Work begins on Bui Dam Construction

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday cut the sod to mark the start of work on the 622-million-dollar Bui Hydro-Electric Dam Project at Bui in the Brong Ahafo Region. The construction of the Dam, which has been on the drawing board for decades, would add 400 megawatts to the national electricity generation mix on completion.Apart from hydropower generation, the Project has irrigation, fisheries and tourism components and the construction of a nucleus of a metropolis to be called Bui City that is expected to provide impetus to the economic and social transformation of the area.The construction phase is projected to give direct employment to 2,900 Ghanaians.Speaking at the ceremony President Kufuor gave a firm assurance that its implementation would be kept consistent with internationally accepted environmental standards and best practices. A comprehensive environmental monitoring and mitigation plan, he said, had been incorporated in the Project's design to minimize its negative impact.Additionally, the Government would ensure that compensatory plans for resettlement of about 2,000 people, who would be affected by the Project, would draw extensively on experiences from earlier re-settlement schemes undertaken during the construction of the Akosombo and Kpong Hydro-Electric Projects.President Kufuor said the Project, programmed for completion in early 2012, was part of the overall strategy to triple the country's energy supply capacity from the current 2,000 megawatts to 6,000 megawatts by 2015.He called on the nation's engineers, technicians and managers as well as both skilled and unskilled labour to take full advantage of it to help to promote the necessary technology transfer that would enable the country to execute similar projects on its own in the future. Sino-Hydro, Chinese Company, reputed for the construction of China's biggest hydropower dam is constructing the project. President Kufuor spoke of plans to build small dams on the Ankobra, Pra, Tano and the White Volta.He said "to look ahead to the next 30 years, to forestall the current energy shortage problems that currently confront us, and in anticipation of increased population and widespread industrialization, it is hoped that planning ahead for increased energy supply will become part of the national culture".President Kufuor conveyed the country's appreciation to China, which is providing 562 million dollars towards the Project. The remaining 60 million dollars is from the Government of Ghana."The (Bui) Hydro-Energy Project is yet another addition to the list of collaborative ventures," he said.Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Energy Minister, described the Project as a 'dream that has become a reality'.Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Finance Minister, asked the business community to seize the opportunity offered by the Project to create more wealth and jobs.China's Ambassador, Mr Yu Wenzhe said Ghana and his country were both developing and that it was important for them to cooperate and to assist each other in times of need. He said China would continue to support Ghana as well as encourage its entrepreneurs to invest and set up joint-ventures in the country. Mr J.H. Mensah, a Statesman, who presided, said the project was in fulfilment of a promise the Government made to the nation. 24 Aug. 07
Source:GNA

GCB to rollout MasterCard in Ghana

The Ghana Commercial Bank, GCB, has acquired a certification to issue MasterCard in Ghana. It has thus become the first bank in Ghana to acquire a principal certification for the global brand. GCB with its 135 networked branches and 10 agencies will sponsor affiliates and work with merchants as well as customers to roll out the various types of MasterCard including debits, credit and pre-paid. A delegation from MasterCard International is currently in the country to finalize preparations to enable the bank introduce the card. The Head of Marketing and Card Business at GCB, Alhaji Hussein Ibn Salifu has told JOY News that the bank will launch the MasterCard before the end of the year, explaining that with the introduction of MasterCard, customers of GCB will have access to their accounts in any part of the world. GCB's association with MasterCard dates back to the years when it introduced the first prepaid card, Mondex, another product of MasterCard. The bank officials say their electronic payment system will be integrated into the domestic platform being sponsored by the Bank of Ghana.

Mazuii applauds opposition ....

