Government is committed to Polytechnic education - Amoah

Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports has observed that Government was committed to Polytechnic education in the country. "In line with Government's policy of re-positioning Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) in Ghana, it would continue to equip and strengthen polytechnics to enable them offer technical and practical oriented programmes to meet the demands of industry and national economy," he said. Mr Amoah made the observation when launching the 29th Annual National Delegates Congress of Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) in Ho. It was under the theme, "The Achievements of Polytechnic Education - Need for Government's Greater Commitment". Mr Amoah said with regard to the commitment, polytechnics were being provided with enough funding and encouraged to offer degree programmes in science and technology. He said competency-based training was also being emphasized and attachments to industries regularized and strengthen for students to meet the demands of the job market. Mr Amoah said infrastructure facilities such as lecture halls, accommodation for lecturers, halls of residence, teaching and learning materials would continue to be provided for polytechnics to offer tertiary education in their own right with emphasis on practical skills needed to run a productive economy. He said provision of such infrastructure had demonstrated Government's response to the rapidly changing labour economy and the invaluable role of polytechnics in producing the needed human resource base for the country. Mr Amoah said it was therefore, necessary for polytechnics to recognize their unique position in the country's economy and function as such devoid of "ritual strike actions". "It is important that you demand what is yours, but it must be done legitimately and properly not to disrupt academic work," he added. Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, in a speech read for him, said Government was aware of the current graduate unemployment situation in the country. He said though the phenomenon had given a new twist to the problem of youth unemployment facing the country, pragmatic and far reaching programmes had been initiated to improve on the situation. Alhaji Boniface said On-the-Job Training Programme (OJP) and facilitating of meetings between employers, managers and educational institutions to forge partnerships to discuss issues relating relevant skills required for the job market were some of the practical efforts being made by Government. Mr Victor Amponsah, Officer-In-Charge of Training at Ghana Employers Association (GEA), expressed appreciation for Government's interventions in polytechnic education but called for greater commitment to give meaning to Government's agenda on human resource development, private sector growth and industrialization. "Polytechnics are perhaps what we need today. Therefore every effort must be made by Government to re-focus objectives of Polytechnics to provide graduates with employable skills that could feed our growing industries," he said. Mr Martin Kwame Sedem, National President of GNUPS said it was important that Polytechnics, as tertiary institutions were resourced to move away from the "shadows" of universities to have the confidence to concentrate on their objectives. He said this would enable Polytechnics take their role in tertiary education and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country.GNA

Ministry of Education to develop comprehensive policy on distance learning

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Saturday said Ministry of Education, Science and Sports would soon set up a committee to develop a comprehensive policy on distance learning for the country. He said Government's determination to expand tertiary education and make it accessible to all Ghanaians was manifested in the President's Special Initiative on Open University and Distance Learning. "I have taken a keen interest in this programme because the nation’s wealth depends on skilled and developed human resources. It is in line with this objective that Government has negotiated a joint cooperation with the largest Open University in the world.” President Kufuor announced this in an address read on his behalf by Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister for Ports, Harbours and Railways at the 11th Congregation of University of Education (UEW) at Winneba. A total of 2,559 students were awarded with certificates, Diplomas and Masters Degrees. President Kufuor said Government had through GETFUND constructed; renovated and expanded infrastructure and some facilities at UEW to meet the increasing number of students admitted to the university. He said Government would not relent in its efforts to ensure challenges of the university were addressed to facilitate teaching, learning and research. President Kufuor noted that with the increasing number of student intake and ageing lecturers, it had become necessary to train young lecturers through Government Scholarships to continue developing the skills of future leaders for the country. "We would continue to build the capacity of this university by supporting young and talented staff and students to pursue higher degree required to augment the staff strength". President Kufuor however, urged authorities of UEW to manage the Distance Learning programme for teachers in such a manner as not to interfere with teaching during the periods when they ought to be teaching in the classroom. He said Government was making efforts to provide an attractive package for university lecturers and staff and urged them to ensure peace prevailed on campus. Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Vice Chancellor of UEW said 2,281 students passed the Bachelor of Education through its regular programmes and 234 received Diplomas and Certificates. He said 29 students including eight women had first class in the various disciplines, while 162 women and 258 men obtained Second Class Upper. Professor Anamuah-Mensah said UEW recognized the intrinsic role that the nation's teachers played in the development process and was therefore, committed to ensure that the best practices were obtained in their recruitment and training. Mr Jude Kofi Bucknor, Chairman of the University Council, said the quality of teachers determined a country's future success because teachers represented society's investment in the youth. He urged the graduates to translate the training and exposure they had received into meaningful and substantial contribution to educate the youth.GNA

