Page 17, May 15, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima-Nwabiagya, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, has once again secured the mandate of the party to contest its parliamentary seat during the December polls.
He beat his rival, Mr James Adusei-Sarkodie, a former MP for the area, by 112 votes to two at the constituency’s delegates congress held at Abuakwa in the Ashanti Region last Monday.
This was the second time that the MP had been elected to contest the Atwima-Nwabiagya seat on the ticket of the ruling NPP.
Mr Owusu-Bio, who was highly elated when he spoke to the Daily Graphic on phone soon after his elections, expressed appreciation to the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised not to disappoint them.
“I am going to work hard to win the seat once again to maintain NPP’s dominance,” he said, adding that the National Democratic Congress and other parties would not be able to pose any threat to his ambition to win the seat again.
Mr Owusu-Bio said now that the contest was over, it was necessary for the entire membership of the party to unite in order to defeat their opponents, both in the Presidential and parliamentary elections.
The MP stressed the need for NPP supporters to avoid complacency and work harder than ever before to educate the people on what the government had been able to do in the face of difficulties over the past seven years.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Lands Bill to go before Parliament
Page 55, May 12, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Koforidua
THE Lands Commission Bill aimed at integrating the operations of all public service land institutions under one umbrella is ready to be placed before Parliament for consideration.
The bill seeks to establish a new Lands Commission that will serve as a one-stop-shop for all land matters in order to secure effective and holistic land administration.
The Legal Specialist of the Lands Administration Project (LAP), Mr Kwame Gyan, who announced this in Koforidua, said barring any hitch, the Bill would receive Cabinet approval this week to enable it to go to Parliament for passage.
He was speaking at a four-day workshop organised to sensitise members of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Koforidua to enable them to adequately report on the Bill when it is finally placed before the House.
The bill proposes the establishment of a Lands Commission under which the Survey Department, the Lands Commission Secretariat, the Lands Valuation Board and the Lands Title Registry would be placed as divisions.
He said LAP was in the process of awarding a contract for an organisation management and operation studies to be conducted to ascertain the number and calibre of staff that the new Lands Commission would require when it was established.
“Staff of the various public land sector agencies, which will be dissolved after the bill has been passed, will not gain automatic entry into the new organisation,” he stressed, and gave assurance that adequate measures had been taken to compensate those who would become casualties of the exercise.
He stated that the present regime of land administration posed a serious threat to the achievement of socio-economic targets set by the country and gave the assurance that the Bill would become a time-tested law that would enhance the country’s land administration.
The LAP Co-ordinator, Dr W. Odame Larbi, said the project, which began in 2004, was scheduled to end by the end of the year.
He said, however, that an appeal had been made to the World Bank and other donor partners for a two-year extension to enable the LAP to complete its work.
Dr Larbi said apart from the Lands Commission Bill, LAP had also been charged with coming out with a National Lands Bill, that would bring together all laws on lands to curb the current confusion in the system.
He explained that if the extension was not granted, then the Lands Bill would suffer, since efforts were now being made to collate views through fora across the country for the drafting of that bill.
Dr Larbi announced that an office complex would soon be constructed in Accra to serve as the headquarters of the Lands Commission while another one would be constructed in Kumasi to provide office accommodation for the staff of the organisation.
Giving the overview of the project, the Planning Officer of LAP, Mr Issahaq Mohammed Jalaludeen, stated that the objective of LAP was to lay the foundation for the establishment of self-sustaining land administration system that was fair, efficient, cost-effective and which guaranteed security of tenure.
He said its long-term aim was to reduce poverty and enhance social and economic growth through the improvement of security of tenure, simplifying processes of land acquisition, fostering prudent land management practices, developing the land market and establishing an efficient and sustainable system of land administration.
Mr Jalaludeen added that the drafting committee of the new land bill had been formed.
He said through the assistance of the project, five new land courts, which were being constructed in Accra, would start operating in October to clear the backlog of land cases in the country.
In addition, an inventory of state acquired lands had been completed in some regions, while seven land registries had been established in seven regions to facilitate easy titling of lands.
The Communication Specialist of LAP, Mrs Ama Kudom-Agyeman, called on the participants to use the knowledge acquired to educate people about the bill.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Koforidua
THE Lands Commission Bill aimed at integrating the operations of all public service land institutions under one umbrella is ready to be placed before Parliament for consideration.
The bill seeks to establish a new Lands Commission that will serve as a one-stop-shop for all land matters in order to secure effective and holistic land administration.
The Legal Specialist of the Lands Administration Project (LAP), Mr Kwame Gyan, who announced this in Koforidua, said barring any hitch, the Bill would receive Cabinet approval this week to enable it to go to Parliament for passage.
He was speaking at a four-day workshop organised to sensitise members of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Koforidua to enable them to adequately report on the Bill when it is finally placed before the House.
The bill proposes the establishment of a Lands Commission under which the Survey Department, the Lands Commission Secretariat, the Lands Valuation Board and the Lands Title Registry would be placed as divisions.
He said LAP was in the process of awarding a contract for an organisation management and operation studies to be conducted to ascertain the number and calibre of staff that the new Lands Commission would require when it was established.
“Staff of the various public land sector agencies, which will be dissolved after the bill has been passed, will not gain automatic entry into the new organisation,” he stressed, and gave assurance that adequate measures had been taken to compensate those who would become casualties of the exercise.
He stated that the present regime of land administration posed a serious threat to the achievement of socio-economic targets set by the country and gave the assurance that the Bill would become a time-tested law that would enhance the country’s land administration.
The LAP Co-ordinator, Dr W. Odame Larbi, said the project, which began in 2004, was scheduled to end by the end of the year.
