percent reduction in fire outbreaks AFO Apraku said the education team would be given adequate training to ensure effective educational campaigns in schools, mosques and churches. He suggested that fire education should be inculcated into the school curriculum on a pilot basis to educate the school children on fire outbreaks. AFO Apraku said domestic fires were caused by children and therefore advised parents to put matches at places that children might not have access to and also ensure all gas cylinders were switched off before leaving the house.GNA

Wamfie (B/A), Jan. 22, GNA – Mr Emmanuel Kofi Agymeang, the Dormaa East constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Wednesday called on the party’s leadership to intensify education on its ideologies and philosophies. He said when citizens especially the youth were abreast with the ideologies upon which the party was established, it would empower them to make informed choice in the 2016 general elections. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Wamfie, Mr Agyemang said it was worrying that the youth who formed chunk of the voting population knew very little about the history of the NPP. This situation, he said, had paved the way for the party’s biggest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to speak ill of the NPP. Mr Agyemang said the NDC had taken credit for all the laudable policies the NPP introduced especially the National Health Insurance Scheme and claimed the government had collapsed free maternal care and the mass cocoa spraying exercise policies which the NPP introduced to benefit the rural poor. Mr Agyemang said with the current state of the economy, the NPP had the opportunity to win the 2016 general elections and appealed to supporters of the party to intensify campaign. On the NPP’s impending Brong-Ahafo Regional congress, he said the party in the Region needed party executives with track records and who could support the party’s financial base. Mr Agyemang appealed to NPP supporters and members, especially disgruntled ones, to guard against all forms of factionalism as that could affect the fortunes of the party in 2016.GNA

Sunyani, Jan. 22, GNA – All is set for the Brong-Ahafo Regional Delegates Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), schedule for Saturday January 25. In all, about 520 delegates, 16 each from the 29 constituencies in the region are expected to attend the one day congress to be held at the Pastoral Center in Sunyani. When the Ghana News Agency visited the center on Wednesday, preparation work at the about 1000 capacity conference hall was steadily progressing. Mr Gabriel Kwame Awuah, Chairman of the NPP, Brong-Ahafo Regional Vetting Committee told the GNA that ballot papers would arrive in Sunyani from the party’s national headquarters in Accra on Saturday morning. He said the party had requested for a contingent of 10 police and six military officers to maintain and promote law and order. Mr Awuah, who is the Regional Chairman of the Council of Elders of the party said delegates were expected to arrive on Friday night, adding that, voting would begin at exactly 0900 hours. He said the party would handover any person or group of persons who might cause confusion to the police and advised party supporters and delegates to conduct themselves well. Mr Awuah said the committee had officially written to the officials of the Electoral Commission and assured the contestants of free, fair and transparent elections.GNA

Sunyani, Jan. 22, GNA – The Micro-finance and Small Loans Center (MASLOC) disbursed more than 3 million Ghana as loans to traders in Brong-Ahafo Region in 2013, Madam Sedina Attionu Tanakloe, Chief Executive Officer disclosed on Tuesday. She said beneficiaries were mostly traders in pottery in agricultural production comprising 7,400 females and 517 males. Madam Tanakloe disclosed this when she paid a courtesy call on Mr Justice Samuel Adjei, Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister in Sunyani as part of her familiarization visit to the region. She re-affirmed that MASLOC remained non-political institution and called on small scale businesses especially market women and taxi drivers to apply for the facility to enable them expand their businesses for poverty reduction. Madam Tanakloe said GH¢3,116,000 were given out as group loans while individual loans amounted to GH¢ 163,200. She noted that the center’s recovery rate was not the best and entreated beneficiaries to pay back on schedule in order not to be prosecuted. Madam Tanakloe appealed to the Regional Coordinating Council to help the center to acquire land for the construction of its regional office in Sunyani. Mr Adjei commended MASLOC for its operation and support to small scale businesses in the region and was optimistic that more traders in the region would benefit from the facility. The MASLOC CEO later visited the gari processing factory at Bechem in Tano South and the Tanoso pottery factory at Tanoso in Tano North District of the region.GNA

