THE Upper West Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has, in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana, a private waste management company, launched a Zoom Kids Club to conscientise children to the need to embrace personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness.
It is also aimed at encouraging children to be conscious about the effects of their actions and inactions on the environment.
The club, which has over 2000 member from schools across the region, is expected to complement the efforts of Zoomlion Ghana to champion the crusade on cleanliness.
The Regional Director of Education, Mr Febian Bellieb, who launched the initiative, said he would personally ensure that teachers and patrons of the Zoom Kids Clubs sensitised the public to cleanliness and good sanitation practices in the region.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mrs Beatrice Amponsah, the National Co-ordinator of the Environmental Sanitation Unit of Zoomlion, the Chief Executive Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, Mr Joseph Siaw Agyapong, said while continuing with the education of the adult populace and the management of waste among other interventions, Zoomlion Ghana was targeting children in the schools to let them appreciate the need for good sanitation practices.
He said the initiative was part of the social responsibilities of the company to encourage cleanliness within the various vicinities which in the long run would make the entire nation clean.
On the role the children would be playing as members of Zoom Kids Clubs, the Zoomlion CEO explained that the children would not be taught anything complex but simple practices which would be easy for them to adapt, saying, “If children were conscious of environmental sanitation, adults would be left with no option but to adopt the best of habits as far as cleanliness and the management of waste within communities and homes were concerned”.
Mr Agyapong further mentioned that members of the clubs would frequently be engaged in tree planting, drama and quizzes, as well as excursions to waste management organisations, for them to come to terms with issues bordering on waste management and the need for cleanliness.
For his part, the Regional Operations Supervisor of Zoomlion, Mr Emmanuel Volsuuri, said the formation of Zoom Kids Clubs in schools was to change the attitudes of the new generation towards environmental cleanliness.
He called for the continued propagation of messages on environmental cleanliness and said, “We must preach these subjects on any platform, be it the church, community durbars and at the mosques”.
Mr Volsuuri also called for a total change of attitude by the citizenry towards issues regar the environment.
He gave an assurance that the management of Zoomlion would continue to collaborate with all stakeholders including the various local government institutions, the media and the GES to monitor and ensure that the clubs remained vibrant and were used for the purposes for which they were formed.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
SACRIFICE FOR VICTORY IN 2012 — AKUFO-ADDO (PAGE 13, JUNE 23, 2010)
THE Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 general elections, Nana Akufo Addo, has stated that unity and strong party organisation are key if the New Patriotic Party is to win the 2012 general elections.
He has, therefore, called on members of the party to be prepared to sacrifice and work for victory for the NPP in election 2012 .
“The party and I would do everything possible to support you with all the resources and energy for your campaign,” he stated and explained that one of the reasons why much power had been vested in the hands of members at the grass roots by enlarging the electoral college of the party was to ensure that the NPP remained stronger at that level.
Nana Akufo Addo, who was addressing polling station executives and supporters of the party at Wa during a campaign tour of the Upper West region, advised delegates to use the power given them wisely to select the flagbearer which all Ghanaians are yearning for.
He was accompanied on the tour by his National Campaign Director, Mr Boakye Agyarko, the Members of Parliament for Lawra-Nandom, Takoradi and Bimbila, Mr Ambrose Dery, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko and Mr Dominic Nitiwul respectively.
Other members of the entourage were a former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr Clement Eledi, Ghana’s former Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Mr Sahanoon Mogtari, as well as regional and constituency executives of the party.
Nana Akufo Addo, who is among five other candidates vying for the position of flagbearership of the NPP, advised members of the party to be careful and vigilant of the NDC to ensure a clean congress come August 7, 2010.
“The NPP does not do declarations, neither has the NPP a founder, we are all owners of the party and so it is our tradition as a family to vote people into power,” Nana Akufo Addo reiterated and added that it is also our duty to support the chosen candidate after the congress.