He said, however, that an appeal had been made to the World Bank and other donor partners for a two-year extension to enable the LAP to complete its work.
Dr Larbi said apart from the Lands Commission Bill, LAP had also been charged with coming out with a National Lands Bill, that would bring together all laws on lands to curb the current confusion in the system.
He explained that if the extension was not granted, then the Lands Bill would suffer, since efforts were now being made to collate views through fora across the country for the drafting of that bill.
Dr Larbi announced that an office complex would soon be constructed in Accra to serve as the headquarters of the Lands Commission while another one would be constructed in Kumasi to provide office accommodation for the staff of the organisation.
Giving the overview of the project, the Planning Officer of LAP, Mr Issahaq Mohammed Jalaludeen, stated that the objective of LAP was to lay the foundation for the establishment of self-sustaining land administration system that was fair, efficient, cost-effective and which guaranteed security of tenure.
He said its long-term aim was to reduce poverty and enhance social and economic growth through the improvement of security of tenure, simplifying processes of land acquisition, fostering prudent land management practices, developing the land market and establishing an efficient and sustainable system of land administration.
Mr Jalaludeen added that the drafting committee of the new land bill had been formed.
He said through the assistance of the project, five new land courts, which were being constructed in Accra, would start operating in October to clear the backlog of land cases in the country.
In addition, an inventory of state acquired lands had been completed in some regions, while seven land registries had been established in seven regions to facilitate easy titling of lands.
The Communication Specialist of LAP, Mrs Ama Kudom-Agyeman, called on the participants to use the knowledge acquired to educate people about the bill.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Ghana Expo 2008 Committee inaugurated
Page 38, May 8, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
A DEPUTY Minister of Trade, Industry, PSI and PSD, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has stated that Ghana needs to take concrete steps to address all constraints that have plagued the non-traditional export sector.
He said for Ghana to achieve its long-term vision of becoming a middle-income country and a leading agro-industrial country in Africa, it should be able to produce items in large volumes and at competitive prices for export.
“We need to develop new markets for our products and services,” Mr Agyeman-Manu said, when he inaugurated an eight-member local organising committee of the maiden Ghana Expo 2008 to be held in Italy.
The fair is being organised by the Ghana-Italy Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the ministries of Trade and Foreign Affairs, Ghana Export Promotion Centre, Ghana Trade Fair Centre and the Ghana Embassy in Rome, among other agencies.
It would be organised on the theme: “Strengthening Ghana-Italy relations through trade” from September 13 to September 21, 2008 in the Italian city of Bergamo.
Inaugurating the committee, Mr Agyeman-Manu noted that Ghana and Italy had enjoyed good trade and economic relations over the years.
He said between September 1994 and September 2005, Italians established as many as 76 companies in the country while Ghanaian companies also participated in various fairs organised in Italy.
Mr Agyeman-Manu stated, however, that despite these developments, trade between the two countries had remained largely in favour of Italy.
He added that the Ghana Expo 2008, which would showcase Ghanaian products in Italy, was therefore a welcome development that would go a long way to reduce the trade imbalance.
“I, therefore, urge the chamber to do its homework well to ensure a successful fair,” he said, and gave the assurance that the ministry would always support such private initiatives for expanding the frontiers of Ghana’s export trade through such fairs and exhibitions.
In his address, the Chairman of the Ghana-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Alhaji Ramadan Murtala Mohammed, said the objective of the chamber was to protect economic and trade relations between Ghana and Italy.
He disclosed that during the Expo, there would be an exhibition of made-in-Ghana goods, food fair, cultural show and a business forum, which would be attended by over 1,000 Italian businessmen.
Alhaji Mohammed said the chamber was working around the clock to enable the fair to become an annual affair and called on entrepreneurs to take advantage to market their products in Italy.
The chairman of the organising committee, Mr Tapha B. Tassah, appealed to the various ministries, departments and agencies, whose services and support would be required to give the chamber the needed co-operation to make the organisation of the fair successful.
The Honorary Ghana Consul in Milan, Italy, Dr Marcello Moro, who chaired the function, said there were a lot of opportunities in Italy for Ghanaian businessmen to exploit.
He called on Ghanaian entrepreneurs to study the world market and come out with new products that would enable Ghana to earn enough income to become an economic giant in Africa.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
A DEPUTY Minister of Trade, Industry, PSI and PSD, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has stated that Ghana needs to take concrete steps to address all constraints that have plagued the non-traditional export sector.
He said for Ghana to achieve its long-term vision of becoming a middle-income country and a leading agro-industrial country in Africa, it should be able to produce items in large volumes and at competitive prices for export.
“We need to develop new markets for our products and services,” Mr Agyeman-Manu said, when he inaugurated an eight-member local organising committee of the maiden Ghana Expo 2008 to be held in Italy.
The fair is being organised by the Ghana-Italy Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the ministries of Trade and Foreign Affairs, Ghana Export Promotion Centre, Ghana Trade Fair Centre and the Ghana Embassy in Rome, among other agencies.
It would be organised on the theme: “Strengthening Ghana-Italy relations through trade” from September 13 to September 21, 2008 in the Italian city of Bergamo.
Inaugurating the committee, Mr Agyeman-Manu noted that Ghana and Italy had enjoyed good trade and economic relations over the years.
He said between September 1994 and September 2005, Italians established as many as 76 companies in the country while Ghanaian companies also participated in various fairs organised in Italy.
Mr Agyeman-Manu stated, however, that despite these developments, trade between the two countries had remained largely in favour of Italy.
He added that the Ghana Expo 2008, which would showcase Ghanaian products in Italy, was therefore a welcome development that would go a long way to reduce the trade imbalance.
