The aspiring MP for the ruling NDC says he will readily relinquish the Odododiodio seat if his closest contender, Victor Okaikoi of the NPP gets more than 35 per cent of the total votes cast.

The government of Ghana has been advised to marshal all its legal brains to call off the bluff of Argentina who has threatened to sue the country at the International Tribunal in Hamburg if Ghana fails to release, a seized Argentine warship.

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has directed its regional officers to prioritize occupational health and safety issues in their labour negotiations with employers.

The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) has initiated a programme to offer practical skill training for local artisans to improve their business operations.

THE Board of Directors of New Times Corporation (NTC) has approved the appointment of Mr. David Agbenu as the Editor of The Ghanaian Times. It has also confirmed Mrs. Tina Aforo-Yeboah as Editor of The Spectator. Both appointments took effect from November ... Read More

IndiaÂ’s jam-packed festival calendar is as rich and diverse as its traditions and topography, and Diwali is the star of the show.

A gallery of elegant table-topping ideas to enhance any occasion. Fill tiny tin cups with fresh-cut blooms and place at each setting for sweet-smelling ambience.

A staff member of the Melcom Achimota branch still remains unaccounted for after rescue efforts at the collapsed Melcom building at Achimota formally ended on Monday.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto was on Sunday enthroned as the 9th Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Accra. He succeeds the Very Rev. Dr. Justice Ofei Akrofi who retired last month after 16 years of service as the Anglican Bishop of Accra and the eighth Archbishop and Primate of the Church of the Province of West Africa. The enthronement ceremony held at the Holy Trinity Anlgican Cathedral was characterised by pomp and pageantry amidst praise singing and throbbing of ... Read More

The Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has returned home from Abuja, Nigeria, after attending an extra-ordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that discussed the crisis situation in Mali. The summit, which also discussed the situation in Guinea Bissau, brainstormed on modalities for military intervention to address the rebellion that has taken over the northern part of Mali. Briefing journalists upon arrival at the airport on Sunday night, Vice President ... Read More

The first thing that marked the week as distinctive for me was that President Barack Obama obliged me, by winning ? and winning handsomely at that. Well, how did that oblige me? I did what journalists are enjoined never to do ? I forecast the result of the US election! Yes. Unfortunately, however, if you are a reader of the print edition of the Ghanaian Times, you wouldn?t have seen my article (which I am not swollen-headed enough to dare describe as ?prescient?, you see (!) entitled ... Read More

The Director-General of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Air Cdre Kwame Mamphey (rtd), has called on all relevant aviation authorities to put in place measures that will make patrons of air transport feel secure and guaranteed of their safety, even in the event of a mishap. He said this at the opening of an Aviation Search and Rescue Seminar in Accra yesterday. Air Cdre Mamphey said the measures would ensure that the country, met the International Civil Aviation Organisation?s (ICAO) ... Read More

Local contractors are to benefit from forty per cent of the government?s road and housing contracts, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hannah Tetteh has announced. She said, the contracts would be awarded to contractors who do their work diligently. Speaking at the African Construction Development Conference in Accra, yesterday she said ?government is willing to award more contracts if good services and timeliness are provided?. ?The issue of shoddy work, low technical capacity, ... Read More

The Standard Bank of Africa has launched an initiative that provides innovative financing partnerships that will accelerate food production and raise the incomes of thousands of farmers in four African countries including Ghana. The other beneficiary countries are Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. According to a research done by the World Bank, global food production will need to double in the next 30 years to sustain population growth. With over 70 per cent of potentially arable land ... Read More

The Ghana Insurers? Association (GIA) has appealed to government to enact a law to make it compulsory for workers to be insured by their employees. ?This would ensure adequate compensation for workers who get injured or lost their lives during accidents while they are on duty,? President of GIA , Mr Kwame-Gazo Agbenyadzie, said at the opening of the West African Insurance Companies Association (WAICA) Educational Conference in Accra yesterday. The three-day Sub-Regional educational ... Read More

An Accra High court has slapped a 10 year jail term on a 20-year-old school dropout for robbing a student of her personal effects. The convict, Bright Darko, alias Opete, is said to have collected a hand bag containing GH¢2000, a Samsung mobile phone, and student identification card belonging to Rosemary Graham, a student and frightened her at cutlass point. Bright was arrested following identification by the complainant who earlier made a formal complaint to the Kwashieman Police. He ... Read More

Tamale, Nov 13, GNA - The Northern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has complained about the high rate of pregnancy among graduating nursing students in the region.   It said the phenomenon made such pregnant nurses, who were due for posting for a year's probation, to request for a maternity leave, which was contrary to the regulations of the GHS.   It argued that if such nurses did not serve their probation how, would they be assessed to qualify for a substantive appointment.   Dr Jacob Mahama, Deputy Northern Regional Director in-charge of Public Health of the GHS, expressed the sentiments at the second graduation of the Tamale Community Health Nurses' Training School in Tamale over the weekend.   In all, 112 students comprising 16 males graduated after a two-year period of study and were presented with certificates in community nursing.   Dr Mahama said out of a total of 240 nurses, who were posted two weeks ago to serve their probation at various health institutions across the region, about 170 of them were pregnant.   He, therefore, warned that the Regional Health Directorate would no longer post pregnant nurses for probation.   "First year nurses will not be granted leave, you will be required to go to deliver the baby before you are posted," he stated.   Dr Mahama congratulated the graduates for successfully completing their studies and asked them to accept postings to deprived communities where their services were mostly needed.   Madam Comfort Kona, Acting Principal of the Tamale Community Health Nurses' Training School entreated the graduates to let the discipline and the good training received reflect in their output wherever they would find themselves.   Madam Kona tasked them to act as agents of change to help redeem the good image of the nursing profession.   GNA...

