With the arrival of mobile phone companies in the country, it was thought that Ghanaians were going to be relieved of the poor services that were being rendered at the time by the then Ghana Telecom with their fixed land line operations.
But now what do we see after their arrival? The companies, armed with selling points that vend phone units in virtually every corner of the country and situated at vantage points across the country, are only engaged in coming tops in the competition among themselves.
This has culminated in some kind of advertising war. Billboards of various sizes have sprung up all over the place. The competition is very keen on television and radio for instance. Under the circumstances it is as if the customer is of no consequence.
In as much as they want to entice and attract more people to hook onto their networks, they must equally show some interest in the well-being of their customers.
All the networks have problems and yet surprisingly, they are all concentrating on churning out adverts and engaging in sponsorship programmes.
One wonders why they cannot use some of the money they are reaping from us to improve on their services so that we could all enjoy and have quality service.
At the UDS main campus at Bamahu for instance, service is so poor that sometimes I feel like locking up my cell phone and not using it again. Communication is vital and if these keep on occurring then it is better we live without the companies so that at least we could find other means to communicate with each other. The telecommunications companies are not really up to the task.
Some are only concentrated in the regional capitals to the neglect of other parts of the country.
I suggest that the companies embark on a special programme to know at first hand the problems that their customers face, particularly those of us on school campuses.
Many people use multiple phones not to show off but do so in an attempt to ward off problems associated with connectivity on some networks.
Telecommunication service providers are really not living up to expectation. Infact, they have taken us for granted for far too long. All they do is to spend huge sums of money advertising promotions without thinking about rectifying the problems associated with their services.
Many times that I make calls I am told the recipient’s phone is switched off when in fact it is not so. There was a time I sent a text message as early as five o’clock in the morning and it was received the next day. Such hitches are common with all the networks.
Seriously, problems with the networks have caused many people a lot of suffering, including break up of relationships.
Ghanaians have to rise up and begin to take action against these companies. This I believe will make them sit up and give us quality service for our money.
Mobile phones have come to stay and so it is important to push the telecommunication companies to make them live up to expectation.
With regard to the use of the units, it is important that we are not given actual figures. Currently so much is deducted after very few minutes of talk. Sometimes units are deducted when calls have even not been made.
One wonders whether the companies are serving our interest or their own selfish interest. It is as if their only interest is in taking our money and give us poor services.
It is we the customers who patronise their services to enable them to engage and spend massively on sponsorship programmes and on billboards and other forms of adverts.
If we do not patronise their products and services they do not get money, so it is important that they see us as crucial to their existence.
Ever since I began using the mobile phone, I have tried all the networks and the problems are the same all over. Either there are network connectivity problems or the caller is told the recipient’s phone is switched off.
The phone companies also have to improve on their tariff rates and problems associated with network communications. At times too, one hears some funny noise while making calls as well as breaks in communications which sometimes leaves callers out of reach with each other.
All these must be checked so that customers are not exploited. They need also to improve on their customer care services as well.
I once called the customer service centre of one of the networks and was told to hold on. I held on for a very long time without any response.
Truth must be told about how long their phone card units can last so that we would know how long we can talk with the kind of units that we buy.
As a people we need to stand up with one voice and fight any kind of deceit. Ghanaians are always looking up to God to solve their problems for them. It is about time that we also did things to help ourselves. It is the always leave-it-to-God syndrome that has landed us where we are today.
Indeed, poor services rendered by the mobile phone service providers leave some nostalgic about the good old land lines of yester years. Though that era also had its problems those were well understood and it was not like today when though the customer is promised heaven through the many adverts on radio and television, we are treated poorly.
The telecommunication companies ought to know that their customers are a significant part of their success stories and need to be treated with dignity.
They must understand that their presence does affect communication in a significant way. Before their arrival we were communicating, and that their presence is only for the sake of convenience.
The least said about the telecommunications companies the better. I am not receiving satisfactory service from the telecommunication network that I use.
Personally, I communicate a lot with people connected to the various networks, MTN, Tigo, Vodafone and Zain, and the feedback has always been the same. Either there is an error in connection or the recipient’s phone is switched off, yet most invariably this is not the case.
I keep wondering if these companies do not receive complaints from their customers or may be they do receive the complaints but turn a blind eye to them
Sometimes when I make calls I receive the message “Error in connection” and this can sometimes continue on end, until the client you are dealing with would withdraw from the deal or business. At other times too, the phone freezes and could remain like that till the next day.
The mobile phone companies really have to sit up and work hard. A time will come when Ghanaians would take legal action against companies that provide poor services.
Many of the inconveniences customers suffer bring with them a lot of cost and I think that it was about time the companies compensated customers for their troubles.
They could do this by either extending the life line of our chips or give us free units in place of units lost through no fault of the customer. They have to give us quality service to justify the money they take from us. Now mobile phones are no longer the ostentatious items they were sometime ago. Today, they are a necessity which every individual must own in this communication age.
Competition is good but it should not be conducted at the expense of customers. I think that the telecommunication companies, though scattered all over the country, are taking us for a ride. Customers are not getting the kind of quality service they have been expecting all these years.
My major concern is that though I buy credit I am almost invariably not able to even feed it onto my mobile phone. Some times when scratching the start-up card, all the numbers get wiped off. All these need to be checked by the companies if they really want some of us to stick to their networks.