“I, therefore, urge the chamber to do its homework well to ensure a successful fair,” he said, and gave the assurance that the ministry would always support such private initiatives for expanding the frontiers of Ghana’s export trade through such fairs and exhibitions.
In his address, the Chairman of the Ghana-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Alhaji Ramadan Murtala Mohammed, said the objective of the chamber was to protect economic and trade relations between Ghana and Italy.
He disclosed that during the Expo, there would be an exhibition of made-in-Ghana goods, food fair, cultural show and a business forum, which would be attended by over 1,000 Italian businessmen.
Alhaji Mohammed said the chamber was working around the clock to enable the fair to become an annual affair and called on entrepreneurs to take advantage to market their products in Italy.
The chairman of the organising committee, Mr Tapha B. Tassah, appealed to the various ministries, departments and agencies, whose services and support would be required to give the chamber the needed co-operation to make the organisation of the fair successful.
The Honorary Ghana Consul in Milan, Italy, Dr Marcello Moro, who chaired the function, said there were a lot of opportunities in Italy for Ghanaian businessmen to exploit.
He called on Ghanaian entrepreneurs to study the world market and come out with new products that would enable Ghana to earn enough income to become an economic giant in Africa.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
'Add herbal formulae to essential drugs list'
Page 31, May 6, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), has charged authorities of the health sector in the West African sub-region to make herbal medicine an integral part of health care.
He noted that the introduction of various herbal formulae on the essential medicines list in the sub-region required the co-operation of both Western orthodox medicine practitioners and conventional African medicine practitioners to achieve its intended purpose.
Major Quashigah made the call at the opening session of the four-day discussion forum for traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) and conventional health practitioners/scientists in Accra yesterday.
The forum is being held by the Burkina Faso-based West African Health Organisation (WAHO) to bring traditional health practitioners, Western orthodox medical practitioners, scientists and researchers together to discuss how to achieve optimum healthcare delivery for the people of West Africa.
About 30 participants drawn from 14 West African countries are attending the four-day meeting.
The Health Minister acknowledged the fact that before the advent of Western orthodox medicine, traditional African practitioners successfully contained the level of diseases on the continent.
He said although the role that traditional African medicine continued to play in containing the huge disease burden in Africa had long been realised, that trend was often largely overlooked in healthcare planning.
Major Quashigah said it was heart warming, however, that through the work of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the African Union and WAHO, more countries were beginning to bring traditional African medicine into their formal health sector.
“There is no doubt that a lot of work has been done to modernise and demystify the practices in traditional medicine to make them more reliable and credible by subjecting them to constant evaluation and regulation”, he said.
Major Quashigah added that it was, however, imperative for serious efforts to be made to ensure documentation of clinical data, even at the herbalist’s practice facility.
He said that called for continuing training, education, effective communication and deliberations among herbalists, researchers and medical experts.
Major Quashigah blamed the lack of documented evidence not only on inadequacy of healthcare policies but also the lack of interest and inadequate research methodology for the clinical evaluation of herbal medicine.
He said although there were several published and unpublished information on pre-clinical studies in plant medicine, information on human clinical studies was scanty.
Major Quashigah acknowledged the efforts of traditional herbalists at their clinics but noted, however, that they did not have the skill, technique and equipment to measure and the knowledge to analyse data the way an independent scientist understood them.
Recognising that, the minister said, Ghana had begun to develop a stakeholder’s strategic plan, the harmonised laboratory procedures of safety, efficacy and quality control of herbal medicines.
Monographs on the 50 most commonly used medicinal plants were available in the form of the Ghana Herbal Pharmacopoeia, while ethno-botanical information on some 600 other medicinal plants and over 3,000 recipes had been documented, he added.
He stated that the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine in Ghana, which was re-establishing itself as a WHO collaborating centre on research had screened over 2,500 formulations for safety, out of which 1,007 had applied for and received the Food and Drug Board (FDB) market authorisation since 2002.
In his address, Dr Kofi Busia of WAHO said the meeting would offer practitioners an opportunity to leave behind the stale and sterile dogmas of the past.
“It should remind us that knowledge of both therapies, not suspicion and mistrust, is the pass key to medical provision in the 21st century, that the health of our people transcends petty antagonisms, that medical knowledge is not the possession of a single professional group or a single ideology but of all mankind,” he said.
In an address read on his behalf, the WHO Regional Director, Dr Luis Sambo, commended WAHO for successfully developing harmonised sub-regional policies and regulatory frameworks for ensuring the institutionalisation of traditional medicine in the health systems of its member states.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), has charged authorities of the health sector in the West African sub-region to make herbal medicine an integral part of health care.
He noted that the introduction of various herbal formulae on the essential medicines list in the sub-region required the co-operation of both Western orthodox medicine practitioners and conventional African medicine practitioners to achieve its intended purpose.
Major Quashigah made the call at the opening session of the four-day discussion forum for traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) and conventional health practitioners/scientists in Accra yesterday.
The forum is being held by the Burkina Faso-based West African Health Organisation (WAHO) to bring traditional health practitioners, Western orthodox medical practitioners, scientists and researchers together to discuss how to achieve optimum healthcare delivery for the people of West Africa.
About 30 participants drawn from 14 West African countries are attending the four-day meeting.
The Health Minister acknowledged the fact that before the advent of Western orthodox medicine, traditional African practitioners successfully contained the level of diseases on the continent.
He said although the role that traditional African medicine continued to play in containing the huge disease burden in Africa had long been realised, that trend was often largely overlooked in healthcare planning.
Major Quashigah said it was heart warming, however, that through the work of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the African Union and WAHO, more countries were beginning to bring traditional African medicine into their formal health sector.