He attributed the defeat of the NPP in the last general elections to the divisions among the rank and file of the party and said the election of the flag bearer for the party must continue to be an internal affair.
He called for reconciliation and a sense of belongingness among members of the party adding that “we are seeking power because we want to serve the people of this country.”
Commenting on the campaign promises of the NDC during the 2008 elections, Nana Akufo Addo asked if the “Better Ghana” promised had even reached the Wa Central Constituency.
He expressed regret that almost two years after assuming the reigns of government, the NDC had not been able to fulfil any of its campaign promises and said all over the country, the people were yearning for the NPP to come back.
On the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), the aspiring NPP flagbearer said even though the NDC bought the idea from the NPP’s Northern Development Programme, it was still struggling to implement it pointing out that “the time has come for action not words.”
Nana Akufo Addo said one of the ways to ensure sustainable peace and justice in the country was to bridge the gap between the north and the south which, according to him, was paramount on the agenda of the NPP.
He further urged the people to work assiduously to ensure that the NPP won the Wa central Constituency seat from the NDC during the 2012 general elections.
A member of Nana Akufo Addo’s campaign team and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bimbila, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, described the 2012 general elections as a “bumper to bumper” election which required that the NPP put forward a tough presidential candidate in the personality of Nana Akufo Addo.
He said Nana Akufo Addo had suffered for the party, more so he was competent and intelligent and had a track record of leading the party to greater heights.
Mr. Nitiwul, therefore, called on delegates from northern Ghana to ensure that Nana Akufo Addo got not less that 70 per cent of votes cast in all the constituencies during August 7, 2010 NPP elections.
He has, therefore, called on members of the party to be prepared to sacrifice and work for victory for the NPP in election 2012 .
“The party and I would do everything possible to support you with all the resources and energy for your campaign,” he stated and explained that one of the reasons why much power had been vested in the hands of members at the grass roots by enlarging the electoral college of the party was to ensure that the NPP remained stronger at that level.
Nana Akufo Addo, who was addressing polling station executives and supporters of the party at Wa during a campaign tour of the Upper West region, advised delegates to use the power given them wisely to select the flagbearer which all Ghanaians are yearning for.
He was accompanied on the tour by his National Campaign Director, Mr Boakye Agyarko, the Members of Parliament for Lawra-Nandom, Takoradi and Bimbila, Mr Ambrose Dery, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko and Mr Dominic Nitiwul respectively.
Other members of the entourage were a former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr Clement Eledi, Ghana’s former Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Mr Sahanoon Mogtari, as well as regional and constituency executives of the party.
Nana Akufo Addo, who is among five other candidates vying for the position of flagbearership of the NPP, advised members of the party to be careful and vigilant of the NDC to ensure a clean congress come August 7, 2010.
“The NPP does not do declarations, neither has the NPP a founder, we are all owners of the party and so it is our tradition as a family to vote people into power,” Nana Akufo Addo reiterated and added that it is also our duty to support the chosen candidate after the congress.
He attributed the defeat of the NPP in the last general elections to the divisions among the rank and file of the party and said the election of the flag bearer for the party must continue to be an internal affair.
He called for reconciliation and a sense of belongingness among members of the party adding that “we are seeking power because we want to serve the people of this country.”
Commenting on the campaign promises of the NDC during the 2008 elections, Nana Akufo Addo asked if the “Better Ghana” promised had even reached the Wa Central Constituency.
He expressed regret that almost two years after assuming the reigns of government, the NDC had not been able to fulfil any of its campaign promises and said all over the country, the people were yearning for the NPP to come back.
On the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), the aspiring NPP flagbearer said even though the NDC bought the idea from the NPP’s Northern Development Programme, it was still struggling to implement it pointing out that “the time has come for action not words.”
Nana Akufo Addo said one of the ways to ensure sustainable peace and justice in the country was to bridge the gap between the north and the south which, according to him, was paramount on the agenda of the NPP.