We are tired of messages that inform us always that “The mobile number you are calling is switched off or out of coverage area”, when the person is just by you and his or her mobile phone is on.
I think that they will have to do whatever they need to do to improve their services, which I think they have to do quickly since the use of mobile phones is now the order of the day.
Even children these days are using mobile phones and so the earlier these telecom institutions improve on their services and gave us quality services the better. The companies are making huge profits. If you consider the number of units people buy on a daily basis, you could guess what I’m talking about.
I do agree that as human institutions that use machinery for their operations there are bound to be problems but when the problems become the order of the day then it gives indication that things are getting out of hand.
The idea would be to switch on to another network once the customer faces problems. But when you get used to a particular network switching to another becomes a problem.
I am a customer of both MTN and Vodafone, and so far I am happy with the services I receive though once in a while poor reception becomes a problem. I do not know if it happens as a result of the weather conditions we have.
With the rains about to set in, the mobile phone networks go into all manner of difficulties and this is where I want the companies to monitor developments carefully and tackle them so that they do not become perennial. For those of us using modems supplied by some of these companies to connect to the Internet, it is indeed a major concern because during the rainy season when the weather is so bad it becomes difficult to even send pictures by the Internet, as the system freezes. Meanwhile, during the interruption units keep running.
This is something that the companies need to critically work on. When not rendering any service to me why should units be deducted? This is cheating and the telecom companies would have to watch these things.
All in all, I think we need them and they also need us. Therefore, it is about time they sat up and gave us our money’s worth.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
BREAKING THE SILENCE ON SCHOOL-BASED SEXUAL ABUSE (PAGE 11, MARCH 23, 2010)
Aminata Seidu (not her real name) was born and bred at a village in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region.
She never knew about education, never thought of going to school and so she did not even understand why her parents always went to farm and but wanted her to go to school. On one occasion, she even went to the extent of asking her parents why she must go to school while they always went to farm.
However, after strenuous efforts, Aminata’s parents, together with members of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), managed to convince her to come to the realisation that it was important for every child to be in school to develop himself or herself.
Consequently, Aminata enrolled in school and her brilliance began to show. She became the toast of the entire school and was loved by both students and teachers. She began to market her village and was more or less the saviour of the school anytime it came to debates and other competitions against schools in neighbouring communities.
A teacher in the school who could not let his eyes off the young brilliant girl proposed to her but, being the intelligent girl that she was, she turned the proposal down. The teacher, who did not take kindly to the young girl’s stand, started intimidating her, both in class and anywhere he found her in the school.
That, along with other forms of threat, brought with it some sort of fear in Aminata who, from then on, could not even ask or answer questions in class as she used to. This affected her performance, to the surprise of many, but she could not confide in anyone, neither did the other school authorities bother to find out from her what was happening to her.
Aminata, for fear of being punished by the teacher, started boycotting classes and eventually dropped out.
This and many of such instances have contributed to the harassment of female students and pupils in the school environment and those who cannot withstand the harassment drop out of school.
For this reason, Plan International, an international NGO, embarked on a research to find out the effects of sexual harassment on many children of school-going age in various communities in other parts of the world.
The Tumu Programme Area Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr Richard Boadu, at a ceremony to launch an initiative known as the “Learning without fear” campaign at Gwollu in the Sissala West District, quoted a World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2002 which estimated that 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 had either been raped or suffered other forms of sexual violence.
Mr Boadu said apart from sexual exploitation of pupils and students, there was also the issue of bullying which, in the long term, led to the development of violent behaviour in schools.
He said victims of bullying, whether physical or verbal, tended to lose their self esteem, feel ashamed and, in the long term, tend to dislike schooling.
On the issue of sexual violence, he noted that victims usually suffered psychological trauma and could be infected with sexually transmitted diseases, in addition to unwanted pregnancies, which could also lead to unsafe abortions, social stigmatisation or the victims being forced to drop out of school.
It turned out that even though corporal punishment was widespread in African schools, it was against the laws in 21 out of the 51 African countries.
He said Plan Ghana, a subsidiary of Plan International, was working closely with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to provide training for teachers and also enforce teachers’ code of ethics as part of efforts to eliminate that canker from schools to make them more attractive to pupils and students, particularly those in remote areas.
“It is time to break the silence on school-based sexual exploitation and the abuse of children to get more and more children to enrol in schools,” Mr Boadu stressed, and explained that more schools in the southern part of the country were familiar with the “Learning without fear” campaign and so Plan Ghana was extending the programme to the northern sector, starting in the Sissala West District.
He said the organisation had also embarked on radio talk-shows to propagate the message and encourage people to take their education seriously.
He also appealed to all, including teachers, parents, the police, among other stakeholders, to support the “Learning without fear” initiative to make schools less intimidating for pupils and students and ensure a violence-free school environment for children.
Launching the initiative, the Sissala West District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Robert Wavei, said the fear of not being protected came with a lot of consequences, including lack of concentration in class, and expressed the hope that the “Learning without fear” campaign would boost the confidence of pupils and students to confront the challenges.
He advised teachers, especially male ones, to always bear in mind that the pupils and students put under their care were to be moulded and not to be molested.
Mr Wavei also reminded teachers that it was not always right to use the cane, since sometimes counselling was the best option.
He also advised students who maltreated their peers to desist from that behaviour.