MP denies defrauding gold dealer

Mr Twuamsi-Appiah MP for Asene on Saturday denied that he had attempted defrauding a businessman at 800,000 dollars in a gold deal. Speaking to the GNA at the Accra Regional Police Headquarters, Mr Twumasi-Appiah said earlier in the month, a friend called him to say that he had some people who had 50 kilograms of gold to sell and whether he- Twumasi-Appiah- could get a buyer for the precious metal. Mr Twumasi-Appiah, who is also an investment consultant, said he then got in touch with one Mr Charles Dejoe, a friend and a gold dealer, about the offer. Mr Dejoe, he said, then told him that he was out of the country but that, in view of the quantity of gold involved, he would personally come down to Ghana for the transaction. Mr Twumasi-Appiah said on Thursday, November 23, Mr Dejoe contacted him and he told him that the consignment was in. Dejoe then asked that they should meet at the Geological Survey Department (GSD) to test the quality, quantity and carat level of the gold. He said he got to the GSD on Friday after 1200 hours and met the said sellers of the gold numbering about six there. He said in view of where Dejoe's office was located at East Legon, and the fact that he Twumasi-Appiah did not have enough time to spend at the GSD he called Dejoe to ask that he name someone at the GSD who would witness the test. Dejoe gave him two names of the staff of GDS, but there were both not at work. He then proceeded for testing of the sample of gold brought by the sellers as a representative of the buyer. Mr Twumasi-Appiah said when Mr Dejoe finally arrived at the GSD premises he asked that the whole consignment be tested instead of just the sample at the expense of the sellers. Dejoe then requested that the 50 kilogram box which the sellers had brought to the GSD be opened, whilst he Twumasi_Appiah was in the laboratory. He said Dejoe then called him in the laboratory and said that the sellers were not genuine people because they had refused his request for the box to be opened. But to ensure that the sellers paid for the cost of testing the samples, and because both he and Dejoe had unspecified amounts of cash in their vehicles, he Twumasi-Appiah called the police to give them adequate protection, in case the sellers turned out to be fraudsters. He said Dejoe also called the police 20 minutes after he had placed his call. When the policemen he had called arrived, they were able to arrest and handcuff two of the sellers after four of them had bolted. He said they were in the process of conveying the two sellers to the police station when the other policemen Dejoe had called arrived and helped them to send them to the Accra Central Police Station. Mr Twumasi-Appiah said at the station, he was waiting for the statements of the two suspects to be taken when he was informed that the Regional Commander, ACP Asiedu Akrofi wanted to see him, only to be told by the Commander that there was order from above to detain him. He said he insisted to know by whose orders he was being detained but the police did not divulge that information to him. He was detained from 2100 hours to 2300 hours and later called from the back of the counter to go home and to report at the same police station today (Saturday) at 1400 hours but when the Regional Commander arrived at post he asked that he should report back on Monday, November 27. He expressed amazement on how he had become the accused when he had requested the people to arrest gold sellers. The GNA on Friday reported that Mr Felix Twumasi-Appiah, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Sene, and three others for allegedly attempting to defraud a businessman by selling to him fake gold dust to the tune of 800,000 dollars. The suspects are Wallace Mensah, Kwantwi Barimah and Tony Delor Deputy Superintendent of Police Kwesi Ofori of the Police Public Relations Directorate told the Ghana News Agency that Mr Charles Dejoe, the complainant, said he was outside the country when the MP called him that he had 50 kilogrammes of gold to sell at 16,000 dollars per kilogramme. Mr Dejoe came to Ghana to buy the metal but suggested that the gold should be sent to the Geological Survey Department for testing. Mr Ofori said the suspects suggested that a sample should be tested and after the test Mr Dejoe requested that the whole quantity, packed in a metal box and sealed, should be tested as well but Twumasi-Appiah objected. Mr Ofori said the complainant became suspicious and informed the Police who stormed the Survey Department premises and arrested the suspects.GNA

Let us address the needs of NPP foot soldiers - Crabbe

Mr Samuel Crabbe, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday appealed to the National Executive Committee of the Party to put in place measures to address the needs of members who had become disillusioned for being neglected by the Party. "The greatest threat to this Party is not the National Democratic Congress (NDC), but apathy due to the fact that we have not done a good job at ensuring that our foot solders and in many cases the needs of the executive were met". Mr Crabbe made the appeal when addressing the opening session of the Greater Accra Annual Delegates Conference of the NPP in Accra. It was attended by more than 270 delegates from the 27 constituencies in the region who took stock of all Party activities for the year and how to strategize for the future. He stressed the need for the Party to identify the needs of Party members and sought permanent solutions by helping them to become self-reliant. Mr Crabbe called for re-engineering of the Party to be responsive to the needs of members and also become a centre of excellence for the development of people with good leadership qualities and knowledge. "There is no institution anywhere that could better groom future politicians than a political party," he added. Mr Crabbe said Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) facilities at the Greater Accra Regional Secretariat would be replicated in all the 27 constituencies in the region and to link other areas via Wide Area Network (WAN). He said the Greater Accra Regional Secretariat would organise leadership workshops and computer training skills for members to improve on their skills and knowledge in ICT. Mr Crabbe announced that a business advisory board set up by the Secretariat was working with consultants to help members present their ideas in the right format to enable them access funds from micro credit schemes. Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister asked members of the Party to be steadfast and not allow opponents of Government deceive them. "Government has delivered so well on its promises to the people, what is left is to make you fishers of men," he said. Sheikh Quaye called for unity among the rank and file of the Party to ensure that NPP increased its Parliamentary seats in the region to 20 during the 2008 general election. Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing said the Greater Accra branch of the NPP was a beacon for the other regions and urged the regional executives to close their ranks and forge ahead. He called on party members to take advantage of the numerous Government initiatives and financial arrangements to improve on their business activities.GNA

