ACCRA : Let’s Weed Out Passport Contractors - Cato
His Excellency, Mr. Annan Arkyin Cato, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK has called on Ghanaians in the UK to stop paying “illegal fees” sometimes as much as £400 to contractors for passports which can be obtained easily for £65.
The High Commissioner revealed that over 500 passport applications were being processed by the Mission weekly and that most of the applications submitted by these contractors were often accompanied by false birth certificates.
Though the situation was putting the Mission “ under considerable pressure”, the High Commissioner assured Ghanaians that the Mission was working fervently to cut down on delays in the processing of passport applications.
He indicated that passports could now be obtained within a week while Dual Citizenship certificates could be processed in under three months.
“I am totally committed to the welfare of all Ghanaians in the UK regardless of their political beliefs or social standing, but l also have a sacred responsibility to ensure the integrity of the Ghanaian passport by enforcing the rules that govern the issuance of the document “ declared the High Commissioner.
The High Commissioner made the statement in London at a well-attended function organised by the Ghana Muslim Union, UK
(GMU) to commemorate Ghana’s fiftieth independence anniversary
which also marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.
The occasion which was attended by delegations drawn from the Nigerian Muslim Association, UK , Gonjaland Association, UK, Ghana Muslims Association, Milton Keynes and the Zongo Community in London was used to raise funds for a Social Centre for the GMU.
Present at the event were Alhaji Ahmed Jumba, Chief Imam of GMU; Dr. Bella Bello, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Innsbruck, Austria; Professor Dawud Noibi, OBE, Executive officer of the Nigerian Muslim Union, UK, Alhaji Lawal Bawa, Chairman of
GMU; Hajia Hajara, Secretary, GMU and Chair of Ghana Muslim Women and Alhaji Baba Toure, Zongo Chief, London.
His Excellency, Mr. Annan Cato expressed the hope that the Ghana National Identification Card when introduced would go a long way to streamline passport acquisition in Ghana and at the Mission.
His Excellency said the card would also facilitate the implementation of the ROPAB as soon as the requisite modalities had been defined by the Electoral Commission.
High Commissioner Cato said Ghana had survived many storms during its 50 years of nationhood because of the unity of our people and the tolerance that Ghanaians have for one another.
He stressed that the Ghana today was better than Ghana in 1957.
“To say that Ghana was better in 1957 is to say that Ghanaians as a people were prepared to accept subjugation, exploitation and the dictates of a colonial power as opposed to the freedom and sovereignty we enjoy today” said the High Commissioner.
The High Commissioner paid tribute to the Prophet Mohammed for bequeathing “ a religion of peace and brotherhood” to the world and urged the members of GMU to adhere strictly to the tenets of their religion and sustain the solidarity currently prevailing amongst Ghanaians.
On his part, Professor Dawuda Noibi encouraged Muslims to remain committed to the doctrines and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed and cautioned them not to allow trends on the global scene and other ideologies to dissuade or compel them to compromise their loyalty to Allah.
He urged them to follow in the steps of the Prophet Mohammed in their dealings with one another and bring up their children in accordance with the instruction of the Koran to win the mercy of Allah for themselves and their descendants.
Presenting a lecture on the contribution of Islam to the development of Ghana over the past 50 years, Dr Bello observed that the religion introduced literacy, a vibrant industry in colanuts and a unique architecture to the entire sahelian region in the West Africa prior to the advent of the Europeans.
The High Commissioner was accompanied to the celebration by Mrs Gifty Anim-Botwe, Minister Counsellor, Passport & Immigration, Mrs Emelia Aning, Minister Counsellor Education; Mr Appiah Donyina, Minister Counsellor Trade and Mr. Charles Wereko , Minister Counsellor Information.
Issued By The Ghana High Commission, London.
2007-04-12
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has added 14 more megawatts (MW) to the power supply system of the country.
That brings to 44 MW the amount so far added to the national grid by the VRA as part of its emergency power programme to bring 50 MW on board in the short term.
