Sunyani, July 11, GNA – The Customs Division of the Brong-Ahafo Regional Command of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) last Friday seized uncustomed eight bails of imitated wax prints valued at GH¢ 4, 632.00.   The items were being moved from the Northern Region to the Ashanti Region by two women traders only known as Mariama and Janet.   Customs duty on the 600 yards factory packed cut pieces of the wax print concealed under maize, beans and rice in a KIA truck with registration number AS 9319P is GH¢ 2, 559.38.   The Command has imposed a GH¢ 10, 000 penalty on the items. The amount also covers carrier penalty.   Briefing newsmen in Sunyani on Tuesday Mr. Isaac Desmond Abbey, the Sector Commander, said the Division received a tip-off and impounded the vehicle in Techiman and brought it to the regional headquarters in Sunyani.   Mr. Abbey said when the traders were interrogated they admitted that they bought the items from the Techiman central market.   He said the Division had given the traders some time to pay the penalty and in default the items and the vehicle would be auctioned to defray the penalty.   Mr. Abbey commended the public for their support in fighting smuggling in the region and appealed to residents of border towns in the region to support the Division.       GNA...

Kenyasi (B/A),  July 11,  GNA – The mining industry paid GH¢ 645 million in corporate tax to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and this represents 36.26% of the total company tax collected in 2011.   As the number one tax payer and the highest contributor to the GRA in the country, the sector again contributed about GH¢ 1 billion to the GRA representing 27.61% of the total GRA collections in the same year.   Dr. Tony Aubyn, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, said this in a speech read on his behalf at the apprenticeship graduation, promotion and matriculation ceremony of Newmont’s apprenticeship programme at the company’s plant site at Kenyasi in the Asutifi District.   Forty-six new apprentices selected from the 10 mine-take communities were enrolled to pursue the four-year apprenticeship progrmme in mechanical engineering and 26 trainees graduated.   The mine-take communities are Kenyasi Number One, Kenyasi Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu, Wamahinso in Asutifi and Adrobaa, Techire, Afrisipakrom, Yamfo and Susuanso in the Tano North districts.   Dr. Aubyn said between 2003 and 2011 there had been a sharp increase in royalties mining companies had been paying to the government and that royalties had jumped from GH¢ 19, 054,625 to GH¢ 218, 922,903 during the period.   Notwithstanding these contributions to the sector, he said, the increasing activities of illegal mining operators continued to be a threat to the good image of the industry.   “Due to this menace, member companies continue to spend huge sums of money yearly to protect their concessions which have often been the targets of these illegal miners”, he said.   Dr. Aubyn gave the assurance that the chamber would persist in its advocacy to promote legal small scale mining and also engage policy makers and other stakeholders on the negative repercussions of this menace.   Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister,  appealed to the continuing trainees and the in-coming ones to remain focused and make the best use of the opportunity.   He appealed to management of Newmont and the employees to always resort to social engagement through dialogue for resolving grievances to promote a peaceful working environment to achieve increased productivity.   Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo also appealed to the traditional rulers and the communities in the operational area to cooperate with Newmont for peaceful co-existence.   The External Relations Manager on the mine, Mr. Kojo Bedu-Addo, said the apprenticeship programme was established during the construction phase of the mine in 2005.   He said 25,000 dollars was spent on each of the apprentices during the four-year training period.        GNA...