“There is no doubt that a lot of work has been done to modernise and demystify the practices in traditional medicine to make them more reliable and credible by subjecting them to constant evaluation and regulation”, he said.
Major Quashigah added that it was, however, imperative for serious efforts to be made to ensure documentation of clinical data, even at the herbalist’s practice facility.
He said that called for continuing training, education, effective communication and deliberations among herbalists, researchers and medical experts.
Major Quashigah blamed the lack of documented evidence not only on inadequacy of healthcare policies but also the lack of interest and inadequate research methodology for the clinical evaluation of herbal medicine.
He said although there were several published and unpublished information on pre-clinical studies in plant medicine, information on human clinical studies was scanty.
Major Quashigah acknowledged the efforts of traditional herbalists at their clinics but noted, however, that they did not have the skill, technique and equipment to measure and the knowledge to analyse data the way an independent scientist understood them.
Recognising that, the minister said, Ghana had begun to develop a stakeholder’s strategic plan, the harmonised laboratory procedures of safety, efficacy and quality control of herbal medicines.
Monographs on the 50 most commonly used medicinal plants were available in the form of the Ghana Herbal Pharmacopoeia, while ethno-botanical information on some 600 other medicinal plants and over 3,000 recipes had been documented, he added.
He stated that the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine in Ghana, which was re-establishing itself as a WHO collaborating centre on research had screened over 2,500 formulations for safety, out of which 1,007 had applied for and received the Food and Drug Board (FDB) market authorisation since 2002.
In his address, Dr Kofi Busia of WAHO said the meeting would offer practitioners an opportunity to leave behind the stale and sterile dogmas of the past.
“It should remind us that knowledge of both therapies, not suspicion and mistrust, is the pass key to medical provision in the 21st century, that the health of our people transcends petty antagonisms, that medical knowledge is not the possession of a single professional group or a single ideology but of all mankind,” he said.
In an address read on his behalf, the WHO Regional Director, Dr Luis Sambo, commended WAHO for successfully developing harmonised sub-regional policies and regulatory frameworks for ensuring the institutionalisation of traditional medicine in the health systems of its member states.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Weija MCE tours municipality
Page 22, May 3, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Weija Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Owusu Afriyie, has advised contractors working on various drainage projects in the municipality to step up their work to avert flooding in the area during the forthcoming major rainy season. He has also called on engineers of the assembly to prioritise the numerous drainage and road projects in the municipality for the immediate execution of the pressing ones.
Mr Afriyie, who was recently confirmed as the MCE for the newly created municipality, gave the directive during his maiden inspection of ongoing development projects and also see how the flooding problem in the area could be tackled.
The recent heavy downpour in the area cut off of some communities from the rest of the municipality.
Some roads have also been rendered impassable due to the flooding, the poor drainage system, construction of houses in waterways and the swampy nature of the area.
Some of the areas that the MCE toured included Mallam Junction, New Bortianor, New Gbawe and Zero.
One problem that he found in all the places he visited was flooding, which had made it very difficult for residents to use the existing roads, especially during the rainy season.
When the MCE inspected the Gbawe-Bulemin road where portions were flooded, the Assistant Weija Municipal Engineer, Mr Peter Quaye, disclosed that a contract had been awarded for the reconditioning of the road to check the perennial flooding.
He stated that big culverts would be constructed at the bad spots on the road to allow for free flow of rainwater before tackling the main road construction.
At Weija, residents told the MCE that the recent rains had washed away a small culvert spanning the road, making it impossible for vehicles to pass from one side of the town to the other.
The problem at the White Cross area of New Bortianor was not different from others, as the residents pleaded with the MCE to ensure that a culvert was constructed over a big gutter in the area to enable them to cross over to their houses.
Mr Afriyie assured residents in the various communities that the assembly would tackle projects its resources could meet immediately and seek help from the central government to solve those that were beyond the assembly’s capabilities.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Weija Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Owusu Afriyie, has advised contractors working on various drainage projects in the municipality to step up their work to avert flooding in the area during the forthcoming major rainy season. He has also called on engineers of the assembly to prioritise the numerous drainage and road projects in the municipality for the immediate execution of the pressing ones.
Mr Afriyie, who was recently confirmed as the MCE for the newly created municipality, gave the directive during his maiden inspection of ongoing development projects and also see how the flooding problem in the area could be tackled.
The recent heavy downpour in the area cut off of some communities from the rest of the municipality.
Some roads have also been rendered impassable due to the flooding, the poor drainage system, construction of houses in waterways and the swampy nature of the area.
Some of the areas that the MCE toured included Mallam Junction, New Bortianor, New Gbawe and Zero.
One problem that he found in all the places he visited was flooding, which had made it very difficult for residents to use the existing roads, especially during the rainy season.
When the MCE inspected the Gbawe-Bulemin road where portions were flooded, the Assistant Weija Municipal Engineer, Mr Peter Quaye, disclosed that a contract had been awarded for the reconditioning of the road to check the perennial flooding.
He stated that big culverts would be constructed at the bad spots on the road to allow for free flow of rainwater before tackling the main road construction.
At Weija, residents told the MCE that the recent rains had washed away a small culvert spanning the road, making it impossible for vehicles to pass from one side of the town to the other.
The problem at the White Cross area of New Bortianor was not different from others, as the residents pleaded with the MCE to ensure that a culvert was constructed over a big gutter in the area to enable them to cross over to their houses.
Mr Afriyie assured residents in the various communities that the assembly would tackle projects its resources could meet immediately and seek help from the central government to solve those that were beyond the assembly’s capabilities.