He further urged the people to work assiduously to ensure that the NPP won the Wa central Constituency seat from the NDC during the 2012 general elections.
A member of Nana Akufo Addo’s campaign team and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bimbila, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, described the 2012 general elections as a “bumper to bumper” election which required that the NPP put forward a tough presidential candidate in the personality of Nana Akufo Addo.
He said Nana Akufo Addo had suffered for the party, more so he was competent and intelligent and had a track record of leading the party to greater heights.
Mr. Nitiwul, therefore, called on delegates from northern Ghana to ensure that Nana Akufo Addo got not less that 70 per cent of votes cast in all the constituencies during August 7, 2010 NPP elections.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOV PROGRAMMES — KALE (PAGE 13, JUNE 12, 2010)
THE Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, has urged the youth to avail themselves of the opportunities and programmes introduced by the government to help achieve the objectives of the better Ghana agenda.
He said the youth being the future leaders of the country, the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would continue to involve them in its scheme of things in order to get them empowered.
Mr Kale, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic, said the NDC would do everything possible to meet the needs of the people.
He called on the various district assemblies to rise to the occasion and respond positively to the call by President Mills to the assemblies to create jobs for the youth.
That, he said, was the only way the youth would be fully involved in the drive to attain the objectives of the better Ghana agenda.
“The call by the President is a challenge to all of us, particularly DCEs and the assemblies. They must remain proactive and work to achieve the goals of the government by creating employment opportunities,” he advised.
Mr Kale mentioned the introduction of block farming, the extension of the school feeding programme to cover more schools, the Youth-in-Agriculture programme, which, he said, had brought a lot of hope to the youth, as well as the increase in the Capitation Grant which was also enticing more children into education as examples.
Touching on how to enhance the development process of the region, the deputy minister called for unity among the rank and file of the NDC in particular and the people of the region in general, saying, “With unity and the prevailing peace, we can all contribute in diverse ways to accelerate the development of the Upper West region.”
He expressed regret that being the last region to be created, Upper West continued to grapple with development challenges and called for a change of attitude on the part of the people.
He said the youth being the future leaders of the country, the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would continue to involve them in its scheme of things in order to get them empowered.
Mr Kale, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic, said the NDC would do everything possible to meet the needs of the people.
He called on the various district assemblies to rise to the occasion and respond positively to the call by President Mills to the assemblies to create jobs for the youth.
That, he said, was the only way the youth would be fully involved in the drive to attain the objectives of the better Ghana agenda.
“The call by the President is a challenge to all of us, particularly DCEs and the assemblies. They must remain proactive and work to achieve the goals of the government by creating employment opportunities,” he advised.
Mr Kale mentioned the introduction of block farming, the extension of the school feeding programme to cover more schools, the Youth-in-Agriculture programme, which, he said, had brought a lot of hope to the youth, as well as the increase in the Capitation Grant which was also enticing more children into education as examples.
Touching on how to enhance the development process of the region, the deputy minister called for unity among the rank and file of the NDC in particular and the people of the region in general, saying, “With unity and the prevailing peace, we can all contribute in diverse ways to accelerate the development of the Upper West region.”
He expressed regret that being the last region to be created, Upper West continued to grapple with development challenges and called for a change of attitude on the part of the people.
Friday, June 11, 2010
WA POLY TO PRODUCE RECHAARGEABLE SOLAR LAMPS (PAGE 11, JUNE 11, 2010)
THE School of Engineering of the Wa Polytechnic will by the end of July this year produce 400 pieces of rechargeable solar lamps which will be sold at a token fee to communities in the Upper West Region.
Known as Socialites, the lamp is assembled with local raw materials such as empty plastic bottles and is manufactured by lecturers and students of the department with technical support from the Cooper Union, an engineering institution based in the United States of America (USA).
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, after the opening of the third annual research conference of the Wa Polytechnic, the acting Rector of the polytechnic, Mr Solomon Dansieh, said the project commenced last year under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Cooper Union and the Wa Polytechnic.