Fiapre (B/A), July 11, GNA – The Catholic University College of Ghana branch of the Student In Free Enterprise (Sife) on Tuesday presented its national SIFE championship trophy to the university’s Vice chancellor, Professor James Ephraim Hawkins at a short ceremony at Fiapre, near Sunyani.      The team also received other awards namely, the SIFE Spirit award, the best Faculty Advisor award, an amount of GH¢ 500.00, as well as the best Ecobank fellow award.      Presenting the trophy, Mrs. Vida Korang, Faculty Advisor for SIFE attributed the enterprise success to commitment, team work, determination and dedication, which had seen the university win its prestigious award for the first time.      She said the SIFE programme was meant to prepare students for the real world by challenging them to address real problems confronting society today by developing community outreach projects and participating in a series of competitive events, which builds them up to develop team work, leadership and communication skills to set them apart from the average university student.      She enumerated the benefits likely to accrue to the university following the winning of the award as, recognition in the international media, opportunity to interact with administrators of universities from other 39 countries across the world, opportunity to network and sell CUCG to business, charity organisation and donors, opportunity to develop exchange programmes, scholarships and business partnership for students and lecturers to the Sife world cup.      Nana Ofori Akoto, President Sife CUCG, said Sife is an international non-profit organisation that brings together diverse network of tertiary education students, academic professionals and industry leaders around the world to share the mission of creating a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business.      He said participating students formed teams on their campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need, while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders.      “An annual series of regional and national competitions provide a forum for teams to present the results of their projects and the winner advances to the prestigious SIFE World Cup”, he stated.      He said the team presented three projects for this year’s competition namely; Beyond deliverance, See Fiapre and Bread for Better Life and managed to beat 15 other tertiary institutions participating in the competition.      Receiving the trophy, Prof. James Ephraim Hawkins, Vice – Chancellor of the University, on behalf of the bishops, students, staff and governing council of the university congratulated the team for raising high the image of the university.      The Vice - Chancellor pledged the unflinching support in material and financial terms towards the team’s activities, adding that, “their effort is an attestation that something good is happening at the private universities.”        The Sife team, by emerging as the national champions, would represent the country in Washington for the World Cup, at the Sife world Cup competition slated for September this year.     GNA...

Nakpanduri (NR), July 11, GNA- The Paramount Chief of the Bimoba Traditional area, Alhaji Abuba Nasimong and the Chiefs of Nakpanduri and Bimbagu, have debunked allegations of a planned attack on security agencies in Nakpanduri by the youth of the community      “We do not have any intent or the capacity to attack the security forces.”      This was contained in a statement read by Mr Konlan James, Chairman of the Nakpanduri Development Association (NADA) at a press conference, at the Bunkpurugu Chief’s palace to react to the allegations leveled against the Youth of Nakpanduri.      This follows a statement purported to have emanated from the Nakpanduri District Police Commander and the BNI official there during a District Security Committee (DISEC) meeting asserting that some of the youth from Nakpanduri were planning to attack security officials in the area.     The chiefs expressed regret at the claims made by the security agencies, adding that, there was no reason to attack the very institution that had been established to protect their lives at a time they needed them most.      “It is against this backdrop that we find the statement made by the BNI and the police commander, which was subsequently reported on 6th July 2012 by an Accra based radio station, to be most unfortunate”.      Mr Konlan further stated that Security personnel in 2000, during a conflict in Bimbagu, brutalized the people of Nakpanduri and remanded them in police custody, albeit their extrication with the incidence.      Similarly, he said a police swoop in Nakpanduri in search for Johnson Kombian, led to assault on several people, burning of houses, looting of stores amongst others. “Realizing the monumental injustices meted out to the people, government through the former Attorney General apologized and relief items subsequently sent as a way of placating the people”.      The people of Nakpanduri, he said in all these circumstances never resisted the unlawful conduct of the security forces even in the mist of extreme provocation.      “The people did not resist even when they suffered severe inhuman treatment and indignities from the security forces” he stressed.      He however stated that the people of Nakpanduri and Bimobas are peace loving people and would continue to abide by the laws of the land.      He said in their desire to find lasting peace to the problems that have bedeviled them, the security agents should desist from such statements that have the tendency to worsen the otherwise volatile situation.         Alhaji Abuba Nasimong, who expressed worry about the claims, said whereas attempts were being made in finding lasting solution to the insecurity in the area, some people have been trying to derail the peace in the area.      According to him, there has not been any attack on anyone by a Bimoba since 1985, adding that, without the security details in the area, there obviously would be no peace.      “When conflicts arise, it is the police and the military that salvage the situation; there was therefore no such intention whatsoever to attack any security official”.      He called on government to intervene and effectively investigate the issue to curtail any future problems.      He said plans were far advanced to lead a delegation of eminent chiefs to have talks with the Kokombas to find a lasting solution to their problems and live peacefully together.         It would be recalled that there was a communal clash between the Bimobas on one hand and the Kokombas on the other, at Kpemale, a farming community in Nakpanduri in the BunKprugu-Yunyo District over land, demarcation of boundaries and encroachment of lands allotted for the development of a school.        The community has since been calm and the people are going about their normal economic and farming activities in a serene atmosphere with the presence of security personnel.     GNA...