A committee with representations from the Department of Social Welfare, the GES, Youth Vision, an NGO, the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Police Service (DOVVSU) and some members of the Rights of the Child (ROC) groups of Plan Ghana, was later inaugurated to see to the effective implementation of the “Learning without fear” campaign.
She never knew about education, never thought of going to school and so she did not even understand why her parents always went to farm and but wanted her to go to school. On one occasion, she even went to the extent of asking her parents why she must go to school while they always went to farm.
However, after strenuous efforts, Aminata’s parents, together with members of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), managed to convince her to come to the realisation that it was important for every child to be in school to develop himself or herself.
Consequently, Aminata enrolled in school and her brilliance began to show. She became the toast of the entire school and was loved by both students and teachers. She began to market her village and was more or less the saviour of the school anytime it came to debates and other competitions against schools in neighbouring communities.
A teacher in the school who could not let his eyes off the young brilliant girl proposed to her but, being the intelligent girl that she was, she turned the proposal down. The teacher, who did not take kindly to the young girl’s stand, started intimidating her, both in class and anywhere he found her in the school.
That, along with other forms of threat, brought with it some sort of fear in Aminata who, from then on, could not even ask or answer questions in class as she used to. This affected her performance, to the surprise of many, but she could not confide in anyone, neither did the other school authorities bother to find out from her what was happening to her.
Aminata, for fear of being punished by the teacher, started boycotting classes and eventually dropped out.
This and many of such instances have contributed to the harassment of female students and pupils in the school environment and those who cannot withstand the harassment drop out of school.
For this reason, Plan International, an international NGO, embarked on a research to find out the effects of sexual harassment on many children of school-going age in various communities in other parts of the world.
The Tumu Programme Area Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr Richard Boadu, at a ceremony to launch an initiative known as the “Learning without fear” campaign at Gwollu in the Sissala West District, quoted a World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2002 which estimated that 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 had either been raped or suffered other forms of sexual violence.
Mr Boadu said apart from sexual exploitation of pupils and students, there was also the issue of bullying which, in the long term, led to the development of violent behaviour in schools.
He said victims of bullying, whether physical or verbal, tended to lose their self esteem, feel ashamed and, in the long term, tend to dislike schooling.
On the issue of sexual violence, he noted that victims usually suffered psychological trauma and could be infected with sexually transmitted diseases, in addition to unwanted pregnancies, which could also lead to unsafe abortions, social stigmatisation or the victims being forced to drop out of school.
It turned out that even though corporal punishment was widespread in African schools, it was against the laws in 21 out of the 51 African countries.
He said Plan Ghana, a subsidiary of Plan International, was working closely with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to provide training for teachers and also enforce teachers’ code of ethics as part of efforts to eliminate that canker from schools to make them more attractive to pupils and students, particularly those in remote areas.
“It is time to break the silence on school-based sexual exploitation and the abuse of children to get more and more children to enrol in schools,” Mr Boadu stressed, and explained that more schools in the southern part of the country were familiar with the “Learning without fear” campaign and so Plan Ghana was extending the programme to the northern sector, starting in the Sissala West District.
He said the organisation had also embarked on radio talk-shows to propagate the message and encourage people to take their education seriously.
He also appealed to all, including teachers, parents, the police, among other stakeholders, to support the “Learning without fear” initiative to make schools less intimidating for pupils and students and ensure a violence-free school environment for children.
Launching the initiative, the Sissala West District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Robert Wavei, said the fear of not being protected came with a lot of consequences, including lack of concentration in class, and expressed the hope that the “Learning without fear” campaign would boost the confidence of pupils and students to confront the challenges.
He advised teachers, especially male ones, to always bear in mind that the pupils and students put under their care were to be moulded and not to be molested.
Mr Wavei also reminded teachers that it was not always right to use the cane, since sometimes counselling was the best option.
He also advised students who maltreated their peers to desist from that behaviour.
A committee with representations from the Department of Social Welfare, the GES, Youth Vision, an NGO, the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Police Service (DOVVSU) and some members of the Rights of the Child (ROC) groups of Plan Ghana, was later inaugurated to see to the effective implementation of the “Learning without fear” campaign.
Friday, March 19, 2010
LEARN MORE ABOUT NKRUMAH — CAESAR KALE (PAGE 16, MARCH 19, 2010)
THE Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, has called on the youth, particularly students, to learn more about Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his ideals.
This, he said, would rekindle and imbibe in them the spirit of nationalism, patriotism, selflessness, sacrifice and hard work, which Dr Nkrumah stood for.
Addressing students of the Wa campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) as part of a series of lectures marking the centenary anniversary celebration of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Mr Kale regretted that the spirit of volunteerism which Dr Nkrumah championed and ensured it became an embodiment of the Ghanaian youth had died down, and said that the spirit must be revived.
“We have to revive the spirit of volunteerism. We the youth must volunteer to serve Mother Ghana,” he stated.
The lecture was organised by the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee (KNCPC) as part of a series of public lectures earmarked for some tertiary institutions across the country. It was on the theme: “His ideas, his vision, his times, the record”.
Mr Caesar Kale commended the organisers for extending such programmes to the campuses of tertiary institutions, and said if students were regularly involved in such programmes, they would come to appreciate and better understand the political history of the country.
