Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports has called on individuals, institutions and groups to take advantage of Government policies and programmes to create wealth and generate employment to reduce poverty.
He said some of the policies and programmes were support to promote private participation in the economy and credit facilities to expand medium and small scale enterprises to address unemployment one of the teething problems facing Government.
Papa Owusu Ankomah who is also Member of Parliament for Sekondi made the call when addressing an extraordinary meeting of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Polling Station Executives in Sekondi Constituency at Sekondi.
He advised beneficiaries of loans to repay them promptly to enable others benefit.
Papa Owusu Ankomah announced that Government was sourcing funds to undertake some development projects to improve sanitation and beautification in Sekondi.
He said these included dredging of Esee lagoon at Sekondi estimated at about one million Euros and the supply of 25 outboard motors to some fishermen to promote fishing industry in the area.
Papa Owusu Ankomah announced that he had personally donated 50 sets of street bulbs to improve street lighting system in Sekondi.
He pointed out that Polling Station Executives were highly regarded in the Party’s structures and urged them to continue the good works they had been doing to protect the image and invincibility of the party in Sekondi.
Nana Owusu Ankomah, Western Regional Chairman of NPP asked members to remain loyal and not allow the scheduled National Congress in December divide their ranks.
GNA
News from Ghana,the African Sub-Region and More!
13.11.06
President Kufuor returns home
President John Agyekum Kufuor returned home on Monday evening after attending the China-Africa Heads of State Summit in Beijing, the first Africa-Korea Forum in Seoul and a two-day official visit to Japan.
He was accompanied by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD and Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister for Energy.
Briefing newsmen Nana Akufo-Addo said the two summits were follow up to African-Asian Summit held in Jakarta in April last year.
He said the Beijing Summit the first of its kind was attended by 48 African countries to renew existing relations between Africa and China.
Nana Akufo-Addo said the Korean summit was attended by five African countries including Ghana.
He said President Kufuor had discussions with Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and Korean Prime Minister Han Myeong-Sook as well as Mr Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General designate.
The Foreign Minister said their discussions centred on issues of mutual interest and conflict areas in Africa.
He noted that it had become obvious that the global community had been impressed by the progress Ghana was making in democratic governance.
President Kufuor was met on arrival by Vice President Aliu Mahama, Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Lieutenant-General Joseph B. Danquah, Chief of Defence Staff and officials from Chinese and Korean Embassies in Ghana.
GNA
He was accompanied by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD and Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister for Energy.
Briefing newsmen Nana Akufo-Addo said the two summits were follow up to African-Asian Summit held in Jakarta in April last year.
He said the Beijing Summit the first of its kind was attended by 48 African countries to renew existing relations between Africa and China.
Nana Akufo-Addo said the Korean summit was attended by five African countries including Ghana.
He said President Kufuor had discussions with Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and Korean Prime Minister Han Myeong-Sook as well as Mr Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General designate.
The Foreign Minister said their discussions centred on issues of mutual interest and conflict areas in Africa.
He noted that it had become obvious that the global community had been impressed by the progress Ghana was making in democratic governance.
President Kufuor was met on arrival by Vice President Aliu Mahama, Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Lieutenant-General Joseph B. Danquah, Chief of Defence Staff and officials from Chinese and Korean Embassies in Ghana.
GNA
Ministry has not paid any money to “party friends and front journalists
The Ministry of Information and National Orientation on Monday said it had not spent 36 billion cedis on “party friends and front journalists”.
A statement signed by the Sector Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels said: “The attention of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation has been drawn to a headline article by "The Insight" of Monday, November 13, purporting to "expose" the Ministry for "blowing" 36 billion on "party friends and front journalists". The Ministry states categorically that the story is untrue.
“It is not true that 36 billion has been spent on "party friends and front journalists". Indeed, no money, not even a cedi, has been paid to Ghana Telecom for any such programme.
“The Ministry as part of its communications strategy has indeed set up Information Communications Management Teams to help disseminate Government policies and programmes to the public.
“The Ministry, as part of its communication strategy has sought to provide communication facilities for members of its teams.
“In the process of constituting the Ministry's various communications teams, various individuals were contacted including Mr Egbert Faibille; A.C. Ohene, among others. The two, however, declined interest citing various reasons, including pressure of work. The Ministry subsequently communicated to Ghana Telecom, requesting the deletion of the two names on September 5.