Church donates to poor people, institutions
Page 22, May 3, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Asamankese
THE Seventh-Day Sabbath Church of Christ has held its 10th annual charity show at Asamankese during which items worth GH¢70,000 were distributed to poor individuals and needy institutions.
The items included 500 full pieces of cloth, 100 cartons of key soap, four bales of used clothes and 21 white canes for the blind.
The beneficiary institutions included Nsawam Prisons, Madam Grace Omaboe’s Orphanage, the Osenase Ophanage, the Unit School for the Deaf at Kyebi, the Akropong School for the Blind, the Federation of Disabled at Asuom, the Ghana Association of the Blind and the Association of Blind Unemployed.
More than 500 individuals, including widows and orphans, also benefited from the church’s gesture.
Speaking at the function, the Founder and General Overseer of the church, Apostle Ephraim K. Danso, said it was the responsibility of the church to assist the needy in society.
He stated that it was not enough for the church to preach the gospel to people who were in need, stressing that the church would continue its annual charity show to share the little it had with the poor.
The assembly member for Asikafoammantem, a suburb of Asamankese, Madam Christiana Boateng, said the church had made practical, the biblical saying that “there is more blessing in giving than receiving.”
She stressed the importance of education and asked parents to take advantage of the institution of the government’s interventions such as the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme, to enrol their children in school.
An industrialist, Mr J. A. Biney, who chaired the function, expressed concern about the increasing irresponsible acts of fathers, who shirk their parental responsibilities.
He commended the church for its gesture and urged other religious denominations to emulate the gesture.
Mr Biney promised to donate 200 gallons of liquid soap to the church for distribution to orphanages and other needy institutions.
As part of the programme, members of the church donated 143 pints of blood to the Akwatia Saint Dominic Hospital.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Madam Grace Omaboe, also known as Maame Dokono, thanked the church for responding positively to the plight of the needy.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Asamankese
THE Seventh-Day Sabbath Church of Christ has held its 10th annual charity show at Asamankese during which items worth GH¢70,000 were distributed to poor individuals and needy institutions.
The items included 500 full pieces of cloth, 100 cartons of key soap, four bales of used clothes and 21 white canes for the blind.
The beneficiary institutions included Nsawam Prisons, Madam Grace Omaboe’s Orphanage, the Osenase Ophanage, the Unit School for the Deaf at Kyebi, the Akropong School for the Blind, the Federation of Disabled at Asuom, the Ghana Association of the Blind and the Association of Blind Unemployed.
More than 500 individuals, including widows and orphans, also benefited from the church’s gesture.
Speaking at the function, the Founder and General Overseer of the church, Apostle Ephraim K. Danso, said it was the responsibility of the church to assist the needy in society.
He stated that it was not enough for the church to preach the gospel to people who were in need, stressing that the church would continue its annual charity show to share the little it had with the poor.
The assembly member for Asikafoammantem, a suburb of Asamankese, Madam Christiana Boateng, said the church had made practical, the biblical saying that “there is more blessing in giving than receiving.”
She stressed the importance of education and asked parents to take advantage of the institution of the government’s interventions such as the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme, to enrol their children in school.
An industrialist, Mr J. A. Biney, who chaired the function, expressed concern about the increasing irresponsible acts of fathers, who shirk their parental responsibilities.
He commended the church for its gesture and urged other religious denominations to emulate the gesture.
Mr Biney promised to donate 200 gallons of liquid soap to the church for distribution to orphanages and other needy institutions.
As part of the programme, members of the church donated 143 pints of blood to the Akwatia Saint Dominic Hospital.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Madam Grace Omaboe, also known as Maame Dokono, thanked the church for responding positively to the plight of the needy.
Friday, May 2, 2008
NDC Wa West, Krachi East retain MPs
Page 16, May 2, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Wa West Branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has elected the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Mr Joseph Yiereh Chireh, to contest the seat during the forthcoming general election.
At the party’s delegates congress at Wichau, the MP was elected through popular acclamation, since nobody filed his or her nomination to challenge Mr Chireh’s candidature.
Mr Chireh told the Daily Graphic in Accra that his re-nomination demonstrated a recognition of his performance during his first term of office.
He indicated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) could not be a threat to his ambition to win the seat for the second time.
Mr Chireh said the NDC would ultimately win the election to implement sound socio-economic policies to alleviate the hardships Ghanaians were currently going through.
He commended the Wa West Constituency executives of the party and the entire membership for the confidence reposed in him and urged them to go all out to ensure a resounding victory for the party.
Meanwhile, the NDC MP for Krachi East, Mr Wisdom Gidisu, has also been elected unopposed by members of the party.
At the constituency’s delegates conference, the MP, who was the sole candidate, was elected through popular acclamation.
He thanked the delegates for the honour done him and promised to work hard to retain the seat for the party.
Mr Gidisu appealed to supporters of the NDC to conduct their campaign in a civil manner by only educating the people on the policies and programmes of the party and not insulting their opponents.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Wa West Branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has elected the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Mr Joseph Yiereh Chireh, to contest the seat during the forthcoming general election.
At the party’s delegates congress at Wichau, the MP was elected through popular acclamation, since nobody filed his or her nomination to challenge Mr Chireh’s candidature.
Mr Chireh told the Daily Graphic in Accra that his re-nomination demonstrated a recognition of his performance during his first term of office.
He indicated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) could not be a threat to his ambition to win the seat for the second time.
Mr Chireh said the NDC would ultimately win the election to implement sound socio-economic policies to alleviate the hardships Ghanaians were currently going through.
He commended the Wa West Constituency executives of the party and the entire membership for the confidence reposed in him and urged them to go all out to ensure a resounding victory for the party.