“The youth must be educated to the level where we can stand up to corruption and demand accountability, fairness and justice. We, therefore, need the type of rededication to duty and an avowed intention of seeking what is in the best interests of the country,” Mr Kale stressed.
Speaking on the topic “Education and development; the importance of primary and secondary education- Revisiting Nkrumah’s vision”, the daughter of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Miss Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, lamented the education policies of past colonial masters, which she said discriminated against people from the northern part of the country for decades.
This state of affairs, she explained, was not acceptable to Dr Nkrumah who initiated moves to put up more middle schools and secondary schools through his accelerated development programme, which ensured that the northern sector of the country got its share of the Ghana Education Trust for schools.
“Dr Nkrumah insisted that education for the people of the north was made free as a form of compensation to the people for being at the receiving end of the policies of past colonial masters”.
“Today, even though Dr Nkrumah is being criticised and lambasted by a section of the political divide for daring to give free education to the people of the north, we now have lots of intellectuals and professionals from the northern part of the country contributing to various sectors of the country’s economy”. Miss Samia Nkrumah added and said 53 years down the line the vision of Dr Nkrumah is still relevant.
For his part, the Secretary to the KNCPC and General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah, traced the atrocities meted out to Africans by the western countries during the Transatlantic Slave Trade and attributed the woes of the continent to the trade.
Mr Mornah also praised Dr Nkrumah for his vision and ideas and regretted that Dr Nkrumah did not live to complete his work.
This, he said, would rekindle and imbibe in them the spirit of nationalism, patriotism, selflessness, sacrifice and hard work, which Dr Nkrumah stood for.
Addressing students of the Wa campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) as part of a series of lectures marking the centenary anniversary celebration of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Mr Kale regretted that the spirit of volunteerism which Dr Nkrumah championed and ensured it became an embodiment of the Ghanaian youth had died down, and said that the spirit must be revived.
“We have to revive the spirit of volunteerism. We the youth must volunteer to serve Mother Ghana,” he stated.
The lecture was organised by the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee (KNCPC) as part of a series of public lectures earmarked for some tertiary institutions across the country. It was on the theme: “His ideas, his vision, his times, the record”.
Mr Caesar Kale commended the organisers for extending such programmes to the campuses of tertiary institutions, and said if students were regularly involved in such programmes, they would come to appreciate and better understand the political history of the country.
“The youth must be educated to the level where we can stand up to corruption and demand accountability, fairness and justice. We, therefore, need the type of rededication to duty and an avowed intention of seeking what is in the best interests of the country,” Mr Kale stressed.
Speaking on the topic “Education and development; the importance of primary and secondary education- Revisiting Nkrumah’s vision”, the daughter of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Miss Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, lamented the education policies of past colonial masters, which she said discriminated against people from the northern part of the country for decades.
This state of affairs, she explained, was not acceptable to Dr Nkrumah who initiated moves to put up more middle schools and secondary schools through his accelerated development programme, which ensured that the northern sector of the country got its share of the Ghana Education Trust for schools.
“Dr Nkrumah insisted that education for the people of the north was made free as a form of compensation to the people for being at the receiving end of the policies of past colonial masters”.
“Today, even though Dr Nkrumah is being criticised and lambasted by a section of the political divide for daring to give free education to the people of the north, we now have lots of intellectuals and professionals from the northern part of the country contributing to various sectors of the country’s economy”. Miss Samia Nkrumah added and said 53 years down the line the vision of Dr Nkrumah is still relevant.
For his part, the Secretary to the KNCPC and General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah, traced the atrocities meted out to Africans by the western countries during the Transatlantic Slave Trade and attributed the woes of the continent to the trade.
Mr Mornah also praised Dr Nkrumah for his vision and ideas and regretted that Dr Nkrumah did not live to complete his work.
Monday, March 15, 2010
NADOWLI ASSEMBLY INVESTS IN SCHOOL INFRASTURCTURE (PAGE 11, MARCH 15, 2010)
THE Nadowli District Assembly has invested GH¢ 292, 520.60 for the provision of school infrastructure to make teaching and learning more comfortable and attractive in the district.
The projects include the renovation of the Duong Upper Primary and Junior High School, a three-unit classroom block at Konkonpare, and the construction of teachers’ quarters at Issa, junior staff quarters at Jolinyiri and a two-bedroom semi-detached quarters at Kojokperi.
The Nadowli District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Abu Kansangbata, who disclosed this at the 53rd Independence anniversary parade in Nadowli, announced that the Assembly had completed the procurement processes for the construction of five new classroom blocks for five communities in the district.
He said he was poised to make education the bedrock of the development of the district and urged all to support the Assembly in that regard.
Mr Kasangbata expressed appreciation to the various development partners in the district such as the World Vision Ghana, School for Life and the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) for their contributions in diverse ways over the years, which had enhanced the development of the Nadowli District.
He advised students to be disciplined, avoid promiscuous lifestyles and take their studies seriously, pointing out that parents must complement the efforts of the teachers in this regard.
The Nadowli DCE also paid tribute to the founding fathers of the country and stressed the need for the youth to emulate the patroitic spirit of these personalities.
He called on Ghanaians to remain patriotic at all times and rally behind the government to deliver on its electoral promises.