Tinkaya (N/R), July 11, GNA - Tinkaya, a predominantly farming community in the West Mamprusi District, has no social amenities and its only borehole is 50 years old.      The borehole has never been maintained and serves neighbouring communities including Dimia, Diyani, Tinguri, Gbeduri and Yawoku communities.      The water from the 50 year- old borehole is not good enough even though it is their only source of water.   There is no basic school in the community and children have to walk long distances to attend school in Diyani about 10 kilometres away.      Mr Jonathan Yahaya, a sub chief of Tinkaya, told the GNA in an interview that  the community is putting up a two-classroom block and appealed to the Ghana Education Service to help them complete the school, provide furniture, reading and writing materials, as well as trained teachers to help check the falling standards of education in that area.      Mr Yahaya said past governments had made several promises of providing them with basic social amenities like clinics, quality drinking water and school amongst others but have failed them.      The Chief therefore called on government to come to their aid.     GNA...

Abesim (B/A), July 11, GNA – Dr Mrs. Paulina Appiah, Sunyani Municipal Director of Health Services at the weekend disclosed that 46 cases of Tuberculosis (TB) were detected in the Municipality in 2011.      She made this known at the launching of the Municipal celebration of the World TB Day at Abesim, near Sunyani.      The theme for this year’s TB Day is “Call for a World Free of TB” with the slogan “Stop TB in my Lifetime”.      Dr. Appiah explained that the commemoration of the TB day held in March 24 every year was to create awareness on the prevention, detection and curability of the disease”.      She was not happy about the few cases detected during the year under review, saying the National TB Control Programme expected the Municipality to detect 152 cases.      Dr. Appiah expressed worry about the municipality’s TB treatment success rate of 82 percent last year, as compared to the national target of 85 percent and the death rate of eight percent, as against the national target of five percent.      She noted that the TB related death rate in the municipality “is unacceptable because TB is curable”.      The Municipal Health Director stated that Ghana recorded 15,842 TB cases, representing 4.6 percent last year, stressing that, women accounted for 5,778 of notified TB as against 64 percent of their male counterparts of 10,064      Dr. Appiah said treatment success in the country was 85.3 percent while patients defaulting from treatment were three percent with death rate at 7.6 percent.      “We have not fared well this year either, after having gone half year we have detected only 15 new cases, with two deaths” she said adding that, five new cases had been detected at Abesim.      She emphasized the importance to intensify education on the causes and symptoms of the disease saying “TB is curable and the full cost of the treatment is free”      Mr Kwasi Oppong Ababio, Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive advised the youth to shun unhealthy practices and channel their exuberance into productive ventures.      He said smoking of cigarette and excessive intake of alcohol were major causes of TB and entreated the general public to help in earlier detection as TB was an airborne disease.      Earlier some selected school children held placards with the inscriptions “get a free TB test service at your nearest Government hospital”, “Fight TB”, “Talk TB”, “TB is curable”, and “Let us get rid of the stigma” and paraded through the main street of the town, to create public awareness about the disease.      Nana Kumi Acheaw, chief of Abesim, who presided, expressed concern about moral decadence among the youth in the area.            GNA...

Winneba, July 11, GNA - Residents of Low Cost in Winneba have commended the Minister of Health, Mr Alban Bagbin, for his prompt response to their call for help to solve flooding in the area.       The Assemblywoman for the Area, Madam Elizabeth Senah, told the GNA that following the construction of a big drainage system at the new trauma hospital on the orders of Minister after his inspection tour sometime last year, flooding at the the Low Cost flooded during this rainy season.     The Assemblywoman said the flooding problem rather shifted to the Ntakorfa and Saint Paul’s JSS areas and appealed to the Minister to continue the drainage to the Muni Lagoonl.     The Assemblywoman appealed to the Minister of Roads and Highways to install a traffic light at the junction of the new hospital.     GNA...