He said the Cooper Union went further to assist the polytechnic to set up a laboratory known as the Socialite Engineering and Technology Centre, which he said was the first enterprise in the envisioned technology park of the polytechnic.
So far, Mr Dansieh said, 62 of the lamps, which he described as simple, robust and affordable, had been assembled and distributed to communities in the Jirapa District including Baazing, Nambeg and Tampaala.
On the research conference, the acting rector noted that in line with the strategic plan of the Wa Polytechnic to initiate action programmes and enhance and promote training, research and innovation, it instituted the annual research conference dubbed Wa PARC, as a forum for staff of the polytechnic to present their research findings, seek inputs from the audience, as well as update them for publication.
Sixteen papers will be presented at the three-day conference, which is on the theme: “Mobilisation of relevant skills for national development: The role of Ghanaian Polytechnics”.
He expressed appreciation to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) for their enormous support to the polytechnic and the conference.
He, however, appealed to the NTCE to review upwards the annual allocation of the faculty development and research fund to sustain its conferences and further appealed to organisations in the informal sector to come and invest in the development of the Wa Polytechnic technology park.
In a presentation on the topic: “Developing Ghana through sustainable engineering,” a lecturer of the School of Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Sampson Agodzo, deplored the level of corruption that had permeated the engineering profession in the country.
He attributed the poor engineering services being rendered in the country to incompetence and corruption on the part of engineers, saying “In this country everybody runs to where something good would happen. The procurement law which is also expected to deal with corruption is rather worsening the corruption situation,” he added.
Prof. Agodzo, who is the immediate past Rector of the Wa Polytechnic, said the non-existence of a law to regulate engineering practice in the country was the basis for the challenges confronting the profession over the years.
He, therefore, called for the passage of an engineering bill to streamline engineering practice in the country.
Touching on the influx of foreign students into the country’s educational institutions, Prof. Agodzo stressed the need for the expansion of infrastructure and service delivery among other facilities in the country’s educational institutions to be able to reap the desired benefits.
Known as Socialites, the lamp is assembled with local raw materials such as empty plastic bottles and is manufactured by lecturers and students of the department with technical support from the Cooper Union, an engineering institution based in the United States of America (USA).
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, after the opening of the third annual research conference of the Wa Polytechnic, the acting Rector of the polytechnic, Mr Solomon Dansieh, said the project commenced last year under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Cooper Union and the Wa Polytechnic.
He said the Cooper Union went further to assist the polytechnic to set up a laboratory known as the Socialite Engineering and Technology Centre, which he said was the first enterprise in the envisioned technology park of the polytechnic.
So far, Mr Dansieh said, 62 of the lamps, which he described as simple, robust and affordable, had been assembled and distributed to communities in the Jirapa District including Baazing, Nambeg and Tampaala.
On the research conference, the acting rector noted that in line with the strategic plan of the Wa Polytechnic to initiate action programmes and enhance and promote training, research and innovation, it instituted the annual research conference dubbed Wa PARC, as a forum for staff of the polytechnic to present their research findings, seek inputs from the audience, as well as update them for publication.
Sixteen papers will be presented at the three-day conference, which is on the theme: “Mobilisation of relevant skills for national development: The role of Ghanaian Polytechnics”.
He expressed appreciation to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) for their enormous support to the polytechnic and the conference.
He, however, appealed to the NTCE to review upwards the annual allocation of the faculty development and research fund to sustain its conferences and further appealed to organisations in the informal sector to come and invest in the development of the Wa Polytechnic technology park.
In a presentation on the topic: “Developing Ghana through sustainable engineering,” a lecturer of the School of Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Sampson Agodzo, deplored the level of corruption that had permeated the engineering profession in the country.
He attributed the poor engineering services being rendered in the country to incompetence and corruption on the part of engineers, saying “In this country everybody runs to where something good would happen. The procurement law which is also expected to deal with corruption is rather worsening the corruption situation,” he added.
