Ghana's Black Stars shows character against Austria

Ghana’s senior national side The Black Stars this evening kept her uneaten run intact after holding Austria 1-1 at the UPC-Arena in Graz, Austria. After 90 minutes of regular fast paced quality soccer from both sides, it was the Stars who had an uphill task to neutralize the lead clinched by the Austrians in the opening moments of the second half.
The Black stars were without thier regular captain, and midfields general, Steven Appiah and Michael Essian respectively. This game undoubtedly has tested the strength and impregnability of Ghana’s national team. It is worth noting that they proved their might. With this international friendly over, the Stars face the world’s number one soccer side, Brazil, in another friendly, next Tuesday.







By Isaac TETTEH

2007 is a test of Ghana's democratic diplomacy - Nana Akufo-Addo

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs on Friday observed that this year, 2007 would be a test of the strength of Ghana's democratic diplomacy because of a number of Ghana's involvement in African continental and global events.

He mentioned particularly Ghana's hosting of the forthcoming Summit of the African Union to be held in Accra from 25th June to 3rd July 2007. Nana Akufo-Addo made the observation in a statement on the floor of Parliament to give a background to the Summit, and a report on the President's recent trip to United Kingdom, Portugal and Algiers.

He said the main theme of the Summit would be the direction of the Union on the sort of governmental system to regulate its affairs and lead it to a greater unity of purpose. The Accra Summit would also discuss the composition of the commission of the Union on who constitutes its executive arm and the African Peer Review Mechanism process, which would culminate in the peer review of Algeria, Nigeria and South Africa. Other issues on the agenda of the Summit are the unresolved conflicts in Somalia, the Darfur Region of Sudan and the renew tension in Cote d'Ivoire. "The killings in Darfur, which appeared to have escalated are a great blot on the conscience of Africa, which the continent cannot afford."

The Foreign Affairs Minister used the occasion to inform the nation of the Africa-Europe Summit scheduled for Lisbon in December under the joint sponsorship of the Portuguese presidency of the European Union (EU) and Ghana's chairmanship of the African Union. Nana Akufo-Addo said the Summit promises to seek to elaborate the basis of a new transformed relationship between Europe and Africa.

"The President took the opportunity of his presence in Portugal to engage the Portuguese leadership on the need to develop and expand the bilateral relations between the two countries," the Minister said, underlining the mutual advantage in terms of cultural exchanges that would be heightened between the two countries.

Ensuring water availability to the populace is a strategic priority- Owusu-Agyeman

Government is moving towards making water available to 85 percent of Ghana's population by 2015, as a strategic priority. This is because access to water was crucial to "the successful achievement of most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)" and the Growth and Poverty Reduction (GPRS) 11.

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing made these points in his keynote address to mark "World Water Day" in Ho on Thursday under the theme, "Coping with water scarcity". "Fortunately we have set our priorities towards ensuring the provision of good drinking water and sanitation related services for our increasing population in the rural and urban areas", he said.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman said the task would require that the citizenry seriously explore simple but important technologically sound alternative sources of water supply such as rainwater harvesting. He therefore, tasked the District Assemblies to introduce mechanisms, including building codes and byelaws and their enforcement to promote rainwater harvesting. Mr Owusu-Agyeman said attention should also be focused on water management that addresses water conservation and pollution and creation of buffers along water bodies.

He said preliminary studies have therefore been initiated which aim at developing an appropriate buffer zone policy for the protection of the country's water bodies and vital eco-systems while providing economic benefits for the populace. Mr Owusu-Agyeman said in response to the sub-regional dimension of water resource management, the country played a lead role towards establishing the Volta Basin Authority, involving other countries such as Burkina Faso, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and Mali.

In a statement the Chairman of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Professor Clement Dorm-Adzobu said the Commission has initiated substantial programmes to develop appropriate management instruments, accelerating institutional co-ordination and creating enabling environment towards the effective implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management, which resulted in the establishment of decentralized basin management boards. One of such boards was the Densu Basin Board comprising representatives of District Assemblies, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, women and government institutions leading to the improvement in water quality of the Densu.

A statement from the United Nations Secretary General Mr Ban Ki -moon said the way forward in coping with water scarcity require strengthening institutional capacity and governance at all levels, promoting more technology transfer, mobilizing more financial resources and scaling up good practices and lessons learnt. He called on the "UN system and all stakeholders to forge stronger partnerships and take more concerted action throughout the entire International Decade for Action: Water for Life 2005-2015".GNA

US Ambassador on familiarisation visit to Upper East

The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Pomela Bridgewater on Thursday undertook a familiarisation visit to the Upper East Region to inspect some Community Self-Help Projects funded by the Embassy in the area. Areas she visited included the Basket Weavers Cooperative Association at Gambibgo; Sherigu Women's Organisation for Poultry and Art (SWOPA) and Hivilak Gift World Finest, a basket marketing company in Bolgatanga.

Mr Ayamga John Awuyanaba, Coordinator of the Gambibgo Basket Weavers Cooperative Association, on behalf of the Association, thanked the United States Embassy for its assistance. He explained that through the support of the Embassy, the Association had been able to build the capacity of its members and provided them with loans to undertake straw weaving, which has improved the quality of their products and their living standards.

"Many of our people, especially women, have been empowered economically and can now fend for themselves and their families." Mr Francis Danso, Managing Director of Havilak Gift World Finest Basket Company, said the Company had employed a good number of people in the area, especially the youth, thereby reducing the unemployment problem. The Ambassador, who was visibly impressed about the operation of the Embassy's Self-Help Projects, pledged the Embassy's further support and urged members of the group to work harder to empower themselves.

"Bolgatanga Basket is the best among all the baskets on the world market," Ms. Bridgewater indicated, after having bought many of the products herself. Accompanying the Ambassador was Mr Larry Dolan of USAID – Ghana; Ms. Amelia Brodrick, of the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy and Ms. Peace Adwoah Nunu, Coordinator of the Embassy's Self-Help Projects. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Boniface Gambila and some officials from the Regional Coordinating Council accompanied the Ambassador on her rounds.