The Co-ordinator of the Emergency Power Programme at the Ministry of Energy, Mr Francis Gyata, said 60 more MW would be added to the grid by the middle of May.
He said the installation was being done at the VRA’s new Tema sub-station, which also served as the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG’s) sub-station “H”.
The six MW of what was left of the 50 MW of the Emergency Power Supply Programme, he added, would be added to the grid soon, saying what was left was just the servicing of the generating sets.
He said the 44 MW had boosted the voltage at Akosombo, while the additional 40 MW of 20 MW each were currently on site in Tema, with preparations for the installation of another 20 MW in Kumasi next week.
Asked what the Emergency Power Supply Programme which was being provided for the national grid was meant to achieve, he said, “What I can say now is that it is going to reduce drastically the draw down of the Akosombo Dam and boost it.”
¢2.8bn to fuel emergency generators daily
(JoyOnline) -- Thirty-eight generators brought into the country to augment power supply start full operation this weekend.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) says the generators at the Tema Emergency Power Plant need about ¢2.8 billion worth of diesel a day to operate.
The low water level of the Akosombo dam, the main source of hydro power in Ghana, has created a shortage estimated at about 600 Mega Watts.
The generators are suppose to produce a total of 50 Mega Watts of electricity but since they came on stream early this month the average production is been about 25 Mega Watts.
The Coordinator of the Emergency Power Programme, Mr Francis Dzata, said initial hiccups account for the low power generation.
“Partly due to our fuel, switches and some mechanical problems. But there has been no major problem…Everybody in Ghana knows that the fuel in Ghana is very dirty. The only thing we do is to put filtrations to clean it. Some of the pumps because the filters just clog up if you do not see it in time the pump would cease and would burn the motor….in stead of using transfer pumps we might have to feed directly from the tank… so as we are going along we are solving the little problems,” he said.
Joy News learnt that the diesel power generators are running at great cost to the nation. Mr Dzata disclosed that one generator guzzles some 84 gallons of fuel every hour at the cost of ¢2.76 billion a day when all 38 generators are in full gear.
He said this works out to about 24 US cents per kilowatt hour just about twice the cost of thermal power generation and 12 times what it costs to produce power at the Akosombo damn.
Mr Dzata said this supports the argument for electricity consumers to pay more. He disclosed that more of such plants are on their way into the country to further ease the current power crisis Ghana is facing.
“We are going to put 20 Mega Watts in Kumasi hopefully by the end of this month. We have also had 20 Mega Watts we are going to send to another site in Tema where we call New Tema site. The machines are in the country at the moment and we are doing the concrete base. Hopefully third week of April it should come on. By April ending we are sure of 70 Mega Watts,” he revealed.
VRA officials say the emergency plants have helped reduce the burden on the Akosombo although the 50 Mega Watts generated is a far cry from the 600 Mega Watts needed to end the ongoing power rationing exercise.
Source:
Graphic/jfm
Livestock Demonstration Village for Pong-Tamale commissioned
Pong-Tamale (N/R), April 13, GNA-
A Livestock Demonstration Village, established at Pong-Tamale for the training of farmers and students of the Pong-Tamale Veterinary Training College in animal production, was on Thursday commissioned.
The Farmer Extension Research Project Responsive Mechanism (FARMER Project) sponsored the scheme with support from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
The 132 million cedis one-hectare square facility will also assist in the practical training of students of the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Training College to acquaint them with new livestock breed imported into the country from Mali and Burkina Faso.
Livestock farmers, particularly those from the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, were expected to acquire practical training from the Demonstration Village for improved production of livestock.
Mr. Sylvester Adongo, Northern Regional Director of MOFA, commissioning the Demonstration Village, noted that livestock production was an important aspect of agricultural development, which required adequate resources to help improve the country's economy.
He observed that livestock provided food security including animal protein and created employment for the people, especially those in the rural areas.
The Regional Director of MOFA said, "Livestock acts as a bank and insurance in times of urgent financial needs of farmers."