The projects include the renovation of the Duong Upper Primary and Junior High School, a three-unit classroom block at Konkonpare, and the construction of teachers’ quarters at Issa, junior staff quarters at Jolinyiri and a two-bedroom semi-detached quarters at Kojokperi.
The Nadowli District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Abu Kansangbata, who disclosed this at the 53rd Independence anniversary parade in Nadowli, announced that the Assembly had completed the procurement processes for the construction of five new classroom blocks for five communities in the district.
He said he was poised to make education the bedrock of the development of the district and urged all to support the Assembly in that regard.
Mr Kasangbata expressed appreciation to the various development partners in the district such as the World Vision Ghana, School for Life and the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) for their contributions in diverse ways over the years, which had enhanced the development of the Nadowli District.
He advised students to be disciplined, avoid promiscuous lifestyles and take their studies seriously, pointing out that parents must complement the efforts of the teachers in this regard.
The Nadowli DCE also paid tribute to the founding fathers of the country and stressed the need for the youth to emulate the patroitic spirit of these personalities.
He called on Ghanaians to remain patriotic at all times and rally behind the government to deliver on its electoral promises.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
PLAN GHANA SUPPORTS CSM VACCINATION (BACK PAGE, MARCH 10, 2010)
PLAN Ghana, an international child-centred non-governmental organisation (NGO), is supporting the Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) vaccination exercise in the Upper West Region with GH¢20,000.
Part of the amount will be allocated to the various infected communities, while some will be used to intensify education on the disease and help in the mobilisation of other logistical needs.
The Northern Sector Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr Kofi Adade Debrah, who presented the cheque, said GH¢6,000 of the amount would go to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to be used to facilitate and enhance the vaccination exercise.
“We expect the money to go into the development of public service announcements in the various local languages for the respective communities, the organisation of community durbars, sensitisation of identifiable groups to spread the message on CSM, fuel vehicles of the vaccination teams and also for the general cost of logistics in taking vaccination out to the people,” Mr Debrah explained.
He added that Plan Ghana, being a child-centred organisation, had its emphasis on children. Therefore, it expected as many children as possible to be vaccinated during the exercise.
Receiving the cheque, the Upper West Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Alexis Nang Beifubah, expressed appreciation to Plan Ghana for the gesture and gave the assurance that the money would be put to good use.
Part of the amount will be allocated to the various infected communities, while some will be used to intensify education on the disease and help in the mobilisation of other logistical needs.
The Northern Sector Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr Kofi Adade Debrah, who presented the cheque, said GH¢6,000 of the amount would go to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to be used to facilitate and enhance the vaccination exercise.
“We expect the money to go into the development of public service announcements in the various local languages for the respective communities, the organisation of community durbars, sensitisation of identifiable groups to spread the message on CSM, fuel vehicles of the vaccination teams and also for the general cost of logistics in taking vaccination out to the people,” Mr Debrah explained.
He added that Plan Ghana, being a child-centred organisation, had its emphasis on children. Therefore, it expected as many children as possible to be vaccinated during the exercise.
Receiving the cheque, the Upper West Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Alexis Nang Beifubah, expressed appreciation to Plan Ghana for the gesture and gave the assurance that the money would be put to good use.
PLAN GHANA SUPPORTS CSM VACCINATION (BACK PAGE, MARCH 10, 2010)
PLAN Ghana, an international child-centred non-governmental organisation (NGO), is supporting the Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) vaccination exercise in the Upper West Region with GH¢20,000.
Part of the amount will be allocated to the various infected communities, while some will be used to intensify education on the disease and help in the mobilisation of other logistical needs.
The Northern Sector Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr Kofi Adade Debrah, who presented the cheque, said GH¢6,000 of the amount would go to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to be used to facilitate and enhance the vaccination exercise.
“We expect the money to go into the development of public service announcements in the various local languages for the respective communities, the organisation of community durbars, sensitisation of identifiable groups to spread the message on CSM, fuel vehicles of the vaccination teams and also for the general cost of logistics in taking vaccination out to the people,” Mr Debrah explained.
He added that Plan Ghana, being a child-centred organisation, had its emphasis on children. Therefore, it expected as many children as possible to be vaccinated during the exercise.
Receiving the cheque, the Upper West Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Alexis Nang Beifubah, expressed appreciation to Plan Ghana for the gesture and gave the assurance that the money would be put to good use.
Part of the amount will be allocated to the various infected communities, while some will be used to intensify education on the disease and help in the mobilisation of other logistical needs.
The Northern Sector Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr Kofi Adade Debrah, who presented the cheque, said GH¢6,000 of the amount would go to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to be used to facilitate and enhance the vaccination exercise.
“We expect the money to go into the development of public service announcements in the various local languages for the respective communities, the organisation of community durbars, sensitisation of identifiable groups to spread the message on CSM, fuel vehicles of the vaccination teams and also for the general cost of logistics in taking vaccination out to the people,” Mr Debrah explained.
He added that Plan Ghana, being a child-centred organisation, had its emphasis on children. Therefore, it expected as many children as possible to be vaccinated during the exercise.
Receiving the cheque, the Upper West Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Alexis Nang Beifubah, expressed appreciation to Plan Ghana for the gesture and gave the assurance that the money would be put to good use.
