The management of Atiwa Quarries located at Opeikuma in the Central Region says it will provide boreholes and educational facilities to communities within its operational areas.

Mr Kwame Gyan, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, announced this when he conducted newsmen round the quarry site at Opeikuma.

According to him, a series of meetings between the company and the communities had been held to ensure that both parties worked for mutual understanding and prosperity.

The Atiwa Quarries Company produces granite chippings, and runs between eight and 10 hours a day.

Its total workforce stands at 54 of which 90 per cent is drawn from communities around the quarry, and has also invested about $9 million in equities and loans.

Mr Gyan commended all the communities within their operational area for their cooperation and gave the assurance that his outfit would play its role responsibly to ensure perpetual peace and understanding amongst them.

He said in addition to compensations paid, the company would also provide periodic financial support to the communities to execute development projects of their choice.

The CEO said his outfit had acquired the necessary permit and had extensive environmental impact arrangement from the EPA that had to be satisfied and promised to ensure that the company complied with those environmental statutory standards.

Mr Gyan, an environmentalist and a Lecturer of Environmental Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana,  pledged to cooperate with the communities in the area of environmental education.

He said the Company, which is 100 per cent Ghanaian would continue to uphold its determination to provide jobs for Ghanaians.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/quarry-firm-to-provide-potable-water-schools-to-host-communities/

An amount of $203.5 million, part of the $547 million Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Ghana Compact was invested into food security, an MCC factsheet dated May 15, 2012 and obtained by ghanabusinessnews.com has disclosed.

Areas of food security the investments went into were irrigation, technical assistance, rural finance, land tenure and rural roads, the document shows.

Rural roads had the highest investment with $90.4 million, followed by technical assistance ($62.2 million) and rural finance ($23.6 million).

The rest – irrigation, received $23.2 million with land tenure getting $4.1 million.

According to the US-run MCC, 10 agribusiness centers and three public pack houses were constructed in Ghana through the $19.8 million Post-Harvest Activity and it provided the “missing link between farmers and markets” by reducing post-harvest losses and preparing produce for export.

The factsheet indicates that more than 15,000 additional metric tonnes of pineapple and over 5,000 additional metric tonnes of mangoes have been exported as a result of these investments.

The MCC’s compact trained more than 66,000 farmers in over 1,200 farmer based orga­nizations (FBOs) in Ghana’s commercial agriculture sector.

“The goal of this $62.2 million Commercial Training Activity was to make Ghanaian agriculture more productive, including boosting the production of high-value exports like pineapple, mango and Bird’s Eye chili pepper,” it said.

The Ghana Compact closed February 15, 2012.

By Ekow Quandzie

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/mcc-invested-203-5m-into-food-security-during-ghana-compact/

Bartin Oduro

Mr Ebo Barton Oduro, Deputy Attorney General and Deputty Minister of Justice, on Saturday said the government would realize the Millennium  Development Goals (MDG) through the provision of quality education in the country.

He said it is in line with objective that the Government was providing facilities such as classroom blocks, mono desk, dormitory blocks,  ICT centres, science laboratories and many other infrastructure  as well as  rganizing special training sessions for  teachers to upgrade their teaching skills.

Mr Oduro, who is also the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast, said this at the 21st anniversary and 3rd speech and prizing giving day of the Oguaa Senior High Technical  School  (Ostech) at  Ekon near Cape Coast under the theme, “Infrastructural Development – a Vital Key to Academic Excellence”.

He underscored the important role infrastructure  play in the development of education, stressing that  the need to tackle infrastructural development head-on has become  an issue of paramount importance not only to support classroom  accommodation, but for other areas such as staff bungalows, laboratories, dormitories, halls of residence, lecture theatres for teachers, workers and beneficiaries of the system across board within  Ghana’s educational terrain in general.

Mr Oduro said the government , stakeholders and policy makers  were concerned about the relationship  between school facilities and students  learning and achievement, not only because of health , security, and psychological  issues, but also because the failure to create and maintain optimum learning environment  could undermine other efforts to reform education in the country.