Agona Swedru, July 11, GNA-The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has sentenced a 25- year-old barber to 18 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling a10-year-old school girl at Gomoa Aboso, near Agona Swedru.    Isaac Prah from Gomoa Aboso was convicted on his own plea of guilty.   Prosecuting, Police Inspector Alfred Boatey, told the Court Presided over by Mrs Ever Williams Bannerman that the Prah stayed with the victim in the same vicinity at Gomoa Aboso.   He said on June 17 parents of the victim traveled and Prah took advantage of their absence and sent the little girl to buy him sachet water. When the victim returned with the water the convict asked her to send the water into his room.     Prah locked the door, gagged her, defiled her and warned her not to tell anybody else she would die.    Inspector Boatey said the girl’s sibling later discovered that blood was oozing from her private part and reported the matter to Agona Swedru Divisional Command of Domestic Violence Victim and Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Police who arrested Prah.     GNA...

  Sunyani (B/A) July 11, GNA - Mr James Bukari Basintale, General Manager of the Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Northern Ghana, on Tuesday said the company is committed to strengthening and improving the services of its networks while seeking the welfare of the numerous retailers.          He explained that lots of programmes had been outlined for this month, some of which had been tailored to bring some benefits to retailers, wholesalers and dealers to recognize their contribution and dedicated services to the company.      Mr. Basintale was speaking at a forum, as part of activities lined-up for the Sun City Fest Programme in Sunyani.      He said the company would continue to invest in its network to ensure that it maintained the position as the number one telecommunication industry in Ghana.      The General Manager was not only looking at how best they could promote the socio–economic lives of the current generation, but was also mindful of how the future generation would fare and thus was compelling the company to initiate a number of development project.      Some of these projects included the construction and inauguration of the 10 ICT centres in each of the regions, with the one Brong-Ahafo located at Techimantia in the Tano South District.      Mr. Basintale said other projects include the constructions of schools, boreholes and the male and female wards of the Kintampo and Kwame Danso Hospitals.      Mr. Samuel Gyimah, Regional Manager of MTN, said the Sun City fest is to create opportunities for people to check their blood pressure levels and their weight, as well as educate their retailers to enlighten customers of the networks services.      Mr. Julius Kwayie–Mensah, an official of Zenith Bank in Sunyani, advised the general public to cultivate the habit of saving, which he said, was needful for sound financial management.        GNA...

Wa, July 11, GNA – Mr James Sohimwinye, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) Parliamentary candidate for Wa Central Constituency, on Wednesday said he was determined to unseat the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Alhaji Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo in the forthcoming December polls.      The 39-year-old Bank Manager said this, in his maiden interaction with the media in Wa.      He said the pragmatic development ideas being trumpeted by the flag-bearer of his party Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom would help him “do the trick.”      He also believed his hard work at the bank had endeared him to the hearts of the constituents, who according to him were very much ready to reward him with their thumbs.      Mr Sohimwinye said even with his current position, he had been able to create some number of jobs for the teeming youth in the constituency and helped some business men and women to grow their businesses.      He said the Wa Central Constituency was a business community and needed a business minded person to lead and direct them to these business opportunities.      He said the PPP’s flag-bearer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom and all his Parliamentary candidates were business minded people, capable of managing the country’s economy to achieve the needed growth and development.      Mr Sohimwinye said the people of Wa Central Constituency were therefore waiting patiently to go for the PPP, as their only alternative, come December 2012.      Mr Sohimwinye said the PPP’s campaign would be based on ideas and not on personalities as had often being the case with the two leading political parties; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).      He advised all politicians to be tolerant and civil in their pronouncements in order to make this year’s election more peaceful than the previous ones.      Mr. Sohimwinye, until his defection to the PPP was the Upper West Regional representative in the National Executive Committee of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and also the Regional Campaign Coordinator for Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, who was then the CPP Presidential candidate for the 2008 elections.      He is currently the Assembly Member for the Zingu Electoral Area in the Wa Municipality and also the PPP Regional Chairman.       GNA...