Monday, March 8, 2010
DEAF, BLIND STEAL SHOW..At Indece parade in Wa (SPREAD, MARCH 8, 2010)
WITH brisk strides and serious demeanour, pupils from the mentally retarded schools in Wa and other physically challenged schools, including the Wa School for the Deaf and the Wa Methodist School for the Blind, stole the show at this year’s Independence Day parade held at the Naa Sidiki Bomi II Park in Wa, the Upper West regional capital.
The pupils who were part of the 43 contigents, comprising 1,226 students and pupils selected from first and second cycle educational instutions in the municipality, were the toast of the audience who cheered and applauded them.
The parade, which for the first time was without contigents from the security agencies, was supposed to have started at 6:30a.m. in order to avoid the scorching sun, started at 7:00a.m., by which time the park was already filled to capacity.
The impressive ceremony was witnessed by a 15-member delegation from the South-west Region of Burkina Faso led by the Governor, Colonel Sawudogo Pascal, who lauded the existing relations between the two countries and stressed the need for more co-operation, especially in the area of security.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, reviewed the parade with the Regional Director of Education, Mr Fabian Belieb.
In an address, Mr Khalid urged the people of the region to eschew all forms of conflicts and divisiveness, and noted that if the region needed to fight any enemy, then that enemy must be poverty rather than conflicts.
He advised students to stay away from drugs and bad company and rather concentrate more on their studies.
The regional minister also paid tribute to Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and others who struggled with him to attain independence for Ghana and called for the support of all Ghanaians in the quest to make the “Better Ghana” agenda of the government a reality.
Awards were later presented to some institutions and personalities.
From Kumasi, George Ernest Asare, reports that 42 contingents, made up of six cadet corps from Kumasi High, Yaa Asantewaa Girls, Kumasi Secondary Technology, KNUST Senior High School, Kumasi Girls and Opoku Ware School, as well as some second cycle and basic schools, participated in the 53rd Independence Day anniversary parade held at the Jubilee Park
The parade, at which the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, was the reviewing officer, was attended my many dignitaries, including the Bantamahene, Baffour Asare Owusu Amankwatia, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Other dignitaries who attended the anniversary parade which started at about 9.00a.m. after the arrival of the minister, were the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Sector, Colonel Anthony K. Asare, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbilla, the Regional Fire Officer, ACFO Mr P.A. Mensah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong , the clergy, leadership of the Muslim community and a cross-section of the public.
The youth filled the stands of the Jubilee Park in their numbers to witness the parade, which was commanded by George Osei Amoabeng.
Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School cadet was adjudged the best among all other cadet corps, receiving a magnificent trophy from Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, the Regional Minister.
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Senior High cadet and Kumasi High cadet were adjudged the second and third best cadets respectively for the quick march past, and they received a plaque each for their achievements.
In the second cycle category, the Serwaa Nyarko Senior High School took the first position in the quick march past, and for their prize, they were presented with a giant trophy.
The National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) and the Kumasi Academy Senior High came second and third respectively in that category, and each was presented with a plaque.
In the basic schools category, Oforikrom Sub Metro, led by Weweso Junior High School, was adjudged the best in the quick march past and took away a trophy for their prize.
The second position went to Kwadaso Sub Metro, led by Prempeh Junior High, with Asokwa Sub Metro, led by T.I. Ahmadiyya Junior High taking the third position .
The Best Environmental Friendly Basic School trophy went to Odumase Experimental, with Danyame M/A at Nhyiaso, taking the second position. Cambridge International was adjudged the third best in that category.
In an address, Mr Opoku Manu reminded parents of their responsibility towards their children, saying, “You must ensure that your children are not allowed to be carried away by the trappings of society and other anti-social activities that seem to be on the ascendancy,” he advised.
“Children are the only properties we have and we must ensure that they are brought up in a manner that will help them grow up as good and patriotic citizens,” he added.
He reminded the youth of concentrating on their books and avoiding behaviours that would prevent them from achieving their aspirations in life.
He said it was equally important for the youth to be circumspect in their utterances. “The constitution certainly allows freedom of speech. This, however, should not give licence to our young men and women to unduly make unguided statements that may cast a slur on the integrity of other highly-placed persons in society,” he cautioned.
Nurudeen Salifu reports, from Tamale that primary, junior high schools and second-cycle schools took part in the march past at the Jubilee Park to mark Ghana’s 53rd Anniversary celebrations.
The Red Cross, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, Caring Kids International (OneforHaiti project) and other voluntary organisations also took part in the march.
There were also traditional performances, poetry recitals, acrobatic displays and speeches from schoolchildren and dance performances by dancers from the Centre for National Culture.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, who inspected the parade, noted that, in line with “Investing in the Youth for a Better Ghana”, the government had commenced the Free School Uniform and Exercise Books schemes.
He revealed that the region had taken receipt of 2,692,569 school uniforms and 73,378 exercise books to be distributed to children in the region through the metropolitan, municipal and district education units.
Mr Mabengba entreated children and the youth of the region to stay away from acts that would expose them to sexually transmitted diseases.
He said the 2008 HIV Report had indicated that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the region had fallen from 3.8 to 3.0 per cent, and thus encouraged the youth to continue to eschew immoral behaviour.
From Bolgatanga, Benjamin Xornam Glover reports that 72 contingents, comprising 2,160 schoolchildren selected from first and second cycle schools and a cadet corps from the Bolgatanga Technical Institute took part in the 53rd independence celebration parade at the St. Johns Park in Bolgatanga last Saturday.