Meanwhile, the NDC MP for Krachi East, Mr Wisdom Gidisu, has also been elected unopposed by members of the party.
At the constituency’s delegates conference, the MP, who was the sole candidate, was elected through popular acclamation.
He thanked the delegates for the honour done him and promised to work hard to retain the seat for the party.
Mr Gidisu appealed to supporters of the NDC to conduct their campaign in a civil manner by only educating the people on the policies and programmes of the party and not insulting their opponents.
NHIS outdoors new identity cards
Centre spread, May 1, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) yesterday unveiled a new insurance identity card for its members that will enable them to access health care from districts other than the ones from where they registered.
The new identity card would enable health providers to check and easily access information about the scheme’s card bearers.
Currently, beneficiaries of the scheme are able to use their cards to access health care only in the districts from where they registered, except in cases where districts have special arrangements with other districts.
In addition the NHIA has come out with a logo that would be displayed by all its accredited health providers with their registration numbers to enable them (health providers) to be easily identified by beneficiaries of the scheme.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Mr Ras A. Boateng, who launched the new card when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra yesterday, explained that the new card would begin operating on pilot basis in the Tano South District in the Brong Ahafo Region from today (May 1) before being extended to the rest of the region and subsequently to other regions.
While new members of the scheme would be given the new identity cards, old members whose cards expire would be issued with the new cards. It is expected that the scheme would change over from the old card to the new one within one year.
Mr Boateng said the introduction of the ICT solution would also ease the registration and issuance of identity cards and make it a permanent feature of the programme, explaining that 736 clinics and hospitals throughout the country had been equipped with computers with programmes that could check the authenticity of identity cards.
Giving the overview of the operation of the scheme, the NHIA CEO said a total of 11,279,698 representing 55 per cent of the population were currently registered under the 145 District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes (DMHIS) operating in the country.
He said out of the 9,773,100 members of the scheme who were eligible for identity cards, 8,291,666, representing 42 per cent of the country’s population had been issued.
Mr Boateng explained that the introduction of the scheme had assisted in boosting hospital and clinic attendance since 2005.
In 2006, hospital and clinic attendance rose from the 2005 figure of 552,000 to 3,213,450 while in 2007 it increased to 6,835,104. Currently 1135 health providers comprising hospitals/clinics, dental clinics, maternity homes, pharmacies, chemical shops and diagnostic centres had been accredited by the NHIA.
Making comparative analysis of the scheme, Mr Boateng stated that Ghana’s NHIS was one of the few schemes in the world that did not require co-payment (payment of part of hospital bills) for services accessed by members.
He said that was more evident when one considered the fact that 95 per cent of diseases that commonly afflicted Ghanaians were covered by the NHIS benefit package in its short period of existence.
Mr Boateng said comparing the coverage of Ghana’s NHIS to countries such as Australia, France, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Luxemburg and Germany, all of who began their scheme in the 1920s, the 55 per cent coverage in three years was an excellent achievement.
He explained that since it took France, Germany, Australia Luxemburg and DPRK 80 years to achieve total coverage or near total , Ghana’s achievement within only three year is one that Ghanaians should be proud of.
Mr Boateng stated that though NHIS was not perfect “we are focused to implement the system to make it comparable to the best health insurance anywhere in the world”.
Answering questions from journalists after his presentation, the CEO said efforts were being made to decouple the registration of children under 18 years from that of their parents.
On the registration of foreigners under the scheme, Mr Boateng said the law did not restrict the NHIA to register only Ghanaians citizens but all residents in the country.
He explained that what the authority was concerned about was people who were crossing from neighbouring countries to register because the health care in Ghana had become cheaper because of the scheme.
The outgoing Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mrs Oboshie Sai-Cofie, used the occasion to introduce the incoming minister, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, to the press.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng said the NHIS was one of the major policies of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and everything possible would be done to make it successful.
He, therefore, urged those who had not registered to do so to get benefits that the scheme offered to Ghanaians.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) yesterday unveiled a new insurance identity card for its members that will enable them to access health care from districts other than the ones from where they registered.
The new identity card would enable health providers to check and easily access information about the scheme’s card bearers.
Currently, beneficiaries of the scheme are able to use their cards to access health care only in the districts from where they registered, except in cases where districts have special arrangements with other districts.
In addition the NHIA has come out with a logo that would be displayed by all its accredited health providers with their registration numbers to enable them (health providers) to be easily identified by beneficiaries of the scheme.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Mr Ras A. Boateng, who launched the new card when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra yesterday, explained that the new card would begin operating on pilot basis in the Tano South District in the Brong Ahafo Region from today (May 1) before being extended to the rest of the region and subsequently to other regions.
While new members of the scheme would be given the new identity cards, old members whose cards expire would be issued with the new cards. It is expected that the scheme would change over from the old card to the new one within one year.
Mr Boateng said the introduction of the ICT solution would also ease the registration and issuance of identity cards and make it a permanent feature of the programme, explaining that 736 clinics and hospitals throughout the country had been equipped with computers with programmes that could check the authenticity of identity cards.
Giving the overview of the operation of the scheme, the NHIA CEO said a total of 11,279,698 representing 55 per cent of the population were currently registered under the 145 District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes (DMHIS) operating in the country.
He said out of the 9,773,100 members of the scheme who were eligible for identity cards, 8,291,666, representing 42 per cent of the country’s population had been issued.
Mr Boateng explained that the introduction of the scheme had assisted in boosting hospital and clinic attendance since 2005.
In 2006, hospital and clinic attendance rose from the 2005 figure of 552,000 to 3,213,450 while in 2007 it increased to 6,835,104. Currently 1135 health providers comprising hospitals/clinics, dental clinics, maternity homes, pharmacies, chemical shops and diagnostic centres had been accredited by the NHIA.