Kasoa, July 11, GNA - Mrs Mavies Hawah Koomson, National Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Senya Awutu Constituency, has noted that Ghanaians wants to see an NPP government in power.   She said this is because they want to see a continuation of its programmes aimed at alleviating poverty, and urged members of the party to intensify their campaigns.   Mrs Koomson said this during the inauguration of the Kpormeitey Rent Control branch of the party, on Tuesday, at Kpmeitey, a suburb of Kasoa.   “The party can only win the election if members are able to organize and campaign at homes, work places and markets, also the floating voters.”   Mrs Koomson urged supporters of the NPP to educate the electorate about the good works of the party, when it was in power, and what the party would for them when voted into power.   “The 2012 electioneering campaign is a herculean task since the party is going to compete with other political parties and that demands hard work and selfless devotion to duty”, Mrs Koomson added.   She said the youth, under NPP government, would be trained to acquire skills, which would enable them to establish their own businesses so that they do not become liabilities.   The Kpormeitey branch of the party also used the occasion to swear in new Executives, with Mr Albert Kwesi Abasah as Chairman,  Mr Samuel Amanortey, Vice Chairman, Mr John Erick Atta Mends, Secretary, Mr Joe Teteh Ofoe, Treasurer, Miss Vivian Donkor, Assistant Treasurer, and Madam Comfort Asanttewa, Organizer,   Mr Boniface Kwarteng, Chairman of the Patrons of the Senya Awutu Constituency, urged members to launch a membership drive and register new supporters of the party towards the forthcoming parliamentary and Presidential elections.         GNA...

Klikor (V/R), July 11, GNA – Vice President John Dramani Mahama has said it was time Ghanaians overcome the erroneous mindset about vocational and technical training.      “As a country it is time we depart from the erroneous mindset about vocational and technical training”, he said.       The Vice President made the call in an address at the first speech day of Dr. Adlise Ivey Porter AME Zion Vocational Institute (AMEZVOC) at Klikor, in the Ketu South District.       It was on the theme “equipping the youth for wealth creation through vocational training”.       Vice-President Mahama said Government   holds a contrary view, in conformity with 2004 UNESCO declaration, that identifies vocational and technical training as the master key to the socio-economic development of every nation.       He said government has therefore earmarked a 35 million US dollar budgetary allocation this year to retool the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) for an expanded apprenticeship and vocational training.      He said in addition, a Social Development Fund (SDF) has been set up under the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) for skills training for the youth and urged them to take advantage of all the various interventions by government.      The Vice President commended the founders of the school for their vision of equipping the youth of the area with vocational skills and further asked students and tutors of the school to maintain the discipline and hard work in furtherance of the focus of the founders of the Institute.     Reverend Samuel Setor, Headmaster of the school, appealed to government to consider absorbing the school into the public sector to help upgrade its infrastructure  and recruit more teachers to improve on enrollment.     He said the school, which was established in 1997 with six students, currently has just 112 students and therefore demanded a vigorous expansion.      GNA...

Kumasi, July 11, GNA - The Sofoline Interchange being built as part of the GH¢ 99.6 million reconstruction of the 11.3-kilometre Kejetia-Abuakwa stretch of the Kumasi-Sunyani road is set to be opened to traffic in October.      Mr Kwaku Boampong, the Resident Engineer, said it is now about 80 per cent complete.      The contractors had finished with all the concrete works as well as the underground pedestrian walkways and drainage. What is left is the asphalt concrete surfacing.      The Sofoline interchange is one of the five underpasses that would be provided on the six-lane carriageway.      The road project was started in August 2007, with the initial contract sum of GH¢73 million. It is being funded by the government.      Mr Boampong estimated the total job done by the contractors, China Geo Engineering Corporation, on the entire stretch at 64 per cent.      He said the delay in the payment of compensation to affected property owners was not helping the smooth implementation of the road project.       He, however, expressed optimism that the July next year deadline would not be missed although the contractors are three months behind schedule.      The Resident Engineer dismissed speculation that the original design of the road had been changed due to the difficulty with funding.      The design makes provision for the construction of another interchange at KATH and five underpasses.     GNA...