Breman Asikuma (C/R), Jan. 22, GNA – The Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa Assembly (AOB) has cut the sword to inaugurate three projects estimated at GH¢86,000 at a grand ceremony at Breman Beedum in the Central Region. The projects to be executed include completion of a 3-unit-school block with office at Yenkukwa , a 3-unit-school block with offices at Jamra, construction of a 3-unit-school block at Breman Beedum, and a 6-unit-school block with auxiliary facilities at Adumaum. Mr Samuel Adom Botchway, District Chief Executive of AOB, Nana Kweku Essuon, Chief of Breman Beedum and Madam Georgina Nkrumah Aboah, Member of Parliament for the area, jointly cut the tape to symbolize the inauguration of the said projects. Mr Botchway advised children in the district to take their studies seriously to create a well informed society, since without education there was no future for them. He urged them to desist from social vices which include pre-marital sex, drug abuse, disrespect to the elderly and indecent dressing. Madam Nkrumah Aboah said government’s contributions towards education was to prepare the children to take over the mantle from the aged in future. She said the country needed skillful and knowledgeable future manpower, hence the need for the government to provide the necessary teaching and learning facilities, tools and materials, including construction of school blocks, distribution of books and uniforms, increase in the capitation grants and expansion of the school feeding programme aimed at enhancing teaching and learning. The MP said while government was channeling huge inputs and resources into education, there was the need for parents and other stakeholders in the sector to continue to partner the government in its efforts. She therefore urged parents and stakeholders to provide children with their basic needs to encourage them and boost their morale in school. She also urged management of the beneficiary schools to cultivate the culture of maintenance to help prolong the lifespan of the facilities. Mr Joseph Opoku Agbo, Deputy District Director of Education for the area expressed appreciation to the Assembly for its support in the education sector. Nana Kweku Essuon, Ankobeahene of Asikuma Traditional Council thanked the Assembly and the MP for their interest in education. He also advised parents to support their wards’ education to bring about development. As part of the ceremony, the MP presented 10 computers with accessories to the beneficiary schools. She also donated 50 dual desks each to the Odoben Senior High School and Brakwa Community Technical Senior High School. The Assembly also presented 500 dual desks to the District Education Directorate for onward distribution to needy schools.GNA

Subonpan (B/A), Jan. 22, GNA – There was spontaneous jubilation among residents at Subonpan in the Tano North District of the Brong-Ahafo Region on Tuesday. The chiefs and people of the farming community could not hide their joy when a GH¢31,000 water project was inaugurated to supply potable drinking water to the more than 7,000 residents. According to Nana Kofi Fofie, chief of the town, residents had depended on a nearby stream since the only borehole in the community broke down some years back. He said persistent appeals made to the District Assembly to rehabilitate the borehole yielded no positive response until Mrs Freda Prempeh, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North constituency visited the community last year and promised to assist them. Thus, the water project was constructed by management of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), Ahafo project, through the initiative of Mrs Prempeh. The project, a mechanized borehole with a reservoir, had the capacity of 44,000 litres of water (about 1000 gallons). The MP therefore appealed to residents to take proper care of the facility so that it would last longer. Reacting to an appeal by the people, the MP said efforts were being made to rehabilitate the Bomaa-Subonpan road, pointing out that the Department of Feeder Roads had taken inventory of the road. Mrs Prempeh later presented a number of desks worth GH¢2,000 to the local Methodist Primary School in the community. Nana Fofie commended the MP for the support and appealed for an additional toilet facility for the community.GNA