The parade, which was under the command of Godfred Amagnyona, Bolgatanga Technical Institute cadet, had the Ghana Police Band providing music for the quick march past.
The Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, assisted by the acting Regional Director of Education and the Regional Police Commander, ACP Mr Bright Oduro took the salute.
Mr Woyongo, in his anniversary address, noted that poverty had continued to be the number one enemy of the people, and said that had been exacerbated by violence, ethnic and land conflicts in some parts of the region.
He, therefore, called on the chiefs and opinion leaders as well as well-meaning citizens to support his administration to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the region.
The acting Regional Director of Education, Mrs Agnes Atagabe, while commending the government for fulfilling some of its campaign promises, also appealed to teachers in the region to continue to offer their best and put smiles on the faces of children as well as stakeholders of education by improving contact hours and teaching learning outcomes at all levels.
A 21-member delegation from the neighbouring Central South Region in Burkina Faso, led by the Secretary General, Mr Issah Campoare, graced the occasion.
In a related development, schools in the Bolgatanga West B Circuit who for a very long time have not had the opportunity to participate in the regional event, organised their own independence celebration parade at Sumbrungu, seven miles away from Bolgatanga.
The event, which was held a day prior to the national celebration, saw 10 schools participating in the parade.
The Circuit Supervisor, Mr Timothy Allou, who said the event would be an annual one, explained that it would enable the children in the circuit to feel being part and parcel of the national celebration, urging the municipal assembly to support the organisation of the parade for the children.
Twenty-five schools drawn from basic and secondary schools in the Ho Municipality converged at the Jubilee Park to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of Ghana’s independence, reports Victor Kwawukume.
All those who took part in the parade, numbering about 2,000, marched in a parade which was reviewed by the Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, and accompanied by the Regional Director of Education, Mr Gabriel Kploanyi, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Volta Region, Mr David Ampah-Bennin.
In the end, awards and certificates were given in separate categories with OLA Girls Senior High School coming first in the cadet category, Mawuli Secondary School came first in the Senior High School category, Dora Memorial Junior High came first in the Junior High category, while Kabore Primary came first in the primary category.
There was a colourful display of national colours and an indigenous display of the culture of the region, coupled with melodious tunes from groups of the Volta Regional Centre for National Culture.
The regional minister, in his address, said the theme for the celebration, “Investing in the Youth”, should propel the youth to be focused and be guided to shun all acts and activities that would deny them the glory that comes with hard work, determination and diligence.
He also affirmed the government’s commitment to policies on education which had become evident in the increase in Capitation Grant, provision of free exercise books and the enhancement of the School Feeding Programme.
Mr Amenowode also advised students, teachers and parents to keep abreast of government’s policies and programmes for them to be aware of the various steps that the government was taking to make the ‘Better Ghana Agenda’ a reality.
The pupils who were part of the 43 contigents, comprising 1,226 students and pupils selected from first and second cycle educational instutions in the municipality, were the toast of the audience who cheered and applauded them.
The parade, which for the first time was without contigents from the security agencies, was supposed to have started at 6:30a.m. in order to avoid the scorching sun, started at 7:00a.m., by which time the park was already filled to capacity.
The impressive ceremony was witnessed by a 15-member delegation from the South-west Region of Burkina Faso led by the Governor, Colonel Sawudogo Pascal, who lauded the existing relations between the two countries and stressed the need for more co-operation, especially in the area of security.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, reviewed the parade with the Regional Director of Education, Mr Fabian Belieb.
In an address, Mr Khalid urged the people of the region to eschew all forms of conflicts and divisiveness, and noted that if the region needed to fight any enemy, then that enemy must be poverty rather than conflicts.
He advised students to stay away from drugs and bad company and rather concentrate more on their studies.
The regional minister also paid tribute to Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and others who struggled with him to attain independence for Ghana and called for the support of all Ghanaians in the quest to make the “Better Ghana” agenda of the government a reality.
Awards were later presented to some institutions and personalities.
From Kumasi, George Ernest Asare, reports that 42 contingents, made up of six cadet corps from Kumasi High, Yaa Asantewaa Girls, Kumasi Secondary Technology, KNUST Senior High School, Kumasi Girls and Opoku Ware School, as well as some second cycle and basic schools, participated in the 53rd Independence Day anniversary parade held at the Jubilee Park
The parade, at which the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, was the reviewing officer, was attended my many dignitaries, including the Bantamahene, Baffour Asare Owusu Amankwatia, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Other dignitaries who attended the anniversary parade which started at about 9.00a.m. after the arrival of the minister, were the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Northern Sector, Colonel Anthony K. Asare, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbilla, the Regional Fire Officer, ACFO Mr P.A. Mensah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong , the clergy, leadership of the Muslim community and a cross-section of the public.
The youth filled the stands of the Jubilee Park in their numbers to witness the parade, which was commanded by George Osei Amoabeng.
Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School cadet was adjudged the best among all other cadet corps, receiving a magnificent trophy from Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, the Regional Minister.
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Senior High cadet and Kumasi High cadet were adjudged the second and third best cadets respectively for the quick march past, and they received a plaque each for their achievements.
In the second cycle category, the Serwaa Nyarko Senior High School took the first position in the quick march past, and for their prize, they were presented with a giant trophy.
The National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) and the Kumasi Academy Senior High came second and third respectively in that category, and each was presented with a plaque.