     Kumasi, July 11, GNA – A Kumasi Circuit Court has remanded two people into prison custody for allegedly stealing three laptop computers valued at GH¢2,700.00.      Kwabena Owusu, an electrician, and Akwasi Baah, trader, are facing charges of conspiracy and stealing.     They both pleaded innocent and were ordered to re-appear on Tuesday, July 17.     Police Chief Inspector Archibald Kwesi Fandoh told the court, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that, the accused persons, on July 4, baited the complainant, Eunice Korda, with what they claimed was a gift of gold dust to bring the computers out of her office.      Under the pretext of performing some esoteric rituals on the gold, they fled with the computers.      The prosecution said two days after the crime, Owusu was spotted at Adum by the complainant and she caused his arrest.      At the police station, he mentioned Baah as his accomplice.      They confessed to the crime in their caution statements.     GNA...

Kumasi, July 11, GNA – A 22-year-old mechanic who allegedly posed as a soldier and fleeced six people of a total of GH¢ 9,450.00 under the pretext of getting them enlisted into the Ghana Police Service has been remanded into prison custody.      Ebenezer Baffour Asamoah pleaded not guilty to charges of impersonation and fraud. He would re-appear on Wednesday, July 18.      His accomplice, Michael Oppong alias “Osofo” is on the run and the police have mounted a search for him.      Police Chief Inspector James Amekah told the court presided over by Justice D.W.P Amedior that the victims, Frank Akwasi Aning, Kwaku Baffour, Solomon Mensah, Regina Foriwaah, Portia Acheampong and Dorcas Mensah, live in different parts of the Ashanti Region.     The accused has been holding himself as a soldier with the Fourth Infantry Battalion (4BN) in Kumasi.      About a year ago, Foriwaah and Portia were introduced to Asamoah by a pastor of their church as a military officer, who could aid them to join the police service.      The accused promised to get them enlisted and succeeded in swindling the two together with the four others of their monies, which ranged between GH¢1,200.00 and GH¢2,500.00.      The prosecution said Asamoah went into hiding after collecting the money.      He ran out of luck on July 5, when one of the victims spotted him at Bohyen in Kumasi and caused his arrest. The others also made formal report to the police.      The accused admitted the offence in his caution statement.     GNA...

Apam (C/R), July 11, GNA - The four schools in Gomoa West District managed by the Transition And Persistence (TAP) Project being implemented jointly by USAID and Plan Ghana were presented with awards at a ceremony at Apam.   The TAP Project aims at increasing Junior High School (JHS) enrollment and to bridge the gap between Primary and JHS completion rates.   The Project is being implemented in 156 JHS across 13 districts in four regions, namely Central, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra.   The four schools which are benefiting from the Project in Gomoa West are Nkoransa D/A JHS, Brofo D/A JHS, Mankoadze Methodist JHS and Wassa/Nkran Methodist JHS.   The Project, which is being funded jointly by USAID and Plan Ghana, has three-year duration.   Miss Janet Barnes, a teacher of Nkoransa JHS, was adjudged the best female teacher in the four schools and was presented with a lap top computer whilst Mr Emmanuel Amoah of Mankoadze Methodist JHS also received a lap top for being the best male teacher. Both were also presented with certificates.   Wassa/Nkran Methodist JHS was adjudged the best school and will be provided with an ICT Centre and Library, whilst Nkoransa D/A JHS and Mankoadze Methodist JHS, the first and second runners-up, were presented with certificates.   Mrs Grace Adzo Obodai, Acting Gomoa West District Director of Education, commended the two NGOs, USAD and Plan Ghana for putting in many interventions to ensure pupil retention and completion of schools.   She appealed to the District Assemblies and other NGOs to emulate the examples of the two organisations to ensure that school-dropout rate was minimised.   Miss Obodai expressed concern about how the Project would be sustained after the exit of the two organisations and urged the District Assemblies to take up the challenge.   Miss Edith Lotsu, Construction Engineer, USAID Education Project, said since the inception of the project in July 2010, they had trained 156 teachers in Mathematics and English respectively, 156 teachers in ICT and the capacity of School Management Committees in 156 schools strengthened to support School Improvement Performances.   She said 1,246 girls were sponsored to attend vacation camps, 65 Rights of the Child clubs formed with two patrons trained and major repairs were carried on 19 schools and seven JHS replaced.   Miss Lotsu said they also provided scholarship to needy students and also sponsored teachers for distance learning courses.   She expressed the hope that the support being given would enable pupils enjoy school, stay in school to complete with good grades.   “We want our students to take charge of the future development agenda of our dear nation,” she said.   Mr Anthony Eyiah-Quansah, Presiding Member of Gomoa West Assembly, said education is the key to human development and urged parents to invest in their children’s education.   The Very Reverend Ebo Walters, Superintendent Minister of the Apam Circuit of the Methodist Church, said lack of supervision in schools was the bane of the falling standard of education.   He expressed concern about the “girl-child” mantra and said if the boys were left out the nation would produce a lot of armed robbers.       GNA...