Prof. Agodzo, who is the immediate past Rector of the Wa Polytechnic, said the non-existence of a law to regulate engineering practice in the country was the basis for the challenges confronting the profession over the years.
He, therefore, called for the passage of an engineering bill to streamline engineering practice in the country.
Touching on the influx of foreign students into the country’s educational institutions, Prof. Agodzo stressed the need for the expansion of infrastructure and service delivery among other facilities in the country’s educational institutions to be able to reap the desired benefits.
Monday, June 7, 2010
CHOOSE CANDIDATE WHO CAN ATTRACT VOTES FROM ALL SECTORS (PAGE 13, JUNE 7, 2010)
AN aspiring flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Alan Kyerematen, has advised polling station executives of the party to choose a candidate who has the capabilities to attract votes from all sectors of the political divide.
This, he said, was because the general elections in the year 2012 was not going to be an NPP affair but rather a nation-wide exercise which the NPP could not afford to toy with.
“It is, therefore, very important that the NPP presents a winning and an appealing candidate cast in the mould of Alan Kyerematen to wrest power from the NDC, come the 2012 general election” he stated.
Mr Kyerematen said this when he interacted with polling station executives of the NPP in Wa in the Upper West Region.
The meeting was part of his campaign tour of the region to seek the support of members of the party who would vote at the national congress of the party.
Describing himself as a true unifier, Mr Kyerematen said “I am the only candidate who could do this for the NPP and so you have to change the way we did things in the year 2008 and give me the nod to win power from the ruling NDC”.
He told the polling station executives that he was touring all the 230 constituencies to interact with them because of his love for the party, adding that personal sacrifice must be the hallmark of a true leader.
“Amongst all the candidates you must look out for a young, charismatic and energetic leader like Alan Kyerematen who could do the job,” he said.
On the role of the polling station executives, Mr Kyerematen said instead of forming a campaign team, he would rather empower polling station executives of the party to spearhead the party’s campaign in the 2012 elections if he won the primaries.
He said he would also set up a welfare fund to be used to support the interest and needs of polling station executives.
A member of Mr Kyerematen’s team, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, in his introductory remarks explained that going for primaries to choose a presidential candidate was a tradition of the NPP and therefore the assertion that the slot should automatically go to a particular candidate must not be allowed to happen.
He said Mr Kyerematen is a true blue member of the Dankwa Busia tradition where the NPP traced its roots and therefore the impression being created that he joined the NPP quite recently was wrong.
This, he said, was because the general elections in the year 2012 was not going to be an NPP affair but rather a nation-wide exercise which the NPP could not afford to toy with.
“It is, therefore, very important that the NPP presents a winning and an appealing candidate cast in the mould of Alan Kyerematen to wrest power from the NDC, come the 2012 general election” he stated.
Mr Kyerematen said this when he interacted with polling station executives of the NPP in Wa in the Upper West Region.
The meeting was part of his campaign tour of the region to seek the support of members of the party who would vote at the national congress of the party.
Describing himself as a true unifier, Mr Kyerematen said “I am the only candidate who could do this for the NPP and so you have to change the way we did things in the year 2008 and give me the nod to win power from the ruling NDC”.
He told the polling station executives that he was touring all the 230 constituencies to interact with them because of his love for the party, adding that personal sacrifice must be the hallmark of a true leader.
“Amongst all the candidates you must look out for a young, charismatic and energetic leader like Alan Kyerematen who could do the job,” he said.
On the role of the polling station executives, Mr Kyerematen said instead of forming a campaign team, he would rather empower polling station executives of the party to spearhead the party’s campaign in the 2012 elections if he won the primaries.
He said he would also set up a welfare fund to be used to support the interest and needs of polling station executives.