He said it was  vision of the  government to  use  quality education delivery to accelerate the nation’s socio-economic development through expanding access to education at all levels of education., raising quality of teaching and learning, making education more relevant to national goals  and aspiration  as well as  making  tertiary  education more cost effective.

He stressed that for the youth to meet the challenges of the global world it was imperative for them to take their studies seriously adding that the world economy was knowledge driven and that  it was important to acquire the necessary skills in the areas of mathematics,  sciences and technology.

Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Central Regional Minister, in speech a read for her, said the government underscores the important role education played  in the socio-economic development   of the country and would therefore endeavour to give the sector the needed support.

She in this regard urged the students to reciprocate government’s   efforts by taking their studies seriously and endeavour to  eschew vices such as drug abuse, cybercrime and violent acts before during and after the December polls.

Mrs Anastasia Thomford  Okyere, headmistress of the school, commended the government  and GETFUND for  providing the school with a number of infrastructural projects  including the construction of  12 and six unit classroom blocks, two dormitory blocks, stressing that in the  more than 17 years existence of the school it has not seen such massive infrastructural development.

Mrs  Okyere  said  the school had chalked a lot of successes over the years and that it recorded 100  per cent pass in this year’s WASCE   as against 53 per cent in 2008 stressing that  out of  a total 209 students who registered for the WASCE, 105 passed in eight subjects , with the overall best  candidate scoring aggregate 11.

She said although the school had chalked some successes, it was still saddled with a lot of problems including the lack of   a well-resourced ICT,science laboratory,  a modern library, assembly and dinning  halls, accommodation for teachers  and  an administration block.

She in this regard called on the government and other stakeholders to come to the aid of the school particularly in the  building of  bungalows  for staff since most  of them lived  far away from the  school,  thereby making  teaching and learning difficult.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/government-committed-to-providing-quality-education-deputy-minister/

The national U-20 team, Black Princesses qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after a convincing 4-1 win over Tunisia on Saturday, at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Princesses came from behind to score four goals in the second half to complete a double over the Tunisians and qualified on 7-2 goal aggregate.

The Ghanaians will be making their successive appearance at the biennial global championship but labored to snatch the ticket this time after surviving an earlier scare from the North Africans.

The Tunisians got off well for the match delayed by the heavy downpour just before kick-off, forcing the Ghanaians into their half. The circuit passing of the Princesses did not help their cause allowing the Tunisians to dominate.

On 20 minutes, the Tunisians silenced the scanty crowd at the stadium with the opener through Imem Ben Mrad who headed home from Chaima Albassi’s corner-kick.

The Princesses struggled in search of their feet but the Tunisians managed to hang on to the lead at half time.

The hosts resumed the better side backed with the introduction of some fresh limbs including Beatrice Sesu. Three minutes into the half, Elizabeth Addo drew level by finishing off a through pass from Priscilla Saahene.

Six minutes later, Alice Eva Danso shot the Princesses into the lead for the first time in the game by heading home from Afriyie’s cross from the right.

Burly striker Candice Osei Agyemang silenced her critics with the third goal on 75th minutes with Afriyie providing the assist.

Addo concluded the routing with her second of the day and fourth for her side on the stroke of full time.

The final tournament has been scheduled from 19 August to 8 September in Japan.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/ghana-qualifies-for-u-20-womens-world-cup/

Mr Kordzo Sedegah, Economic Specialist at the UNDP, at the weekend said government is developing a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) acceleration Framework, to come out with policies to accelerate the achievement of the goals.

He said Ghana is performing better with the MDGs than some sub-Saharan African countries, although much remains to be done in order to attain the goals.

Mr Sedegah was speaking at a three day MDG workshop organised by the UNDP, in collaboration with Africa 2000 Network and Youth Bridge Foundation, two non-governmental organisations forTV3 Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB) 2011 contestants in Akosombo.

The workshop, which was the second in the series for the GMB contestants was facilitate the  training of the beauty queens to become youth ambassadors to educate the public and create awareness on the MDG’s in a bid to contribute to the achievement of the target of the goals.

He said Ghana has been able to attain maximum results in MDG one, two, three, six and eight, although lots of work needs to be done in order to attain MDG’s four, five and seven which are related to sanitation, maternal health and HIV and AIDS.