“The Ministry of Information and National Orientation wishes to reiterate that the formation of such strategic teams are part of the Ministry's mandate. Media teams are a regular function of public and non-public organizations, and indeed, the Managing Editor of "The Insight" Mr Kwesi Pratt had earlier been part of such a ministerial communications team under this same Government.
“Again, no sum of money has been paid so far for this exercise and it is, therefore, not true that a "whopping 36 billion cedis" has been spent as "The Insight" claims.
GNA
www.myradiogoldlive.com
A statement signed by the Sector Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels said: “The attention of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation has been drawn to a headline article by "The Insight" of Monday, November 13, purporting to "expose" the Ministry for "blowing" 36 billion on "party friends and front journalists". The Ministry states categorically that the story is untrue.
“It is not true that 36 billion has been spent on "party friends and front journalists". Indeed, no money, not even a cedi, has been paid to Ghana Telecom for any such programme.
“The Ministry as part of its communications strategy has indeed set up Information Communications Management Teams to help disseminate Government policies and programmes to the public.
“The Ministry, as part of its communication strategy has sought to provide communication facilities for members of its teams.
“In the process of constituting the Ministry's various communications teams, various individuals were contacted including Mr Egbert Faibille; A.C. Ohene, among others. The two, however, declined interest citing various reasons, including pressure of work. The Ministry subsequently communicated to Ghana Telecom, requesting the deletion of the two names on September 5.
“The Ministry of Information and National Orientation wishes to reiterate that the formation of such strategic teams are part of the Ministry's mandate. Media teams are a regular function of public and non-public organizations, and indeed, the Managing Editor of "The Insight" Mr Kwesi Pratt had earlier been part of such a ministerial communications team under this same Government.
“Again, no sum of money has been paid so far for this exercise and it is, therefore, not true that a "whopping 36 billion cedis" has been spent as "The Insight" claims.
GNA
www.myradiogoldlive.com
Ministry has not paid any money to “party friends and front journalists
The Ministry of Information and National Orientation on Monday said it had not spent 36 billion cedis on “party friends and front journalists”.
A statement signed by the Sector Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels said: “The attention of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation has been drawn to a headline article by "The Insight" of Monday, November 13, purporting to "expose" the Ministry for "blowing" 36 billion on "party friends and front journalists". The Ministry states categorically that the story is untrue.
“It is not true that 36 billion has been spent on "party friends and front journalists". Indeed, no money, not even a cedi, has been paid to Ghana Telecom for any such programme.
“The Ministry as part of its communications strategy has indeed set up Information Communications Management Teams to help disseminate Government policies and programmes to the public.
“The Ministry, as part of its communication strategy has sought to provide communication facilities for members of its teams.
“In the process of constituting the Ministry's various communications teams, various individuals were contacted including Mr Egbert Faibille; A.C. Ohene, among others. The two, however, declined interest citing various reasons, including pressure of work. The Ministry subsequently communicated to Ghana Telecom, requesting the deletion of the two names on September 5.
“The Ministry of Information and National Orientation wishes to reiterate that the formation of such strategic teams are part of the Ministry's mandate. Media teams are a regular function of public and non-public organizations, and indeed, the Managing Editor of "The Insight" Mr Kwesi Pratt had earlier been part of such a ministerial communications team under this same Government.
“Again, no sum of money has been paid so far for this exercise and it is, therefore, not true that a "whopping 36 billion cedis" has been spent as "The Insight" claims.
GNA
www.myradiogoldlive.com
A statement signed by the Sector Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels said: “The attention of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation has been drawn to a headline article by "The Insight" of Monday, November 13, purporting to "expose" the Ministry for "blowing" 36 billion on "party friends and front journalists". The Ministry states categorically that the story is untrue.
“It is not true that 36 billion has been spent on "party friends and front journalists". Indeed, no money, not even a cedi, has been paid to Ghana Telecom for any such programme.
“The Ministry as part of its communications strategy has indeed set up Information Communications Management Teams to help disseminate Government policies and programmes to the public.
“The Ministry, as part of its communication strategy has sought to provide communication facilities for members of its teams.