Hohoe, July 11, GNA – Akpene Mensah, described by the police as notorious criminal, and his accomplice, KorsiAhiadzese, a fetish priest from Santrokofi, have been remanded by a Hohoe magistrate court.   The police are looking for two of their accomplices. Mensah and Ahiadzese would re-appear in court on July 24 charged for conspiracy and stealing.   MrAgyeman Badu, Police Detective Chief Inspector, told the court that the complainant who was returning from Gbi-Godenu saw a taxi carrying a fridge that he suspected to his.   He said the complainant followed the taxi to the Gbi-Wegbe taxi rank and talked to its driver who said he picked the fridge on orders of Mensah who claimed he was asked to take carry it for repairs.   Mr Badu said the complainant went home and found that his personal effects including electrical appliances, six fridges, a chain-saw machine and six mattresses were missing.   He said the driver took the complainant to the house of the fetish priest at Santrokofi-Benua where the fridge was earlier loaded onto his car.   Mr Badu said a complaint was subsequently made to the police and Mensah and Ahiadzese, who is alleged to be the spiritual backbone of the syndicate, were arrested from their hideouts at Kpando and Segbedeme.   Two mattresses and two double-decker fridges have been reclaimed and Police are making efforts to apprehend the remaining accomplices.     GNA...

Cape Coast, July 11, GNA - The Manager   of the Central Region Catholic Education Unit, Mrs Doris Eshun, on Tuesday called on NGOs and the government to consider giving teachers training in computer studies to enhance quality delivery.     She said though it is laudable to introduce ICT in the school curriculum, it was unfortunate that teachers who were supposed to teach the subject have very little knowledge on the subject thereby making it very difficult to effectively teach it.       Mrs Eshun said this when she inaugurated a computer centre donated by Global Host Project, an NGO, to the  Duakor Catholic Primary and Junior  High  schools  at Duakor,  a settler fishing community near the University of Cape Coast.       The centre, which has five laptops and two desktop computers, was jointly built by GHP and Mr Sean and Ms Connie Bashaw volunteers with Global Host Project at the cost of 6,000.00 dollars.         Mrs Eshun also appealed to the government and district assemblies to connect rural schools to the national electricity grid or provide such schools with solar panels to enable them make use of their computer centres, stressing those most rural schools have computers but could not use them due to the lack of electricity.           She appealed to school authorities to source some funds to enable them purchase more computers to meet the demands of the school.        Ms Nicole Michelle Beauchamp, Executive Director of GHP, commended the chiefs and people of Duakor for their support which made it possible for GHP to build the centre and urged the students to take advantage of the computers to improve upon their technology skills.        Mr  Odua Kwesi  Sampson,  Country Director of GHP,  said the lack of  facilities for effective teaching of ICT  in basic schools had hindered the development  of ICT education and that  in most cases teachers and pupils  could not  upgrade their skills  because the facilities  for the subjects were in adequate or nonexistent.               Mr Ebenezer Pittston, the head teacher of the schools, thanked GHP for the donation and promised that the computers would be put to  good use  since they would be shared with  schools in the surrounding communities like Okyese, Ahenborboi  and Abakam.       GNA...