Tarkwa, Jan. 22, GNA – The Tarkwa Magistrate Court has sentenced Peter Anabah, a 27-year-old farmer to nine months imprisonment for stealing a goat valued at GH¢200.He was convicted on his own plea. Prosecuting Inspector Faustina Selestina Anaman told the court presided over by Madam Juliana Millicent Ocran that the complainant Kwabena Ntum lived in the same neighbourhood with the convict at Fanti-Newtown, a suburb of Huni/Valley in the Western Region. Inspector Anaman said on December 23 last year, the complainant bought a goat valued GH¢200 for the Christmas festivity and tied a blue rope around the neck at his house and went to bed. According to the Prosecutor, when the complainant woke up the following morning, the goat was nowhere to be found and therefore searched for it in the neighbourhood. She said a neighbour, Olivia Mensah informed the complainant that she saw the convict at the Huni/Valley lorry station bargaining with a taxi driver to send the said goat to Bogoso on his behalf. Inspector Anaman said the complainant therefore searched for Anabah but was later informed that he had travelled that dawn to an unknown place. The Prosecutor added that on January 13 this year, the convict returned to Fanti-Newtown and was subsequently arrested and handed over to the police.GNA

Sekondi (W/R), Jan. 22, GNA—The Western Regional Minister, Mr Ebenezer Kwadwo Teye Addo, has underscored the need for heads of institutions to tackle challenges in the region with seriousness to improve on the living conditions of the people. He said the region was confronted with myriad of problems, including poor health and educational facilities, bad roads, erratic water and power supply, weak human resource base, illegal mining, chieftaincy and land litigations. “We must be duty-bound to confront these challenges head-on to improve the living conditions of the people,” he stressed. Mr Aidoo said this at the Heads of Department meeting held at the Regional Coordinating Council in Sekondi, to take stock of last year’s activities and strategise for the year. He urged the various heads of institutions to share information to enhance service delivery in order to achieve set goals, saying, “no institution lives in isolation.” The Minister indicated that although accusing fingers were always pointed at politicians and bureaucrats for corruption, the problem could be reduced by attitudinal change of the entire citizenry. The Regional Chief Director, Mr Christopher Anyiba, called for cooperation and support from institutional heads to accelerate national development. He entreated them to understand government's programmes and policies to ensure effective implementation.GNA

Koforidua, Jan. 22, GNA - Taxi drivers in the Koforidua Municipality have increased their fares by approximately 25 per cent since Monday evening. A survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency(GNA) indicated that taxi fare from Jacksons’s Park to Rasta, a suburb of Koforidua which used to be GH ¢0.80 was now GH¢1.00 . Taxi fare from Jackson’s Park to Apenkwa which previously cost GH¢1.00 was now GH¢1.20, from Jackson’s Park to Kasadjan which used to be GH¢0.90 is now GH¢1.10. In an interview with Mr George Baah, Chairman of Co-operative Taxi Union, he explained that the increases were due to the recent increase of petroleum prices by six per cent. However, the fares of mini buses for inter-city transportation from the Koforidua main lorry station to other parts of the country remained unchanged. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, the Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union(GPRTU) Koforidua-Kade Local Branch, Mr Sullemana Haruna explained that the Union was waiting for directives from their superiors before taking any action on the fares. Commenting on the recent fuel increment, Mr Yaw Agyei, 43, a driver said the increment had worsened the already difficult economic situation facing inter- city vehicle drivers in Koforidua because the GH¢0.50 daily toll they paid for using the lorry park had also been increased to GH¢1.00, adding that, there were more buses in the system now which had also slowed down their daily sales.GNA