Mr. Adongo entreated district directors of agriculture, farmers, students and non-governmental organisations to make good use of the Village to improve their knowledge in livestock production to boost the country's agriculture.
Mr. Gordon Ekekpi, Project Manager of FARMER Project, appealed to agricultural extension officers and researchers to collaborate with farmers to boost livestock production.
He also urged experts and stakeholders in the livestock industry to venture into meat processing in the Northern Region.
Mr. Ekekpi gave the assurance that the FARMER Project would support the Village to ensure that beneficiaries of the project derived maximum gains from the facility.
Mr. Kodwo Ennin Fynn, Farm Manager of the Pong-Tamale Livestock Breeding, noted that poor quality livestock breeding, poor nutrition, diseases and bad management practices were some of the factors militating against livestock production in the country.
Source:
GNA
Cedi - 5th most unwanted in the world
News that your country's cherished medium of exchange is ranked 5th in the list of 26 least valued currencies in the world will most likely cause you to choke on your latest swallow of the Kenkey you are eating.
But according to an official of the Bank of Ghana, that is exactly the 'high" regard in which the cedi is held. Speaking at a forum at Takoradi on Wednesday, a member of the re-denomination steering committee of the Bank, Benjamin Amoah, said factors like over stretching of the payment system has not only rendered the country’s currency unattractive but also reduced its quality as a store of value, a situation which calls for a change.
Losses from cash withdrawn from banks as well as miscalculations over the many zeroes after the principal sum have also reduced the attraction of quoting international transactions in cedis.
Further, the country’s reliance on huge amounts of physical cash for the transaction of business, sometimes requiring the use of sacks and polythene bags was a definite turn off, hence the need to re-denominate the currency.
Dr Amoah was speaking at a forum organised by the Ghana Shippers Council to discuss the impending re-denomination of the cedi and its impacts on business transactions for the business community in the Western Region at Takoradi.
It was also to shed more light on payments associated with transactions such as Value Added Tax, the National Health Insurance Levy, customs duties and interest rates.
Dr Amoah said the bank was taking advantage of the current stable macro-economic environment, manifest in falling rates of inflation, relative price stability, strong Gross Domestic Product growth, stable exchange rates and an increase in Gross International Reserves to implement the re-denomination.
He emphasised that unlike the situation in 1979 when many Ghanaians lost huge sums of money as a result of the de-monetisation of the cedi , no monies would be lost in the July re-denomination since "the value is the same."
He cautioned, however, that the new system’s continued success would depend to a very large extent on the level of discipline among individual Ghanaians and the government in particular, particularly inflation control.
Outlining some benefits of the re-denomination to the business community, especially importers and exporters, as reduction in value of cash holdings in cross border trades, the Chief Executive Officer of the Shippers Council, Kofi Mbiah, said it was important for such businessmen to have a full appreciation of the change to expedite their transactions.
He noted that even though a good number of businessmen are aware of the eminent redenomination, many of them have not really come to terms with the impact of the change on their businesses. The council has thus posted relevant information on the impending change on its website, he said.
The Executive Chairman of Ghana Community Network, the company that is networking the country’s borders and entry points with its GCNet system, Nortey K Omaboe, assured that his company was ready to help make the necessary switch to the new currency.
The participants, during an open forum, called on the Bank to intensify its education on the re-denomination at the grassroots, targeting the illiterate population and market women.
Source:
Statesman
Juapong Textiles is back ... in June
The Juapong Textiles Limited which was closed down two years ago due to production difficulties bounces back to full operation in June under a new name, the Volta Star Textiles Limited.
Currently, maintenance works are being carried out on the machines by a skeleton staff ahead of the re-opening to produce gray baft to feed other textile factories. Gray baft is the basic material for manufacturing textile prints.
The Director of Finance, Human Resource Management and Administration of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and PSI, Mr Abraham Sowah Bakoe, who confirmed this to the Ghanaian Times said the refurbishment of the factory is being undertaken by the ministy with Chinese technical assistance.