“In the process of constituting the Ministry's various communications teams, various individuals were contacted including Mr Egbert Faibille; A.C. Ohene, among others. The two, however, declined interest citing various reasons, including pressure of work. The Ministry subsequently communicated to Ghana Telecom, requesting the deletion of the two names on September 5.
“The Ministry of Information and National Orientation wishes to reiterate that the formation of such strategic teams are part of the Ministry's mandate. Media teams are a regular function of public and non-public organizations, and indeed, the Managing Editor of "The Insight" Mr Kwesi Pratt had earlier been part of such a ministerial communications team under this same Government.
“Again, no sum of money has been paid so far for this exercise and it is, therefore, not true that a "whopping 36 billion cedis" has been spent as "The Insight" claims.
GNA
www.myradiogoldlive.com
Excessive speed causing road accidents-Study
- A recent study on vehicular speed on the Accra/Kumasi road has concluded that the excessive vehicular speeds coupled with the wide speed variations explained in part the high incidence of traffic crashes and fatalities on the highway.
The study, which was conducted by a team of researchers from the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Washington in USA, showed that over 95 per cent of the 4,163 vehicles whose travelling speeds were measured, travelled above the posted speed limit of 50 kilometre per hour in settlement areas.
According to the research findings, vehicles on average travelled at 87km/hr and variations in speed very wide with a standard deviation of 18km/hr for all classes of vehicles as well as a range of 40 to 187km/hr.
The highest vehicular speed was associated with private cars, which had 97.6 per cent followed by large buses with 93.6 per cent and the least was with the heavy trucks, which had 73.8 per cent.
Mr Noble John Appiah, Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, revealed these at the opening of a 4-day multi sector-training course on injury and trauma control in Kumasi on Monday.
It is being organised by the KNUST and the University of Washington.
The course seeks to increase awareness on injury and build capacities on injury research in the country.
Participants are from the judiciary, Attorney Generals Department, FIDA, security agencies, the media, CHRAJ and Road Safety Commission. Mr Appiah said injury cases in Ghana were expected to increase annually on the average by approximately 9 per cent and would involve 10 per cent of the vehicle population in the country while the number of casualties would also increase by 9 per cent.
He said 81 per cent of severely injured patients would die before help came to them or even get to the hospital. Mr Appiah said an integrated speed monitoring and control programme and the realigning of highways to by-pass small and medium settlements would be required as a long term measure for the reduction of speed related road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries in Ghana.
Professor Tsiri Agbenyega, Dean of School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of KNUST, said road traffic injury was a significant health problem in the country.
He hoped the training course would enable the participants to see how they could mobilise resources to curtail the problem.
Professor Charles Mock, Course Director and Professor of the University of Washington, said the project was working in partnership with about 15 universities throughout the world to conduct research on road safety and build capacities on trauma and injury controls in order to reduce fatalities.
He said research on Ghana's road safety had been encouraging and was being incorporated into the project, adding that, injury control was scientific and should be approached in a scientific way as done to other diseases.
GNA
The study, which was conducted by a team of researchers from the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Washington in USA, showed that over 95 per cent of the 4,163 vehicles whose travelling speeds were measured, travelled above the posted speed limit of 50 kilometre per hour in settlement areas.
According to the research findings, vehicles on average travelled at 87km/hr and variations in speed very wide with a standard deviation of 18km/hr for all classes of vehicles as well as a range of 40 to 187km/hr.
The highest vehicular speed was associated with private cars, which had 97.6 per cent followed by large buses with 93.6 per cent and the least was with the heavy trucks, which had 73.8 per cent.
Mr Noble John Appiah, Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, revealed these at the opening of a 4-day multi sector-training course on injury and trauma control in Kumasi on Monday.
It is being organised by the KNUST and the University of Washington.
The course seeks to increase awareness on injury and build capacities on injury research in the country.
Participants are from the judiciary, Attorney Generals Department, FIDA, security agencies, the media, CHRAJ and Road Safety Commission. Mr Appiah said injury cases in Ghana were expected to increase annually on the average by approximately 9 per cent and would involve 10 per cent of the vehicle population in the country while the number of casualties would also increase by 9 per cent.