Accra, Jan. 22, GNA – The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) has formed a 25-member Planning Committee for Ghana’s participation in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glassgow, Scotland. The committee will be chaired by Joseph Yamin, Deputy Minister of Youth Sports (MOYS) with Daniel Annan, Advisor of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ben Nunoo Mensah of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Madam Alice Attipoe, Acting Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) as the First, Second and Third Vice Chairmen respectively. Seth Osei –Agyin Director of Sports at the MOYS will act as the secretary of the Planning Committee with Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu – Director MOYS, Prosper Apasu – Chief Accountant MOYS, Professor Francis Dodoo – GOC, Dr. Deborah Cubagee - GOC, Richard Akakpovie – GOC, Hajia Joyce Mahama Zeinab – GOC, Eric Mwinyele Banoeyele – NSA, Ersmus Adorkor – NSA, and Gabriel Nikoi from the National Security as members. The rest were; Enoch O. Mensah – State Protocol, Bawah Fuseini – Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), Nestor Galley – Ghana Badminton Association (GBA), Bishop Cornelius Adjah-Cofie – National Paralympic Committee (NPC), Mawuko Afadzinu – Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Hussein Addy – Ghana Weightlifting Federation (GWF), Mohamed Sahnoon Ghana Cycling Association (GCA) , Ray Quarcoo – Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) Theophilus Edzie, - Ghana Swimming Association (GSA), Emmanuel Tetteh Ghana Judo Association (GJA) and Cillian Walsh of the Ghana Shooting Association (GSA). Inaugurating the committee, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, Minister of Youth and -Sports charged the committee to ensure Ghana’s participation at the event be the talk of town in a bid to attract the needed corporate sponsorship for the team. He said the successful organization of the Queens Baton Relay has raised the expectations of Ghanaians in the Commonwealth Games and urged the committee to sustain the interest. The minister however noted that, the Games will have a huge impact on government fund taking into consideration other development needs hence the need to seek adequate corporate sponsorship for Ghana’s participation. Afriyie-Ankrah said, Ghana’s performance in multiple sports events has not been impressive and the country has lost its position in events like athletics, boxing and table tennis to other countries. He said there was the need to enhance Ghana’s position at the Commonwealth Games by improving performance at the 2014 Games.GNA

Accra, Jan. 22, GNA –Ghana’s year-on-year Producer Price Index increased by 15.3 per cent from December 2012 to December 2013, representing an increase of 2.3 percentage points in producer inflation relative to the rate of 13.0 per cent recorded in November 2013. Dr Philomena Nyarko, the Government Statistician, told journalists at a news conference in Accra on Wednesday that the month-on-month change in producer prices between November 2013 and December 2013 was 1.6 percent. She said in December 2013, the producer price inflation in the mining and quarrying sub-sector increased by 1.7 percentage points over the November 2013 rate of -14.9 per cent, to record -13.2 per cent. Manufacturing, which constitutes more than two-third of total industry, increased by 2.9 percentage points to record 17.4 per cent, adding that the rate for the utility sub-sector rose slightly by 0.2 percentage points relative to 40.8 per cent for November 2013, to record 41.0 per cent in December 2013. Dr Nyarko said during the 12-month period (December 2012 to December 2013), the highest year-on-year inflation rate of 17.1 per cent for all industry was recorded in December 2012. The producer price inflation fluctuated from December 2012 until March 2013 when it declined continuously over a five-month period to record the lowest rate of 4.7 per cent in August 2013, declaring that in September 2013, however, the rate inched up to record 5.8 per cent. The rate rose continuously to record 11.6 per cent in October 2013, 13.0 per cent in November 2013 and 15.3 per cent in December 2013. Dr Nyarko said during the month of December 2013, five out of the 16 major groups in the manufacturing sub-sector recorded inflation rates higher than the sector average of 17.4 per cent. Manufacturing of machinery and equipment recorded the highest inflation rate of 76.0 per cent whilst producer prices in the manufacture of electrical machinery rate of -5.5 per cent over the one year period. She said the inflation rate in the petroleum sub-sector dropped from 16.4 per cent in December 2012 to -1.3 per cent in January 2013 but rose in March 2013. The inflation rate increased consistently to record 33.6 per cent in September 2013 as a result of increases in the prices of petroleum products but decreased in October 2013 to record a rate of 30.0 per cent. Following this, the rate increased consistently to record 35.7 per cent in December 2013. Dr Nyarko said the utility sub-sector recorded the highest year-on-year producer price inflation rate of 41.0 per cent followed by the manufacturing sub-sector with 17.4 per cent, with the Mining and Quarrying sub-sector recording the lowest rate of -0.9 per cent. She said the monthly changes in the producer price index indicated that manufacturing recorded a monthly inflation rate of 2.5 per cent, while utility recorded 0.1 per cent.GNA