He said the re-opening of the factory was as a result of the government's decision to revamp distressed but potentially viable companies as provided in the 2007 budget statement.
It also formed part of government's plans to create job opportunities for the youth as it promised in its policy statement on job creation.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Charles Hodogbey, in whose constituency Juapong is, described the revitalisation of the factory as good news which will go a long way to reduce the unemployment rate in the area.
He commended the government for listening to public appeal for Juapong to be re-opened.
Mr Hodogbey said the reopening of the factory will also open other job opportunities for the local people who use waste cotton to produce pillows and mattresses.
It will also boost the operations of other service providers like hair dressers, tailors, dressmakers, and food stuff sellers in the area, he said.
He appealed to the agencies responsible for the recruitment of persons to work in the factory not to base it on political or tribal affiliations.
Mr Ash Quayson, one of the technical men working on the machines said they were working feverishly to enable the factory to resume full operation at the envisaged time.
A former worker of the factory, Yaw George, described the reopening as a great relief to the inhabitants of Juapong and neighbouring Kpong, Atimpoku and Akosombo.
On June 30, 2005, the Juapong factory folded up and about 1,000 workers retrenched, following the decision of its major shareholder, VLlSCO Company of Holland to pull out citing low production and high debt stock.
JTL's demise came at the heels of the temporary closure 10 days earlier of the distressed Ghana Textiles Print which laid off about 700 of its workers.
The fate of the two factories was seen as a reflection of the general depression to which the local textiles industry had sunk in the face of unfavourable competition from cheap import substitutes mainly from the Far East.
JTL was established in 1968 primarily to produce and supply gray baft to feed other textile industries locally and neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso.
Source:
Ghanaian Times
Succession To The Ga Stool - Confusion Rages
BREAKING: Court Injuction Stops Coronation
With only a day to the planned coronation in Accra of Dr. Jo Blankson, as Ga Mantse (King of the Ga Tribe), another person has been introduced to the seven clans in Ga Mashie as the new Ga Mantse.
Henry Nii Ayitey Ayitey, 53, was yesterday introduced by elders of Abola Piam, one of the four Ga Royal Gates, to the five out of seven clans in Ga Mashie, as the new Ga Mantse under the stool name, Nii Tackie Obli II.
He is the third person to have been nominated by the royal houses to succeed the late Ga Mantse, Boni Nii Amugi II, who was buried last January. The other two are Dr. Jo Blanskon and Kelvin Tackie, both who hail from the Teiko Tsuru We.
Amidst jubilation from followers clad in white, Nii Obli was taken to the five houses where libation was poured and a ram slaughtered to signify the acceptance of his nomination.
Nii Obli, a professional printer and publisher, is said to have been selected by the kingmakers about one and half years ago and was put in confinement for about a week as custom demanded. The houses where he was taken to were, Dantu We, Kokloto We, Asere We, Ardey Akwa We, and Frimpong We. Family sources told the Times that he would be taken to the two remaining clans, Agbon We and Sakumo We, on Tuesday to complete the introduction process.
He was introduced to the elders in the houses by the elders of Abola We, where he comes from amidst the firing of musketry, singing and dancing in the streets of Ga Mashie.
The introduction of the new chief coincided with a news conference by the leadership of the Ga Paramount Dzaase, the customary group mandated to instal Ga Mantse, at which the Head of Dzaase, Nii Yaote Oto-Ga declared the Dzaase’s intention to resist the planned coronation of Dr. Blankson as Ga Mantse on Saturday.
Nii Yaote Oto-Ga, told the Times on phone after the introduction of Nii Obli that the Dzaase is not in support of his nomination either because there were some irregularities in his selection and nomination.
"They are only adding up to the confusion," he stated, adding that the kingmakers would soon introduce the rightful successor to the throne.
Dr. Blankson was the first to have been announced publicly as the successor to the stool but his selection and nomination was challenged by the Dzaase and three royal houses who maintained that he did not qualify.