  Bisease (C/R), July 11, GNA – Miss Hannah Ampoma Mensah, a 23-year-old student of the Institute of Professional Studies has been declared winner to represent the Central Region in the “Ghana Most Beautiful 2012”.   Her identification name is “Ama 1788”.   The organisers and promoters, TV3, officially introduced Ama 1788 to the chiefs and people of Ajumako Bisease in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District of the Central Region at a grand durbar at Bisease, her hometown.   Ama 1788 was accompanied by her parents, Mr Justice Kojo Mensah and Margaret Yaayaa Mensah and other relations.   Mr Prince Darkey, Brand Manager and Miss Naa Klordey, presenters of the programme, officially introduced Ama to the people.   According to Mr Darkey similar durbars had been held in the Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Upper East, Upper West and Northern and that the main programme to select the winners out of the 10 Regions would start from five August to October 2012.   Ama 1788 expressed appreciation and gratitude for the massive turnout to welcome her and said her success so far was the work of the Almighty God and assured the people good Lord would continue to work for her to make her the overall winner to bring glory and honour to Central Region, the District and the people of Bisease.   Present was the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Ato Forson who congratulated Ama 1788 for her success and appealed to the people of Central Region to support Ama by texting Ama 1788 to the sponsors to enable her come out of the competition with flying colours.   The Benkumhen of Bisease, Nana Kweku Bodaa IV was full of praises for Ama 1788 and advised the youth especially the girl-child to take inspiration from Ama 1788, learn hard and emulate her shining example.   Ama 1788 was given gifts including gold ornaments and clothes to enable her go through the competition and advised her to consult the traditional authorities for any advice and help when the need arises.         GNA...

Bechem (B/A), July 11, GNA – The heavy reliance on Arts subjects in the educational system other than Science continues to do more harm than good to the nation’s developmental structure.      Mr. Nathan Pecku, Director in-charge of Special Education at the Ghana Education Service, (GES) said this at a workshop organised by some JICA volunteers in the Tano South District Office of GES for Junior High School (JHS) students of Bechem School for the Deaf, at Bechem.      Mr. Pecku said it was an open secret that the concentration on Arts subjects for majority of students in second cycle institutions was creating a vacuum in the nation’s technological development.       He said the few teaching staff manning sciences at the nation’s Basic and Second Cycle institutions attested to his point, and assured that all efforts were being made by the GES to entice teachers and students to take keen interest in the study of Science, so that Ghana could move abreast with the globally Information Communication Technology (ICT) competition.       Mr. Pecku said efforts in promoting the study of Sciences in the country must start right from the training of teachers from our Colleges of Education (formerly known as Training Colleges), stressing that, it was only when more Science teachers were produced for the subject at the basic level that more students would develop interest for the subject to continue to SHS.      He said the Ghana National Association of Deaf Students was collaborating with its counterparts in Holland to start sign language training for Special Education teachers in Ghana, and urged teachers of Bechem School for the Deaf to capitalize on the opportunity when everything was set.      Ms. Haruna Morino, leader of the eight-member JICA Volunteers, who is also attached to the Tano South District Office of the GES, in her remark said, the workshop, which was organised in collaboration with other JICA Volunteers in Ghana also formed part of the Organization’s 35th celebration event of the relationship between the two countries (Japan and Ghana).      Other volunteers, who conducted a number of practical experiments to emphasize more about the subjects’ content of the workshop, included Mr. Shinichi Izumi of Saint Andrew College of Education, Kumasi-Ashanti, Ms. Kanae Ishifuji, a Computer tutor, Jamasi School for the Deaf in the Ashanti Region and Mr.Takenori Aoki, of Akatse College of Education in the Volta Region.     Mrs. Veronica Ayeh, Headmistress of Bechem School for the Deaf, thanked the volunteers for organizing the workshop for the students.      Mrs. Ayeh urged the Board of Directors of the school to assist in organising similar workshops to educate both the teaching staff and the students to update their memory on science subjects.      The experiments were based on four subjects namely, “Electrical jar”, “Making fire through stone”, “Plastic bottle rocket”, and “Oxygen propelled burning”.         GNA  ...