Takoradi, Jan. 22, GNA - Mr Daniel Kamatu Eshun, District Chief Executive for Ellembelle District, has made a passionate appeal to corporate organisations to support pig farmers whose livestock were infected with African swine fever. He said because more than 900 infected pigs would be slaughtered and burnt, the assembly had to support pig farmers with new piggery to sustain their livelihoods. Mr Eshun told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday that 959 pigs had been infected with the viral disease and that out of 581 pigs at Anochie, 377 had been identified to have been infected. He said it had been confirmed that pigs at Anochie and Barku in the coastal belt of the district had been infected while the disease was gradually spreading to Egalichie and Egalipuli. Meanwhile, Dr Christopher Tagoe, Western Regional Veterinary Officer, said pigs in the district had been banned from being transported outside while new ones would not be accepted into the district. He said pig farmers had been educated on how to handle the outbreak of the African swine fever to prevent the disease from spreading to other districts in the region. He said after all the infected pigs had been destroyed and pig pens disinfected, the farmers had to observe 40 days sentinel before accepting new ones into the district to ensure that the disease had been eliminated from the area.GNA

Bolgatanga, Jan. 22, GNA - The Upper East Regional branch of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) has presented awards to some of its Lotto Marketing Companies (LMCs) who won prizes in its promotional sales. Mr Joseph-John Daasah, Regional Manager of the Authority, who presented the prizes at a ceremony at the NLA Office in Bolgatanga, commended the LMCs for their untiring efforts to ensure that the game was popular in the region. He explained that proceeds from lotteries went into development projects in the country and said national lottery games were the safest, most reliable and litigation-free that gave prompt payments to winners. The prizes, ranging from double-door and table-top refrigerators and cash awards, were won by some LMCs from Bolgatanga and Zebilla. Mr Daasah said the promotion, which had major attractions of three Hyundai cars and other minor prizes such as gas cookers, fridges, and cash amounts, was slated to end by close of January and expressed the hope that the region too would win the only car left in the promotion. He, therefore, called on the LMCs to widen their sales in the region and brighten their chances of winning and bringing the ultimate prize of a car to the region. Mr Daasah said the promotion was meant to encourage the companies to double their sales and encourage other LMCs who did not win prizes in the raffle not to despair, but continue with the good work to improve their wining chances. Mr Clement Bobi, a prize winner, thanked management of the NLA on behalf of his colleagues and pledged that members would continue to increase sales.GNA

Ho, Jan. 22, GNA - Members of the Ho Municipal Assembly at an emergency meeting on Monday paid tribute to Mr Komla Dumor, a BBC Journalist, who died at the weekend. The assembly members took turns to eulogise Mr Dumor for raising high the flag of Ghana on the international stage. “Yes, Mr Dumor has paid his due. He deserves the honour,” Mr Yao Semordey, Presiding Member of the assembly, said after he had asked the members to observe a minute’s silence in honour of Mr Dumor. Mr Emmanuel Kafui Dzamefe, Assemblyman for Lume, described Mr Dumor as an “Iconic figure” with passion for excellence and urged media practitioners to emulate his example. The emergency meeting tasked a five-member committee to investigate alleged renovation of the Municipal Chief Executive’s residence without the approval of the assembly.GNA