It was followed by the announcement by Nii Teiko Tsuru We, just a day to the burial of the late Ga Mantse on January 27, that Kelvin Nii Tackie, as the legitimate candidate for the stool.
BREAKING
Tomorrow’s planned coronation of Dr Jo Blankson as the next Ga King may not come off after all because an injunction has been placed on it
Source:
Graphic/jfm
Marie Stopes International launched in Ghana
Accra, April 13, GNA -
The country's maternal mortality rate of 540 to a 100,000 live birth has been described as outrageous because Ghana has the knowledge and technology to prevent it.
National Population Council Chairperson, Mrs Virginia Ofosu-Amaah said the current initiative to reposition family planning as a critical component of the country's social-economic development was an important aspect of Sexual Reproductive Health since it had been established that it could reduce maternal mortality by 20 to 35 percent.
Speaking at the launch of Marie Stopes International (MSI), a United Kingdom-based international non-governmental organisation working in sexual reproductive health worldwide, she expressed the frustration of population experts, health professionals, gender advocates and planners about the poor states of women's health and the unacceptably high levels of maternal health.
She therefore welcomed MSI to Ghana and commended the organisation for extending its quality services to the country. With over 30 years' experience, MSI, a social business service has been committed to providing quality information and service to help people protect themselves from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) as well as empower them to have children by choice and not by chance. With branches in 38 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, it has provided services to over four million people. Ghana and Sierra Leone are the only MSI partners in West Africa.
Mrs Ofosu-Amaah said the adoption of the Accra Communiqu=E9 on Safe Motherhood by Population Councils in West Africa and the need for it to be operational in additional to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) underscored the lack of progress in achieving the goals of the MDGs of improving maternal health by three quarters by 2015. She stressed the need to actively address the problem and urged MSI to work closely with government institutions, NGOs and communities to find a lasting solution to the high levels of Maternal and neonatal deaths in the country.
Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs who outdoored MSI Ghana, said the government was committed to addressing the high levels of maternal mortality in the country ensuring that "every mother and child counts".
"Government continues to intensify its efforts at increasing access to maternal health care in the country by instituting policies and programmes, which would strengthen the capacities of health facilities and personnel in the provision of safe motherhood services" Hajia Mahama noted that the problem of maternal deaths had a strong linkage with socio-economic and cultural challenges adding, "the government under the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS 11) was implementing several programmes aimed at accelerating growth as a means of wealth creation, poverty reduction and equitable development to enable Ghana achieve middle-income status by 2015." She said the ministry was aware of the impact of religious and socio-cultural barriers on maternal health and would strategize to fight and remove barriers to reproductive health care adding that the high mortality rate was an indictment on the country. Hajia Mahama noted that the government had also introduced the Repositioning of Family Planning as a major component of health delivery and commended Marie Stopes International Ghana for the effort and called for a strong partnership between them and the Ghana Health Service to work together towards the reduction of maternal deaths and illness in Ghana.
Mrs Faustina Fynn- Nyame, MSI Country Representative said MSI was committed to reducing maternal and infant mortality in the country as well as compliment the efforts of partners such as the Ghana Health Service.
He said MSI would provide services in the areas of sexual reproductive health consultation, guidance and counselling, comprehensive family planning service, male and female clinics, antenatal and post-natal care, laboratory services and pregnancy crisis counselling and management at subsidised rates. The Country Representative said with a team of highly trained and dedicated staff, the public could be assured of quality services. These services would be replicated in deprived areas through outreach programmes.
She noted that two more centre would be established in Tema and Kumasi adding that the centre would also serve as referral centres and train health workers as well in future.
Mr James Harcourt, MSI UK, said last year, MSI partnership attended to five million clients worldwide through its network of almost 400 centres and supporting mobile outreach programmes representing 12 percent increase on the number of services provided the previous year. "The key to the partnership's success is a combination of its people, its local partner knowledge and experience as well its ability to draw on best practices and lessons leant from around the world," he said.