A member of Mr Kyerematen’s team, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, in his introductory remarks explained that going for primaries to choose a presidential candidate was a tradition of the NPP and therefore the assertion that the slot should automatically go to a particular candidate must not be allowed to happen.
He said Mr Kyerematen is a true blue member of the Dankwa Busia tradition where the NPP traced its roots and therefore the impression being created that he joined the NPP quite recently was wrong.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
POLICE PERSONNEL WARNED AGAINST UNLAWFUL DETENTION (PAGE 42, JUNE 7, 2010)
THE Director-General in charge of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) John Kudalor, has warned personnel of the police service against unlawfully detaining suspects.
He said with the new cell policy of the service, personnel who would be found culpable to have acted at variance with the rules of the service, with respect to the detention of suspects, would be held responsible for their actions.
“With the new cell policy, we will ensure that specific numbers of suspects are kept in cells at some particular times. This is because we want to ensure that suspects are treated humanely and with decency because they are also human beings. In instances where the suspects are more than necessary, we could process them before court for them to be remanded in prison,” he said.
DCOP Kudalor gave the advice when he addressed a durbar of senior officers and personnel of the service at the Upper West Regional Police Headquarters in Wa.
He said policing was a calling which needed sacrifice and service, and therefore, advised personnel of the service to work to win the confidence of the populace.
The director-general deplored the uninspiring manner in which some police personnel conducted themselves and urged such personnel to turn over a new leaf, stressing that discipline must be the hallmark of every police officer.
Touching on transfers under the current police administration, DCOP Kudalor explained that the administration was streamlining the processes to ensure that all those who deserved to be transferred were asked to do so when the need arose.
He expressed worry about the situation where some regions or police stations had more than enough officers while others lacked personnel, and said those anomalies would be rectified.
DCOP Kudalor said the Police Administration wanted to be as transparent and humane as possible in satisfying all personnel with respect to transfers in the service.
The director-general further called for closer collaboration between the media and the police as it went about its work, saying, “We have to work with the media to our advantage”.
He said as part of measures to always get the right and factual information across to the public, the administration had directed the various commanders and its public affairs officers to perform such functions, adding, “The police is ready to give the right information to the media.”
The new Regional Police Commander, DCOP Roy Amuni, said he would operate an open-door policy.
He also promised to work closely with the media.
He said with the new cell policy of the service, personnel who would be found culpable to have acted at variance with the rules of the service, with respect to the detention of suspects, would be held responsible for their actions.
“With the new cell policy, we will ensure that specific numbers of suspects are kept in cells at some particular times. This is because we want to ensure that suspects are treated humanely and with decency because they are also human beings. In instances where the suspects are more than necessary, we could process them before court for them to be remanded in prison,” he said.
DCOP Kudalor gave the advice when he addressed a durbar of senior officers and personnel of the service at the Upper West Regional Police Headquarters in Wa.
He said policing was a calling which needed sacrifice and service, and therefore, advised personnel of the service to work to win the confidence of the populace.
The director-general deplored the uninspiring manner in which some police personnel conducted themselves and urged such personnel to turn over a new leaf, stressing that discipline must be the hallmark of every police officer.
Touching on transfers under the current police administration, DCOP Kudalor explained that the administration was streamlining the processes to ensure that all those who deserved to be transferred were asked to do so when the need arose.
He expressed worry about the situation where some regions or police stations had more than enough officers while others lacked personnel, and said those anomalies would be rectified.
DCOP Kudalor said the Police Administration wanted to be as transparent and humane as possible in satisfying all personnel with respect to transfers in the service.
The director-general further called for closer collaboration between the media and the police as it went about its work, saying, “We have to work with the media to our advantage”.
He said as part of measures to always get the right and factual information across to the public, the administration had directed the various commanders and its public affairs officers to perform such functions, adding, “The police is ready to give the right information to the media.”
The new Regional Police Commander, DCOP Roy Amuni, said he would operate an open-door policy.
He also promised to work closely with the media.
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