Professor Ali Alamin Mazrui, a world acclaimed African scholar, on Thursday attributed the relative political stability in Ghana to the moderation of the opposition saying, "restraint by the opposition in Ghana is a virtue.""The behaviour of the opposition goes a long way to determine the political status of a country and Ghana's opposition must be given the credit for their restraint, which has kept the country relatively stable for decades," he said.Prof. Mazrui, made the remark at the seventh in the Golden Jubilee Lecture series, jointly organised by the Ghana at 50 Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and NEPAD. The topic for the lecture was "The Brain Drain and the dual Diaspora: Post-enslavement and post-coloniality."Prof. Mazrui noted that political instability among other things was a major "push out factor" that contributed to brain-drain in Africa.He said the phenomenon resulted in professionals moving out of the continent to the West due to "pull in factors" such as better economic, educational, political and social conditions among other things. Prof. Mazrui recalled that in the post-independence era, in Ghana, domestic policies of the then Conventional People's Party government sparked off the phenomenon of post-colonial Diaspora.He said Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's Preventive Detention Act was one of the major cause of Ghanaian intellectuals, who felt unsafe and unwanted in their own country to leave Ghana."Not just in Ghana but in the whole of Africa at the time, politicians made it look like African intellectuals were destabilizing elements rather than development partners-I was personally refused an appointment to lecture in my own country and I was told it was for political reasons," he said.Prof. Mazrui said the over throw of Dr. Nkrumah set the tone for a chain of coups in Ghana and its resultant political instability that plagued the country until recently.He said Ghana had over the past few years shown signs of moving completely from a coup-prone country to a coup-proof country, characterised by sound political developments. Prof. Mazrui said even though Ghana and some other African countries were relatively stable, the brain drain situation was rising because the "pull in factors" in the West continued to out-weigh "pull in factors" in Africa."A recent online research indicated that through brain drain, one-third of Africa's education budget has become a supplement to the US education budget because most of the people who leave Africa to the states are people who are highly trained with African resources," he said.Prof. Mazrui charged African leaders to formulate policies to tackle the brain gain issue, and noted that Africa could not do anything about the "pull in factors" that existed in the West.He urged African leaders to as a matter of policy begin to stem the domestic "push out factors," which also included poverty, lack of opportunities for career development, education and better social services among other things.Prof Mazuri said attempts to solve the brain gain problem should focus on bringing the expertise of African intellectuals in the Diaspora to bear on the continent's development without necessarily relocating them physically unto the continent."He said there was difference between post-enslavement and post-colonial Diaspora, explaining that in the United States for instance, the post-enslavement Diasporians were the Africa-Americans, born and raised in America, but the post-colonial Diaspora, who he referred to as the American-Africans, comprised of those who migrated to the states as a result of the "push out" factors.Prof Mazuri said both groups were resourceful and could be used for the development of the continent when the right policies and conditions were put in place."Remittances from members of African families in the Diaspora alone is higher than foreign direct investment from the west to Africa. But we are talking about financial and intellectual input from the Diaspora," he said.Prof. Mazrui also asked Africa states to find ways of converting brain drain to "brain transfer," where African intellectuals could move to other parts of the continent instead of moving outside the continent all together.Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Prof. J. H. Kwabena Nketiah, graced the lecture ministers of State, members of the Council of State members, members of parliament and members of the diplomatic corps.
Source:GNA

Starlets coach optimistic of next stage berth

Sellas Tetteh, head coach of Ghana's U-17 team, Black Starlets is optimistic about the team's progress to the next stage despite Thursday's loss to Germany.The Starlets were beaten 3-2 by their German counterparts in the second match of their Group F clash at the Cheonan Sports Complex, South Korea.Associations (FIFA) as he expressed disappointment at the result but praised his players for the wonderful performance in the second half of the game.The Starlets scored two quick goals in the second half after a disastrous first half, which saw them conceding three goals within a spate of 27 minutes."Of course we are disappointed. In the second half, we showed the form we were aiming for in the first half."The Liberty Professionals coach was the least enthused about the tactical abilities of his team in the first half, saying "We definitely need to talk about that change for the future."Coach Tetteh has however said he is setting his sights on victory in the ultimate group game against South American side, Colombia who raced to the top spot after a 3-0 thrashing of Trinidad and Tobago later on Thursday."If we get a second win, we will definitely reach the round of 16," assured the soft-spoken trainer who is hoping to be third time lucky after twice failing in various capacities as head coach and deputy.

Burly striker Sadick Adams expressed similar sentiments with his trainer and promised to make amends in the last game. "We have learned a lot from this match and really need to win our last game," said Adams who grabbed the Starlets second goal in the 52nd minute.The Starlets, two-time winners of the biennial championship play Colombia on Sunday in their last group game.
Source:GNA