“It is important to change the way we do things and try as much as possible to implement all government plans in order to achieve the goals by the set date, Mr Sedegah added.

He said the GMB contestants were chosen because they had become role models for people to pay attention to them in order to be educated about the MDG’s.

Mr Sedegah urged contestants to take the opportunity to learn more about the MDG’s in order to stand firm and tall wherever they found themselves.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/undp-trains-role-models-on-mdgs/

Young Stars Club on Friday dominated the fourth stage of the 2012 Cowbell Cycling Tour. The fourth started from Kumasi to Sunyani, a distance of 115-kilometres was made in 3:03:34 and won by Isaac Sackey of Young Stars Club, who took the Yellow Jersey and Best by Time award.

Samuel Anim, also of Young Stars won the Green Jersey for the Best by Point award and the Red Jersey for Best Fighter.

Victor Cudjoe showed consistenc by winning the White Jersey for the fourth time for the Youngest cyclist. H.M. Club took the blue Jersey for the best team award for the second time.

Sackey, Lomo Tamimu and Solomon Nartey of H.M Club, Prosper Agbo of City Migro and Abdul Razak Umar of Die Hard Club earlier broke away from the bunch of 64 riders and made it up to the finishing point.

Shaaban Mohamed, Technical Director of the Ghana Cycling Federation commended the clubs for preparing the riders to embark on the tour and said their performance has gone a long way in making it very competitive.

He explained that the tour rules which include positioning of riders, individual classificationby point and time, team classification by time, general placing by points and time as well as general team placing by time.

The fifth stage of the tour will be conducted in Tamale over a distance of 100-kilometres.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/young-stars-sweep-awards-at-fourth-stage-of-ghana-cycling-tour/

Dr. Afari-Gyan – EC Boss

The Agona District Council of Labour has cautioned the Electoral Commission (EC) to stay neutral in officiating the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Council said any showing of support by EC officials to any party during the elections could spell doom in the country’s eagerness to deepening it democratic dispensation.

Mr Francis Odoom, Chairman of the Agona District Council of Labour, made this known at the quarterly meeting to discuss matters affecting welfare of the members at Agona Swedru on Friday.

The Chairman said the workers and entire population are eager to see EC conduct free and fair elections so that the nation could continue its economic policies and programmes.

Mr Odoom also cautioned government officials to guard against any utterances that could create political turmoil, during, before and after the elections.

He warned opposition leaders to caution their supporters to be circumspect with their language at platforms to solicit for votes.

Mr Odoom appealed to the Controller and Accountant General Department to release pay slips of workers in time for them to known their actual salaries they earn.

He asked the government to stop “inconsistent salaries being paid every month to the workers, adding that workers always go to the bank to see different figure lodged into their accounts”.

Mr Samuel Kweku Dugan, Central Regional Secretary of Trade Union Congress (TUC), urged workers to embrace the new three tier pension scheme introduced by the government.

He said the Union would hold congress in August this year to elect a new Secretary General of TUC and also review its activities for the next four years.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/labour-council-cautions-ec-to-stay-neutral-in-2012-elections/

Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, has decried the annual ritual of delayed payment of salaries of newly trained teachers in the country.

He said the processing and payment of first salaries of fresh teachers had always been characterised by delays, bringing a lot of hardships to the affected professional.

Mr Aidoo, a professional teacher, therefore, appealed to officials of the Ghana Education Service and other related institutions, to expedite action on the payment of salaries of newly trained teachers, to make them financially independent.

He made the call at the 5th congregation of the Holy Child College of Education, in Fijai on Saturday.

The Minister said teachers played crucial role in the human resource development of the nation, and appealed to stakeholders to support them to give off their best in the fight against illiteracy and ignorance.

Mr. Aidoo said in view of the rigorous training received, “I am of the strong conviction that they can significantly impact upon the direction and improvement of our human resource development.”

The Principal of the College, Mrs Margaret Lemaire, said that the grandaunts had been instilled with high sense of discipline, integrity, morality and respect for authority.

She charged them to serve as ambassadors of the College by exhibiting such qualities in their teaching profession.