He said 81 per cent of severely injured patients would die before help came to them or even get to the hospital. Mr Appiah said an integrated speed monitoring and control programme and the realigning of highways to by-pass small and medium settlements would be required as a long term measure for the reduction of speed related road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries in Ghana.
Professor Tsiri Agbenyega, Dean of School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of KNUST, said road traffic injury was a significant health problem in the country.
He hoped the training course would enable the participants to see how they could mobilise resources to curtail the problem.
Professor Charles Mock, Course Director and Professor of the University of Washington, said the project was working in partnership with about 15 universities throughout the world to conduct research on road safety and build capacities on trauma and injury controls in order to reduce fatalities.
He said research on Ghana's road safety had been encouraging and was being incorporated into the project, adding that, injury control was scientific and should be approached in a scientific way as done to other diseases.
GNA
Don't panic, there will be no fuel shortage...TOR
The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), on Monday morning started loading petroleum products from its rack to the various oil filling stations.
Management has therefore urged the public not to panic over any shortage of fuel in the system as it is working around the clock to ensure that the products get to the oil marketing companies and then to the designated stations.
The Public Affairs Manager of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko explained on Monday at Tema that upon request by the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) near Tema to replenish its storage tank, the oil marketing companies were informed on Thursday to take their allocations from Kumasi.
She said BOST then begun replenishing its stock in the tank as strategic reserve and completed on Sunday, presumably causing the temporary shortage.
Loading of petroleum products was actively taking place when the GNA visited TOR.
Mrs Lokko, however, denied any shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in the system.She advised against panic buying in order not to create any problem.
Though there were no queues at the filling stations that the GNA visited as at noon, some taxi drivers claimed they bought their fuel as far as Doryumu in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region.
While others blame he temporary shortage on the upcoming budget, others also thought TOR’s allegation of the adulteration of fuel had infuriated the oil marketing companies to hoard their allocations.
GNA
Management has therefore urged the public not to panic over any shortage of fuel in the system as it is working around the clock to ensure that the products get to the oil marketing companies and then to the designated stations.
The Public Affairs Manager of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko explained on Monday at Tema that upon request by the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) near Tema to replenish its storage tank, the oil marketing companies were informed on Thursday to take their allocations from Kumasi.
She said BOST then begun replenishing its stock in the tank as strategic reserve and completed on Sunday, presumably causing the temporary shortage.
Loading of petroleum products was actively taking place when the GNA visited TOR.
Mrs Lokko, however, denied any shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in the system.She advised against panic buying in order not to create any problem.
Though there were no queues at the filling stations that the GNA visited as at noon, some taxi drivers claimed they bought their fuel as far as Doryumu in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region.
While others blame he temporary shortage on the upcoming budget, others also thought TOR’s allegation of the adulteration of fuel had infuriated the oil marketing companies to hoard their allocations.
GNA
Regional Workshop on Bio Fuels opens
Vice President Alhaji Alui Mahama on Monday pledged the Government's support to efforts and initiatives aimed at creating a regional fund for the development and use of bio-fuels in place of fossil fuel in Africa.
In a speech read on his behalf by Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, at the opening of a two-day Regional Workshop on Financing Bio fuels and Jathropha Plantation Projects with Special Emphasis on Clean Development Mechanisms, Vice President Mahama noted that the dependence on fossil energy had burdened the economies of developing countries in Africa, while most of the Continent's alternative energy resources remained unexploited.
He said even though Africa had a great potential and was well endowed with natural energy resources, investments on the Continent for the development of renewable energy such as bio-fuels was woefully inadequate.
The workshop is being organized by the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and sponsored by the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). It is being attended by about a 100 Ministers, Directors and players in the bio-fuels industry from both West Africa and the European Union (EU).
The workshop would culminate in the creation of a fund for investment into the expansion of jathropha plantations and the development of bio-fuels in West African states.
Alhaji Aliu said jathropha plantations and their resultant bio energy development would go a long way to reduce the tax burdens that came with fossil fuel importation and consumption in African economies.
"Bio diesel extracted from jathropha could be used in running stationary engines like corn mills, irrigation pumps and cottage industries - the use of bio-diesel in houses would reduce harmful carbon emissions that could cause respiratory problems," he said.