Source:
GNA
Ethnic conflicts are impact of slave trade - Jake
Accra, April 13, GNA -
Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations on Thursday attributed the various ethnic conflicts in the country to the impact of the slave trade on people.
He stressed that the reasons for various tribal conflicts in certain parts of the country could be strongly related to what happened during the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey was speaking at the launch of a book titled: "Islands of Slaves" written by Thorkild Hansen and translated by Kari Dako, of the English Department of the University of Ghana which narrates the story of Ghanaian slaves in the former Danish West Indies, now the United States Virgins Islands.
The Minister strongly recommended that the three books: "Ships of Slaves, Coast of Slaves and Island of Slaves, all written by Hansen must be read by students in the country.
Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said, it was important to bring history back into the schools curricula to enable children know the true history of the African.
"Children must be taught to know where they come from in order to know where they are going to," he said.
Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey used the opportunity to talk about the Joseph Project, which was launched on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at Elmina and said education about the slave trade, would be a major part of the project.
"The Joseph project is an outreach programme by the government to reach out to Africans in the Diaspora," he said and added that it was time for the truth about the slave trade to come out.
Ms Pamela Bridgewater, United States Ambassador to Ghana, who launched the book, said the story of the slave trade was one that needed to be told to a wider audience.
She announced that the US was building a slavery museum in Virginia, to be dedicated to the institution of slavery. Ms Kari Dako, Translator of the book, said the book, originally written in Dutch had been translated into several European languages but she felt the need to make the book available in a language that would be understood by a Ghanaian reader.
She said the book is partly based on an eyewitness account and she noted that the translation was done and written as close to the original as possible.
Ms Amanda Griffith, Deputy Director of the British Council, supported the Minister's recommendation and said the books should be made a must read in European schools as well.
Professor Anna Adams, Director of Du Bois Centre, who reviewed the book, noted that the book is carved in a form that makes an authentic part of the Diasporan history.
She recommended the book as a readable and credible account of the story of the enslaved people.
Source:
GNA
Takoradi Central Market must be re-designed
Sekondi, April 13, GNA -
Some 240 people lost properties while 52 stalls, 15 commercial electric metres and two electric poles were damaged in the March 15 fire that gutted the Takoradi Central Market. An improperly extinguished coal pot fire re-ignited, spread into a wooden structure and it was fuelled by edible oil that was stored in the structure.
This was contained in a report submitted by an 11-member committee constituted by the Western Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to investigate the cause of the fire that destroyed about 612 million cedis worth of textiles and sewing machines and wooden structures. The committee, which was under the chairmanship of Mr. Nana Ekow Abban, Western Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), recommended that the Takoradi Central Market must be re-designed. To facilitate this the committee recommended that all traders at the market should be re-located to the Apremdo market as soon as possible for the work to begin.
Additionally, the new market must reflect modern trends and be provided with facilities such as security lighting, supervised electrical wiring by Electricity Company of Ghana contractors (ECG), fire lanes and restricted area specifically designed for fire use. The committee noted that all fire hydrants outside the market must be properly fitted and housed in metal or concrete structures to avoid tampering while new hydrants must be installed within the market. It also called for the upgrading of the fire post at the market into a fire station with adequate office accommodation and structures for fire tenders.
The committee recommended that the administrative structure of the market must be properly streamlined with clear job specifications. The market administration must handle sanitation, fire safety, security and revenue collection as their major functions. It called for close collaboration between the market administration and the traditional market queens. The Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) must employ six well-equipped watchmen and the metropolitan guards should provide night patrols at the market. The committee appealed to the banks, non-governmental organizations and other philanthropists to assist the victims with loans and grants to enable them to continue with their trading activities. Mr. Anthony E. Amoah, the Western Regional Minister who received the report, commended the committee for the speed with which it carried out the assignment.
He pledged that the various stakeholders would meet and study the recommendations and implement them to prevent future fire disasters at the market.
Source:
GNA