Mrs Lemaire commended  Government for providing the College with educational infrastructure such as classroom block,  Information and Communication Technology centre and 15-seater bus.

She appealed to corporate organisations in the region to support the College to acquire more infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning.

Most Reverend Mathias Kobina Nketsiah, Chairman of Holy Child College of Education Council, asked the grandaunts to serve as role models in their respective communities.

In all, 179 grandaunts were awarded Diploma in Basic and Early Childhood Education with six of them obtaining Second Class Upper, and 76 having Second Class Lower.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/minister-decries-delayed-payment-of-salaries-of-fresh-teachers/

The National Tenants Association of Ghana (NATAG) at the weekend called for a review of the Rent Control Act (Act 220) to make the Rent Control Department of Ghana (RCDG) a proactive body.

“Since 1963 when the rent Act, (Act 220) was passed into law, the RCDG, a body responsible for seeing to the full implementation of the law had not been given the necessary support to function as spelt out in the law.

“The weakness and the shallowness of the Act has made the Rent Control Department a ‘toothless bulldog that cannot bite’, thereby leaving the poor tenants at the mercy of atrocious Landlords, document made available to the Ghana News Agency signed by Frederick Opoku, Acting Secretary General of NATAG stated.

Mr Opoku said certain clauses in the law need some amendments and additions to make it more functional and applicable in today’s world and alleged that though the RCDG had since 2010 been pushing for the amendments of the Act, for two years, it had been on the Desk of the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing.

“This, to us demonstrates the insensitivity on the part of Government to the plight of the poor and the low income house renters in this country,” Mr Opoku alleged.

He said currently, tenants were made to pay between one to three years rent advance which is in contradiction to the Rent Act.

“According to the law, taking rent advance beyond six months is a violation of the rent Act, and yet, home owners do it with impunity all because the government does not have the political will to prosecute landlords who abuse the law,” he said.

Mr Opoku said the Association is worried that the law was not working because of the failure on the part of government to resource the Rent Control Department to work.

“It is surprising to hear that the entire Rent Control Department has only two vehicles for the whole country,” he said.

The NATAG also question why budgetary allocation to the Rent Control Department in the 2012 budget had still not been released to the Department.

He said it was regrettable that majority of low income earners used their meager salaries to pay for their rents living nothing on them to feed and fend for their families.

NATAG, an umbrella organisation representing tenants in Ghana, was established to assist tenants through education, legal information and lobbying for tenant’s legislation especially affordable housing and tenants rights.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/tenant-association-calls-for-review-of-rent-control-act/

Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) at the weekend outdoored a new brand logo and launched its new re-branded image into the oil marketing industry in the country.

The new logo centred around a “G” with wind vanes in various shades of orange rotating in an anti clockwise fashion, seeks to present a dynamic action oriented company and with “GOIL,” and “Good Energy” written below in grey.

Ghana News Agency observed during the launch that new GOIL Logo is based on organic and dynamic shapes that represent movement, energy, progress, warmth and growth.

Mr Kojo Bonsu, a member of GOIL Board of Directors, explained that as the leading indigenous oil company GOIL, is placing itself in readiness to compete effectively in the oil industry.

“The rebranding is a reflection of our commitment to grow our business by being better positioned in the minds of all our stakeholders including our employees, consumers, regulators, investors and even our competitors,” he said.

Mr Bonsu, who was in charge of the GOIL Re-branding Committee, noted that rebranding will take between five to ten years for “GOIL to transform and control the oil industry in the country”.

Mr Chris A. Ackummey, Acting Managing Director of the company, noted that GOIL was incorporated as a private limited liability company on June 14, 1960 as AGIP Ghana Company Limited.

Dr Joe Oteng Adjei, Minister of Energy who launched the new logo and rebranded image noted that the government was committed to transforming the energy sector.

He lauded the effort of GOIL to set the pace in the oil sector and called for conceited efforts to move the rebranding agenda for attainment of the government’s “Better Ghana Agenda”.

The impressive ceremony for was attended by industrial stakeholders, traditional rulers, religious leaders industrial regulators, Board Members of State Institutions and the general public.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/05/20/ghana-oil-outdoors-new-brand-logo/