Accra, Nov 13, GNA - Mr. Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah, an independent presidential aspirant for Ghana’s 2008 polls, has declared his support for President John Dramani Mahama, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate.   "I declare my unflinching support and pledge my endorsement for His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, for President of the Republic of Ghana.”   Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mr. Amoafo-Yeboah said he had analyzed the pronouncements of all the presidential candidates over the last two weeks and had realized that candidate John Mahama was most likely to bring more inclusiveness to society.   He said the NDC presidential candidate would provide opportunity to all Ghanaians without regard to party affiliation.   Mr. Amoafo-Yeboah said the December 7th polls would be a crucial event, which would determine the "forward movement" of Ghana's socio-political and economic development.   "In this regard, I find it of utmost importance to shun the convenience clutch of neutrality and take a selfless stand to make a declaration which is strictly calculated to advance the development interest of the Ghanaian people," he said.   Mr. Amoafo-Yeboah said the solution to most of the country's problems required that "we have a stake in each other's prosperity and in the prosperity of the nation".   He said it also required that "we embrace a spirit of inclusion and embark on policies and programmes that seek to uplift all Ghanaians at the same time".   Mr. Amoafo-Yeboah said that required a shift in the political focus from putting the party at the centre, to laying more emphasis on the well-fare of the people.   GNA...

Aburi (E/R), Nov. 13, GNA – Resolving challenges confronting the educational systems should be a priority of every government, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development has said.   He said, “Challenges confronting education should be given prominence before any politician can talk about making Senior High School (SHS) free”.   Mr Ofosu Ampofo said this at the campaign launch of Mr Ntow Boahene, National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Aburi Constituency in the Eastern Region on Monday.   The Aburi Constituency was one of the 45 newly created constituencies in the region by the Electoral Commission for the December 7th 2012 general elections.   The Minister said the current educational system needed quality and accessibility; therefore, it would be prudent for any government given the mandate to govern, to devise measures on how to provide quality and accessible education.   He said currently government basic schools were free in the country yet most parents prefer to enroll their children in private schools for quality tuition, stressing “education at the moment needs quality not free”.   Mr Ofosu Ampofo said if retained in power, the NDC government led by President John Mahama would establish 10 training colleges and enhance the Single Spine Salary Structure to boost the morale of all teachers.   He said although the free SHS policy was touted by the New Patriotic Party, explanations given to Ghanaians on how it would be achieved does not hold water therefore the electorates, especially women should not buy into that idea.   The Minister said government would provide the Aburi District Assembly with new four heel drives to enhance movement and improve development in the Assembly.   Mr Ntow Boahene said the incumbent Member of Parliament, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah had failed on his promises to ensure utmost development in the area therefore he should not be given another chance to worsen the woes of the people.   He said the NDC in its first term had overwhelmingly developed the area and called on the electorates to vote out Mr Amoah in order to increase the speed of development in the area.   GNA...

Accra, Nov 13, GNA - Melcom Company says it has put in measures to ensure staff, who survived the deadly incident of its collapsed Achimota branch building, receive the needed psychological therapy to enable them resume normal duties.   “Our Human Resource Department is working on getting the services of psychologists who would offer counseling sessions to affected staff when they resume work to allay their fears and also ensure that the unfortunate incident would in no way affect their lives psychologically”, said Mr Richmond Oduro Kwarteng, Public Relations officer, Melcom Group of companies told the press on Monday.   He pledged the company’s commitment towards the wellbeing of the affected people, adding that its Human Resource Department was in constant touch with the bereaved families on how best the company could assist in making things easier and less stressful for them as far issues relating the death of their relations was concerned.   He debunked an allegation made by Nana Nkansah Boadu, owner of building, which used to house the Achimota branch of the company, that Melcom was using the place as a warehouse.   “We never used the building as a warehouse as we have six warehouse just two kilometers away from our Achimota branch, and would in no way use the place as a warehouse”, he said.   He said the company had contracted the services of engineers to ascertain the strength of all buildings used by Melcom but were not built by them.   On 7th November 2012, the six storey building, which used to house the Achimota branch of the company, collapsed suddenly around 0945 hours trapping an unspecified number of people.   A rescue team comprising, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation and the Ghana National Fire Service managed to rescue 68 people alive while 14 deaths were recorded.    GNA...