Making comparative analysis of the scheme, Mr Boateng stated that Ghana’s NHIS was one of the few schemes in the world that did not require co-payment (payment of part of hospital bills) for services accessed by members.
He said that was more evident when one considered the fact that 95 per cent of diseases that commonly afflicted Ghanaians were covered by the NHIS benefit package in its short period of existence.
Mr Boateng said comparing the coverage of Ghana’s NHIS to countries such as Australia, France, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Luxemburg and Germany, all of who began their scheme in the 1920s, the 55 per cent coverage in three years was an excellent achievement.
He explained that since it took France, Germany, Australia Luxemburg and DPRK 80 years to achieve total coverage or near total , Ghana’s achievement within only three year is one that Ghanaians should be proud of.
Mr Boateng stated that though NHIS was not perfect “we are focused to implement the system to make it comparable to the best health insurance anywhere in the world”.
Answering questions from journalists after his presentation, the CEO said efforts were being made to decouple the registration of children under 18 years from that of their parents.
On the registration of foreigners under the scheme, Mr Boateng said the law did not restrict the NHIA to register only Ghanaians citizens but all residents in the country.
He explained that what the authority was concerned about was people who were crossing from neighbouring countries to register because the health care in Ghana had become cheaper because of the scheme.
The outgoing Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mrs Oboshie Sai-Cofie, used the occasion to introduce the incoming minister, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, to the press.
Mr Asamoah-Boateng said the NHIS was one of the major policies of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and everything possible would be done to make it successful.
He, therefore, urged those who had not registered to do so to get benefits that the scheme offered to Ghanaians.
Parliamentary democracy has come of age in Ghana
Page 16, April 30, 2008
Article: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
GHANA’s parliamentary democracy has come of age, having been sustained since 1993 when the country returned to constitutional rule after wallowing in military dictatorship for many years.
Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, Parliament has travelled a smooth journey of 16 years during which the two sides of the House had come to recognise each other as a partner in development rather than what was formally termed as “opposition”.
This is the first time that parliamentary democracy in the country has been able to travel thus far as various previous attempts had ended in fiasco because of military adventurism.
The most interesting aspect of the country’s current parliamentary democracy is the fact that both the Majority and Minority have exchanged roles when the country returned to constitutional democracy.
Debates on the floor of the House have grown, from the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic when the House was perceived as a one-sided Parliament. This was because the then opposition, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), boycotted parliamentary polls in protest against what they termed “a stolen verdict” of the presidential poll held earlier.
Again, the other party in the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic, apart from the then ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the National Convention Party (NCP) went into alliance with the NDC before the general election and could, therefore, not be seen as a credible Minority capable of critically scrutinising policies of the government on the floor of Parliament.
Currently, out of the 230 members in the House, nine have been Members of Parliament (MPs) since 1993, 45 since 1997 and 49 since the last Parliament (2001-2004).
The current Parliament also has as many as 122 new entrants while five members can be described as “returnees or ‘ababios’ ” because they lost their seats through various elections and made a comeback to the present Parliament.
They are Alhaji Collins Dauda (Asutifi South), Mr J.K. Gyapong (Akan), Mr Joseph Laani Labik (Bunkprugu-Yunyoo), Mr Dominic Azumah (Garu-Tempane) and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira.
However, it is expected that many members of the present Parliament would not be able to make it to the next Parliament, which begins on January 7, 2009 due to one reason or another.
At the last count, as many as 14 experienced MPs had made up their minds not to seek re-election during the December general election.
From the New Patriotic Party (NPP) side, veteran MPs who will not seek re-election include Mr J.H. Mensah, Sunyani East; Mrs Gladys Asmah, Takoradi; Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Akim Oda; Nana Akufo-Addo, Abuakwa South; Ms Theresa Amerley Tagoe, Ablekuma South; Mr S.K. Boafo, Subin; Mr Kwamena Bartels, Ablekuma North; Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Offinso North; Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Manhyia; Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Sunyani West; and Mrs Grace Coleman, Effiduase-Asokore.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) side will also lose experienced MPs, such as Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, Upper West Akim; Mr Ken Dzirasah, South Tongu; and Mr Francis Agbotse, Ho West.
It is also expected that some MPs will lose their bid to contest the December election after the various parties have conducted their primaries to select their parliamentary candidates.
Already, the NDC MP for South Dayi, Dr Kwame Ampofo, whose contributions in the House, as far as energy is concerned, have been tremendous, has fallen by the wayside.
There are also agitation across the country because certain individuals who think they have stayed at the periphery of politics for a long time are calling on MPs who had had two or three terms of office to give way to new ones. In some constituencies, as many as seven people have filed their nominations to contest primaries of their various parties.
The situation makes it easy for one to predict that the next Parliament will be full of new entrants. If that happens, what would be the fate of the House?
It has always been difficult for new MPs to study and adjust to the procedures and practices of the House. Only few new MPs are able to learn fast and contribute effectively to debates in Parliament. For some it has to take them the full cycle of their first term to gain the needed confidence to be active in Parliament.
The absence of seasoned MPs who have decided not to seek re-election will definitely have a serious consequence on the performance of the House, especially during the first session of the Fifth Parliament.
Debates on the floor of the House have shown that it takes matured MPs, who have done the necessary research and know much about the subject matter under discussion, to enhance parliamentary debates. New MPs are easily heckled and cowed into submission, thereby marring the beauty of debates in the House.
The agitation that experienced MPs should rest to pave the way for others to contest their seats is not the best for country’s parliamentary democratic system.