Bomaa (B/A), Jan. 22, GNA - Pregnant women at Bomaa in the Tano North District of the Brong-Ahafo Region has appealed to the Government to reconstruct the 12-kilometre Onwi-Bomaa road to save lives. They were sad that many of them had miscarriage on their way to attend antenatal clinics at the Bomaa Health Center because of the poor nature of the road. Mrs Philomena Atippoe, Midwife in-charge at the Bomaa Health Center, made the appeal on behalf of the pregnant women when Mrs Freda Prempeh, Member of Parliament for Tano North, presented medical equipments to the center on Tuesday. The items, estimated at GH¢30,000 included sterilizer machines, weighing and hanging scales, stethoscope, BP apparatus and examination lights and couch. Others are episiotomy sets, autoclave buckets, instrument trolley, wheel chairs, over-bed tables, computer and accessories and a printer. Mrs Atippoe said because of the poor nature of the road most pregnant women sought the services of traditional birth attendants and report to the center when cases became complicated. She said maternal mortality had increased in the area because instead of women to attend antenatal clinics regularly, they used herbs which sometimes affected the health of their unborn babies. Mrs Attipoe said due to the dusty nature of the road asthma was also very high in the area. Mrs Prempeh said the poor nature of the road remained a great challenge to the people and appealed to the district assembly to re-gravel it. She expressed concern that the GH¢27,000 MPs share of the Common Fund was not enough and advised the people in the constituency to exercise patience while she sought support from development partners to provide some of their immediate needs. Mrs Prempeh advised the pregnant women to ensure that they attended antenatal clinics regularly to avoid complications during labour.GNA

Accra, Jan 22, GNA – Kumasi will host a silver grand prix in June, following the Confederation of African Athletics’ (CAA) decision to hand Ghana a major event this year. Information pieced together by GNA Sports indicates that the CAA offered Ghana the opportunity to host the silver grand prix considering the strides GAA had recently made. The GAA will hand out invitation to about 20 non- African and African countries for the gathering billed for the Baba Yara Stadium on June 27. According to the source, the championship, Ghana’s first in that category to be sponsored by the CAA will see athletes competing in 12 disciplines. Athletes who have set their sight on qualifying for next year’s World Athletics Championship could do so at the Ghana event. Foreign-based Ghanaian athletes expected to compete in the event will be obliged to do so based on the quality of their time between now and June. Meanwhile, the GAA plan to hand eight lanes at the grand prix to athletes with the best points at their four mini competitions billed for Wa, Ho, Tarkoradi and Kumasi between March and May. The mini gathering which features 18 disciplines will be opened to athletes nationwide. The GAA according to the source will climax the year with the national championship in August.GNA

Wa, Jan. 22, GNA – Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo the Fourth, Paramount Chief of the Waala Traditional Area, has congratulated President John Dramani Mahama’s government, for its efforts in maintaining a good democratic system that is yielding positive developmental results. “Your policies and developmental programmes are very positive and laudable in the region, and the Wa Municipality in particular”, he noted. Naa Pelpuo who was speaking during the celebration of the Dumba Festival of the Chiefs and people of the Waala Traditional Area in Wa on Monday, thanked government for giving the region its fair share of the national cake in areas such as Water and Sanitation, Education, Health and Agriculture. The celebration was under the theme: “Peace as an Essential Tool for Development”. Naa Pelpuo said during the celebration of the festival last year, he made a request to the President to tar some roads in the region, adding that he had started seeing signs, especially on the Wa-Tumu-Navrongo road, and the Nadowli-Lawra-Nandom road, among others. This time, the Paramount Chief appealed to government to construct small irrigation dams to promote dry season farming, to help reduce poverty among the people. Naa Pelpuo said the Waala Traditional Council believes that traditional rulers contribute much in grass root administration in the country, hence, its proposal for the elevation of some of the chiefs to the status of Paramount Chiefs. He, therefore, pleaded with the Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, to put it high on his agenda. Mr. Abu Kabiebata Kansangbata, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, commended the chiefs for the peaceful celebration of the festival, adding that government was committed to preserving the chieftaincy institution to help promote peace and development across the country. He said the region was peaceful, despite pockets of Chieftaincy disputes, and appealed to the President of the Waala Traditional Council to use his good offices to resolve them amicably to promote peace and development in the region. Alhaji Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa Central and Minister of State in charge of the Private Sector, thanked the people on behalf of the President, for their peaceful nature which according to him was necessary for development. He mentioned the expansion of potable water in the Municipality, construction of the Regional Hospital, and the expansion of educational infrastructure, as some interventions of government. The Dumba Festival is an annual event which affords the people the opportunity to take stock of their successes and lapses for the past year in order to chart the way forward for the ensuing year. The four royal gates or clans in Wa namely; Yejiisi, Naakpaha, Jonyuosi and Naajeri, trace their ancestry to Nalerigu or Yendi in the Northern Region of Ghana. During the seven-day period of Dumba, all subjects of the four royal gates of Wa congregate at the forecourt of the Wa Naa’s palace amidst drumming and dancing, to show appreciation to God for taking them through the year, while asking God to grant them another successful year. The festival is climaxed with a ritual of the Wa Naa stepping over a live cow on the sixth day of the celebration, and his success in that endeavour signifies the renewal of his mandate for another year.GNA