In a speech read for Mr Ernest Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture, he noted that jathropha oils had an advantage over vegetable oil in terms of health and besides bio-fuels from jathropha would give African economies greater independence from the shocks of constantly fluctuating international crude oil prices.
Mr Abraham Dwumaa Odoom, Deputy Minister of Local Government, said large acreages of jathropha plantation could impact on climate change in a positive way and moreover bio fuel from jathropha would ease the burden on Ghana's hydro and thermal energy sources.
The workshop would streamline all successful initiatives, identify the role of stakeholders in development of the bio-fuel supply chain and consolidate strategies and adopt a regional approach for the promotion and development of bio-fuel in Africa.
Excerpts from a research by the Netherlands-based Fuels from Agriculture in Communal Technology (FACT) Foundation made available to the Ghana News Agency indicated that jathropha plantations had been identified as a major bio-fuel alternative for West African economies.
The research stated that to date, Brazil and Malaysia were world leaders in the cultivation of jathropha, which had several additional benefits, including cure for constipation (seeds) and malaria (leaves), healing for wounds (latex or sap).
It said the jathropha plant, besides being a major source of bio-fuel when processed, also served as an effective form of hedges around gardens, farms and fields to protect crops against roaming animals, as a wind and water shield and to reduce erosion.
The report also noted that an investment into jathropha plantation, especially in Africa promised to reduce unemployment among women because the oil from the seeds was also good for soap making.
"Although Malaysia and Brazil are the biggest investor destinations for the cultivation, production and processing of jathropha, investors will select the African region if production cost in West Africa is lower," the research said.
GNA
In a speech read on his behalf by Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, at the opening of a two-day Regional Workshop on Financing Bio fuels and Jathropha Plantation Projects with Special Emphasis on Clean Development Mechanisms, Vice President Mahama noted that the dependence on fossil energy had burdened the economies of developing countries in Africa, while most of the Continent's alternative energy resources remained unexploited.
He said even though Africa had a great potential and was well endowed with natural energy resources, investments on the Continent for the development of renewable energy such as bio-fuels was woefully inadequate.
The workshop is being organized by the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and sponsored by the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). It is being attended by about a 100 Ministers, Directors and players in the bio-fuels industry from both West Africa and the European Union (EU).
The workshop would culminate in the creation of a fund for investment into the expansion of jathropha plantations and the development of bio-fuels in West African states.
Alhaji Aliu said jathropha plantations and their resultant bio energy development would go a long way to reduce the tax burdens that came with fossil fuel importation and consumption in African economies.
"Bio diesel extracted from jathropha could be used in running stationary engines like corn mills, irrigation pumps and cottage industries - the use of bio-diesel in houses would reduce harmful carbon emissions that could cause respiratory problems," he said.
In a speech read for Mr Ernest Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture, he noted that jathropha oils had an advantage over vegetable oil in terms of health and besides bio-fuels from jathropha would give African economies greater independence from the shocks of constantly fluctuating international crude oil prices.
Mr Abraham Dwumaa Odoom, Deputy Minister of Local Government, said large acreages of jathropha plantation could impact on climate change in a positive way and moreover bio fuel from jathropha would ease the burden on Ghana's hydro and thermal energy sources.
The workshop would streamline all successful initiatives, identify the role of stakeholders in development of the bio-fuel supply chain and consolidate strategies and adopt a regional approach for the promotion and development of bio-fuel in Africa.
Excerpts from a research by the Netherlands-based Fuels from Agriculture in Communal Technology (FACT) Foundation made available to the Ghana News Agency indicated that jathropha plantations had been identified as a major bio-fuel alternative for West African economies.
The research stated that to date, Brazil and Malaysia were world leaders in the cultivation of jathropha, which had several additional benefits, including cure for constipation (seeds) and malaria (leaves), healing for wounds (latex or sap).
It said the jathropha plant, besides being a major source of bio-fuel when processed, also served as an effective form of hedges around gardens, farms and fields to protect crops against roaming animals, as a wind and water shield and to reduce erosion.
The report also noted that an investment into jathropha plantation, especially in Africa promised to reduce unemployment among women because the oil from the seeds was also good for soap making.
"Although Malaysia and Brazil are the biggest investor destinations for the cultivation, production and processing of jathropha, investors will select the African region if production cost in West Africa is lower," the research said.
GNA
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