In my view, people who are making such agitation are doing so in ignorance. Parliament needs experienced people who are well versed in the procedures and practices of the House and as far as I am concerned, if MPs are doing well, they should not be changed.
It is my opinion that Ghanaians do not understand the actual work of MPs and programmes should be put in place to educate the electorate about the actual work of MPs. It is wrong to judge the performance of MPs through the number of projects they have undertaken. The foremost work of an MPs is to assist to enact laws, which will assist in the improvement of lives of the people. Again, to me, they are also to prevent the enactment of bad laws and the institution of policies that would be inimical to the development of the people.
The future of the country’s parliamentary democracy is bright and it is the expectation of Ghanaians and the international community that nothing would be done to disturb the current progress being made.
Current problems facing the country’s progress, as far as the retention of experienced MPs are concerned, can be described as the “pangs of childbirth”. At the end of the day, the country can rub shoulders with its counterparts everywhere in the world.
Article: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
GHANA’s parliamentary democracy has come of age, having been sustained since 1993 when the country returned to constitutional rule after wallowing in military dictatorship for many years.
Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, Parliament has travelled a smooth journey of 16 years during which the two sides of the House had come to recognise each other as a partner in development rather than what was formally termed as “opposition”.
This is the first time that parliamentary democracy in the country has been able to travel thus far as various previous attempts had ended in fiasco because of military adventurism.
The most interesting aspect of the country’s current parliamentary democracy is the fact that both the Majority and Minority have exchanged roles when the country returned to constitutional democracy.
Debates on the floor of the House have grown, from the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic when the House was perceived as a one-sided Parliament. This was because the then opposition, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), boycotted parliamentary polls in protest against what they termed “a stolen verdict” of the presidential poll held earlier.
Again, the other party in the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic, apart from the then ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the National Convention Party (NCP) went into alliance with the NDC before the general election and could, therefore, not be seen as a credible Minority capable of critically scrutinising policies of the government on the floor of Parliament.
Currently, out of the 230 members in the House, nine have been Members of Parliament (MPs) since 1993, 45 since 1997 and 49 since the last Parliament (2001-2004).
The current Parliament also has as many as 122 new entrants while five members can be described as “returnees or ‘ababios’ ” because they lost their seats through various elections and made a comeback to the present Parliament.
They are Alhaji Collins Dauda (Asutifi South), Mr J.K. Gyapong (Akan), Mr Joseph Laani Labik (Bunkprugu-Yunyoo), Mr Dominic Azumah (Garu-Tempane) and Mr Kojo Armah, MP for Evalue-Gwira.
However, it is expected that many members of the present Parliament would not be able to make it to the next Parliament, which begins on January 7, 2009 due to one reason or another.
At the last count, as many as 14 experienced MPs had made up their minds not to seek re-election during the December general election.
From the New Patriotic Party (NPP) side, veteran MPs who will not seek re-election include Mr J.H. Mensah, Sunyani East; Mrs Gladys Asmah, Takoradi; Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Akim Oda; Nana Akufo-Addo, Abuakwa South; Ms Theresa Amerley Tagoe, Ablekuma South; Mr S.K. Boafo, Subin; Mr Kwamena Bartels, Ablekuma North; Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Offinso North; Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Manhyia; Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Sunyani West; and Mrs Grace Coleman, Effiduase-Asokore.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) side will also lose experienced MPs, such as Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, Upper West Akim; Mr Ken Dzirasah, South Tongu; and Mr Francis Agbotse, Ho West.
It is also expected that some MPs will lose their bid to contest the December election after the various parties have conducted their primaries to select their parliamentary candidates.
Already, the NDC MP for South Dayi, Dr Kwame Ampofo, whose contributions in the House, as far as energy is concerned, have been tremendous, has fallen by the wayside.
There are also agitation across the country because certain individuals who think they have stayed at the periphery of politics for a long time are calling on MPs who had had two or three terms of office to give way to new ones. In some constituencies, as many as seven people have filed their nominations to contest primaries of their various parties.
The situation makes it easy for one to predict that the next Parliament will be full of new entrants. If that happens, what would be the fate of the House?
It has always been difficult for new MPs to study and adjust to the procedures and practices of the House. Only few new MPs are able to learn fast and contribute effectively to debates in Parliament. For some it has to take them the full cycle of their first term to gain the needed confidence to be active in Parliament.
The absence of seasoned MPs who have decided not to seek re-election will definitely have a serious consequence on the performance of the House, especially during the first session of the Fifth Parliament.
Debates on the floor of the House have shown that it takes matured MPs, who have done the necessary research and know much about the subject matter under discussion, to enhance parliamentary debates. New MPs are easily heckled and cowed into submission, thereby marring the beauty of debates in the House.
The agitation that experienced MPs should rest to pave the way for others to contest their seats is not the best for country’s parliamentary democratic system.
In my view, people who are making such agitation are doing so in ignorance. Parliament needs experienced people who are well versed in the procedures and practices of the House and as far as I am concerned, if MPs are doing well, they should not be changed.
It is my opinion that Ghanaians do not understand the actual work of MPs and programmes should be put in place to educate the electorate about the actual work of MPs. It is wrong to judge the performance of MPs through the number of projects they have undertaken. The foremost work of an MPs is to assist to enact laws, which will assist in the improvement of lives of the people. Again, to me, they are also to prevent the enactment of bad laws and the institution of policies that would be inimical to the development of the people.
The future of the country’s parliamentary democracy is bright and it is the expectation of Ghanaians and the international community that nothing would be done to disturb the current progress being made.
Current problems facing the country’s progress, as far as the retention of experienced MPs are concerned, can be described as the “pangs of childbirth”. At the end of the day, the country can rub shoulders with its counterparts everywhere in the world.
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