Accra, Jan. 22, GNA – The Global Arts and Development Centre,(GADC), a non-profit international advocacy organization, is to stage a Vagina Monologue on February 14 and 15 at the National Theatre. The stage performance directed by Mr. Abdul Karim Hakib, Executive Director of GADC, is to touch on issues normally considered very important, but a taboo to talk about in society. He said the play also describes palpably the female experience, and serves as an alternative educative platform. He said although sensual in one form or another, it touches on the existence of the female, and uses it as an avenue for empowerment. “It is an event that will educate and excite patrons,” he said. The Director said, he contextualizes the issues treated and blends indigenous arts with contemporary elements to showcase contents that will resonate with any audience. “I employ a guitarist and a pianist in projecting a typical African sorrowful scene, which does not only capture the intricacies of the flute, but also establishes a mood that brings out the idea of My Vagina My Village,” he added. Mr Hakib said the play has been performed throughout the world, although with varied form of resistance, but in Ghana, it started as an experimental project for a final year student at the University of Ghana. He said the play reveals the sacred nature of the female temple, and depicts the tribulations the female figure is made to go through during a life time. It starts with the funny undertones and questions about the status-quo, but later delves into relationships, and give men a clue on how to be able to keep their women.GNA

Bolgatanga, Jan.22, GNA- Mr Daniel Syme, Deputy Upper East Regional Minister on Monday called on the Media to build confidence in members of the public to demand for accountability from public office holders on public finance management. He said social accountability was very important, and acknowledged that about 70 per cent of the general public, especially those living in rural communities, were not aware of social accountability issues in public institutions most of whom were always at the receiving ends. Mr Syme was addressing the Regional Media Network of journalists on social accountability in Bolgatanga, which was attended by Miss Margeret Okine, an official at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD). The Deputy Minister expressed worry that questions about accountability for public office holders connoted victimization, and said holding public officers accountable was a “no go area,” and urged public office holders to change with the times, and allow the Media to instill in the public a sense of responsibility to ask questions related to accountability. He was glad that a Media Network on Social Accountability was in the region, to monitor the implementation and progress of development projects under the Assemblies, and said such vigilance was needed to continuously monitor and avoid recurrence of corruption. Mr Syme said it was time for public officers to be equipped to withstand questions of accountability, and not to see themselves as being victimized, and assured the Network of the Regional Co-ordinating Council’s support, to carry out their work. He therefore charged the Media to see their role as partners in development. Members of the network took turns to ask questions on shoddy contract works in the region, including the Bolgatanga Sports Stadium, and stressed the need to look within the region for good contractors to execute projects, instead of outsiders who sometimes could not be traced if they needed to answer questions. Members of the network thanked the Deputy Minister for his words of assurance, and expressed the desire to work together to avoid speculations, and urged ssemblies in the region to co-operate with members of the network anytime they approached them for information. Miss Margeret Okine was in the region to participate in the network’s meeting, assess the performance of the group and to discuss work plans for the year. The Upper East Network would focus on two municipalities in the region for 2014.GNA