In the basic schools category, Oforikrom Sub Metro, led by Weweso Junior High School, was adjudged the best in the quick march past and took away a trophy for their prize.
The second position went to Kwadaso Sub Metro, led by Prempeh Junior High, with Asokwa Sub Metro, led by T.I. Ahmadiyya Junior High taking the third position .
The Best Environmental Friendly Basic School trophy went to Odumase Experimental, with Danyame M/A at Nhyiaso, taking the second position. Cambridge International was adjudged the third best in that category.
In an address, Mr Opoku Manu reminded parents of their responsibility towards their children, saying, “You must ensure that your children are not allowed to be carried away by the trappings of society and other anti-social activities that seem to be on the ascendancy,” he advised.
“Children are the only properties we have and we must ensure that they are brought up in a manner that will help them grow up as good and patriotic citizens,” he added.
He reminded the youth of concentrating on their books and avoiding behaviours that would prevent them from achieving their aspirations in life.
He said it was equally important for the youth to be circumspect in their utterances. “The constitution certainly allows freedom of speech. This, however, should not give licence to our young men and women to unduly make unguided statements that may cast a slur on the integrity of other highly-placed persons in society,” he cautioned.
Nurudeen Salifu reports, from Tamale that primary, junior high schools and second-cycle schools took part in the march past at the Jubilee Park to mark Ghana’s 53rd Anniversary celebrations.
The Red Cross, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, Caring Kids International (OneforHaiti project) and other voluntary organisations also took part in the march.
There were also traditional performances, poetry recitals, acrobatic displays and speeches from schoolchildren and dance performances by dancers from the Centre for National Culture.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, who inspected the parade, noted that, in line with “Investing in the Youth for a Better Ghana”, the government had commenced the Free School Uniform and Exercise Books schemes.
He revealed that the region had taken receipt of 2,692,569 school uniforms and 73,378 exercise books to be distributed to children in the region through the metropolitan, municipal and district education units.
Mr Mabengba entreated children and the youth of the region to stay away from acts that would expose them to sexually transmitted diseases.
He said the 2008 HIV Report had indicated that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the region had fallen from 3.8 to 3.0 per cent, and thus encouraged the youth to continue to eschew immoral behaviour.
From Bolgatanga, Benjamin Xornam Glover reports that 72 contingents, comprising 2,160 schoolchildren selected from first and second cycle schools and a cadet corps from the Bolgatanga Technical Institute took part in the 53rd independence celebration parade at the St. Johns Park in Bolgatanga last Saturday.
The parade, which was under the command of Godfred Amagnyona, Bolgatanga Technical Institute cadet, had the Ghana Police Band providing music for the quick march past.
The Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, assisted by the acting Regional Director of Education and the Regional Police Commander, ACP Mr Bright Oduro took the salute.
Mr Woyongo, in his anniversary address, noted that poverty had continued to be the number one enemy of the people, and said that had been exacerbated by violence, ethnic and land conflicts in some parts of the region.
He, therefore, called on the chiefs and opinion leaders as well as well-meaning citizens to support his administration to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the region.
The acting Regional Director of Education, Mrs Agnes Atagabe, while commending the government for fulfilling some of its campaign promises, also appealed to teachers in the region to continue to offer their best and put smiles on the faces of children as well as stakeholders of education by improving contact hours and teaching learning outcomes at all levels.
A 21-member delegation from the neighbouring Central South Region in Burkina Faso, led by the Secretary General, Mr Issah Campoare, graced the occasion.
In a related development, schools in the Bolgatanga West B Circuit who for a very long time have not had the opportunity to participate in the regional event, organised their own independence celebration parade at Sumbrungu, seven miles away from Bolgatanga.
The event, which was held a day prior to the national celebration, saw 10 schools participating in the parade.
The Circuit Supervisor, Mr Timothy Allou, who said the event would be an annual one, explained that it would enable the children in the circuit to feel being part and parcel of the national celebration, urging the municipal assembly to support the organisation of the parade for the children.
Twenty-five schools drawn from basic and secondary schools in the Ho Municipality converged at the Jubilee Park to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of Ghana’s independence, reports Victor Kwawukume.
All those who took part in the parade, numbering about 2,000, marched in a parade which was reviewed by the Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, and accompanied by the Regional Director of Education, Mr Gabriel Kploanyi, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Volta Region, Mr David Ampah-Bennin.
In the end, awards and certificates were given in separate categories with OLA Girls Senior High School coming first in the cadet category, Mawuli Secondary School came first in the Senior High School category, Dora Memorial Junior High came first in the Junior High category, while Kabore Primary came first in the primary category.
There was a colourful display of national colours and an indigenous display of the culture of the region, coupled with melodious tunes from groups of the Volta Regional Centre for National Culture.
The regional minister, in his address, said the theme for the celebration, “Investing in the Youth”, should propel the youth to be focused and be guided to shun all acts and activities that would deny them the glory that comes with hard work, determination and diligence.
He also affirmed the government’s commitment to policies on education which had become evident in the increase in Capitation Grant, provision of free exercise books and the enhancement of the School Feeding Programme.
Mr Amenowode also advised students, teachers and parents to keep abreast of government’s policies and programmes for them to be aware of the various steps that the government was taking to make the ‘Better Ghana Agenda’ a reality.
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