Cancer cases on the rise - GAEC

Professor Edward H.K. Akaho, Director General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) on Friday said within the next 20 years there could be 200 million cancer cases worldwide with 75 per cent coming from developing countries. He said realising the upsurge of cancer in the country the Commission had requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for assistance to upgrade and expand the Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine at the Korle-bu and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals and to establish a new one at Tamale to provide care for the patients. Speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of the GAEC in Accra, he said these two centres had witnessed an increase in the number of new patients of which experts claimed that 70 per cent of the reported cases had reached advanced state. He said nuclear medicine in synergy with radiotherapy services had proved important since it provided tumour marker services for various cancers f the prostrate, liver and the colon. He said the IAEA had assisted Ghana to prepare a proposal to put in place a Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) and that the programme being an initiative of Professor Mohammed Elbaradei, IAEA's Director General would enable early detection through screening including curative and palliative treatments. Professor Akaho said GAEC had realised the need for human resource development to manage and utilise its nuclear facilities of the radiotherapy and nuclear medicine centres, adding that there was presently a wide gap between the older generation of experienced nuclear and younger inexperienced staff. He said the GAEC was established by an Act of Parliament Act 204, now superseded by Act 588 of 2000 with vested responsibility for all matters related to the peaceful uses of atomic energy. He said though scientific research started far back in 1952 at the Physics Department of the then University of Gold Coast, (now University of Ghana) work in radioisotope application gained ground in 1959 with Ghana signing the Non Proliferation Treaty in 1970 after she had joined the IAEA in 1970. He said the main function of the Commission included peaceful application of nuclear techniques and biotechnology for the sustainable development of Ghana ensuing that nuclear safety and security were not compromised. Professor Akaho said the Research Reactor commissioned in 1995 and other nuclear analytical facilities had been used for analysis in geological, medical, biological and industrial materials for various sectors of the economy. He said the agriculture sector had benefited a lot from the commission in the area of gamma mutation breeding and use of tissue culture technique for cocoa, plantain, banana, pineapples, yams, sugar cane coconut and cassava.GNA

UK-based Tourism operators expressed interest to establish in Ghana

A delegation of “Madam Tussauds Group”, a United Kingdom (UK) based tourist centre operators, on Friday paid a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu to express interest in operating business in Ghana. It plans working together with the Ghana Hall of Fame on three identified potential sites at Kpone, Kawukudi and the Motorway. Mr Glenn Earlam, the Managing Director, who led the delegation said they were keen to have a presence in the country, making Ghana, its first point of call in Africa. The Group specialises in the making of statues of prominent personalities. In the UK, about 2,500 tourists daily visit its centre. It also has other centres in China and the United States. President Kufuor said the Government would co-operate with the Group but noted that Parliamentary approval would be necessary. Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Minister of State of Culture and Chieftaincy, accompanied the delegation.GNA

NDC seeks accountability on presidential mansion

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged Parliament, especially its Minority Caucus to demand full disclosure of all the necessary financial information about the Flagstaff Presidential mansion. It laid special emphasis on what happened to the 30 million dollars loan approved for the project; how come the project was only 14 per cent complete and additional funds were being requested; has the 30 million dollars been exhausted already or it has not been released?" Again: "If the 30 million dollars has not been released where did the Government take the money from to start the project up to the 14 per cent state of completion?" The NDC in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia said it was shocked and dismayed at the response of the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani to Parliament on Thursday November 16, when he was asked to disclose the contract sum (estimated cost) of the Presidential Mansion, which was currently under construction. In response to the question filed by the NDC MP for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister said he would know the estimated cost only after the construction of the project was completed. The statement said, "This answer, in our view, can mean one of two things, that no proper procedures were followed in the award of the contract and therefore no documentation exists on the tendering process, contract sum; or that this information exists but the Minister has something to hide, which makes the disclosure to Parliament injurious to his personal interest or the interest of his government. "Whichever way one looks at this, the Minister's actions and inactions on that fateful day have been prejudicial to the national interest." It said, "What makes the Minister's attitude even more difficult to understand is the fact that currently before the same Parliament is a request for approval of a loan facility of five million US dollars from STANBIC Bank Ghana Limited to be used as additional funds for the project. The statement said, "In the absence of satisfactory answers to these and the many other questions being asked by Ghanaians, no further disbursements of the national resources should be approved for the project."GNA