Thursday, June 30, 2011

MTTU boss against diversions on Tema Motorway

The Tema Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) has blamed the various diversions on the Accra-Tema motorway as a contributing factor to the increasing accidents on the road.

Superintendent Daniel Ansong-Dankyi says the purpose of the motorway was not to create diversions but to rather serve as a link road between Accra and Tema for businesses and other activities.

He made these statements on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM Monday when he visited the motorway to ascertain the extent of damage after three tipper trucks collided earlier Monday morning.

The accident had worsened the already bad traffic situation on the motorway and Superintendent Ansong-Dankyi said he and his team were trying to manage the situation.

According to him, erection of structures (both legal and illegal) and diversions on the motorway have defeated the purpose for which the road was constructed because they have paved the way for bicycle riders and other unauthorized persons to use it.

He urged the Ghana Highways Authority to close or block all the diversions and halt the illegal developments on the Motorway to ease the heavy traffic that builds up sometimes and also prevent accidents.

Superintendent Ansong-Dankyi also cautioned drivers to obey all traffic regulations especially with the rainy season reaching its peak adding that they should drive at the right speed limit to prevent deaths and injuries on the way.

Source: Adomonline.com/Ghana

Peace returns to Ejisu-Juaben after chief orders 30 lashes on a French teacher

The Ejisuhene Nana Afranie Okese says peace has since return to the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality in the Ashanti Region night after Teachers at Besease boycotted classes in protest of what they say is maltreatment of their colleague.

Nana Afranie Okese stated that he met with the District director of education, regional Police commander and other stakeholders yesterday to address the issue.

Speaking to Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Dwaso Nsem programme on Tuesday, He stressed normal business activities have return to the area.

Earlier, teachers at Ejisu Besease L/A JHS in the Ashanti region were on a sit-down strike over what they say is unfair treatment meted out to a French teacher of the school.

The French teacher, Francis Kateh, was given 30 lashes on the back by the chief of Ejisu Besease, Nana Kwasi Akyeampong for allegedly smoking wee at a drinking spot where he (teacher) was drinking with three of his friends last Saturday.

His aggrieved colleagues say the assault is not only inhuman to the victim but it also denigrates the teaching profession.

The teachers indicated that though the Chief did not find wee on the teacher and his friends, he insisted that they had smoked the herbs.

But Nana Afranie Okese explained that has been a recent increase number of student smoking Indian hemp in the public. He noted he has personally seen some group of students smoking at backyard of the palace.

Commenting on how he is going to reduce the menace in the area, he stressed that many times the Police find it difficult to get the necessary evidence to arrest the criminals.

He therefore urged the people in the area to support the Police with information to assist them with enough evidence to arrest the criminals.

ERNEST CHEMISTS BOSS URGES YOUTH NOT TO RUSH FOR SUCCESS

The Chief Executive Officer of Ernest Chemists, Ernest Bediako has urged the youth not to be in a rush to be successful.

According to him, the youth do not exercise enough patience for God’s appointed time but rather indulge in criminal activities that hinder their development.

He stated that the youth must stay disciplined and committed in order to achieve success.

Ernest Bediako made these statements at the launch of a new pain relief medicine Panadol Opti-Zorb on the market.

The drug will be manufactured here in Ghana as Ernest Chemists has secured the rights from GlaxoSmithKline.

The Multi-international entrepreneur explains that the youth of today lacks patience, focus and tolerance for each other.



The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hannah Tetteh congratulated the Ghanaian entrepreneurs who have been able to achieve international heights.

She stated that the government has created the necessary platform for local and international investors to help boost the economy.

NACOB deserves autonomy to be more effective – Ex-National Security boss

A former National Security Coordinator, Mr. K.B. Quantson, has supported the Narcotics Control Board’s (NACOB) demand to be granted autonomy. NACOB is presently part of the Interior Ministry. According to Mr. Quantson, NACOB would work more effectively and efficiently if government grants them autonomy since they do not seem to be doing much now to fight the increasing drugs menace. NACOB has submitted a draft law to the Attorney General’s Department seeking autonomy from the Interior Ministry.

The head of Communications at the Board, Francis Opoku Amoah, who spoke on PM Express on Multi TV, disclosed that NACOB was facing a lot of challenges, most of them financial and logistical, in its fight against the trafficking and use of drugs. He attributed the financial constraints to the inability of NACOB to generate funds internally adding if they are granted autonomy, they would be given their own budgetary allocation which will give them a lot of resources to work with. He added that the Board also wanted to be clothed with powers to confiscate assets of drug dealers and the right to carry arms. “I believe that if that law is approved it’s going to give us the power to carry arms because we know that in certain parts of Africa, in Nigeria and other places, the Narcotics Control over there, they are armed and therefore we’re hoping that when it is passed all these things will help us make sure that the fight on the drug menace is upped.” And Mr. Quantson has expressed his whole-hearted support for the proposals.

Speaking on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM on Wednesday, the security capo said because of its limited resources, the Board is not able to sometimes pursue cases to its conclusion, giving room for guilty people to go scot free. He also advocated that the Board be empowered to prosecute its own cases to help prevent manipulation of the system and ensure that drug traffickers are not let off.

Mr. Quantson said the judicial system had been corrupted from the bottom resulting in delays in judgement adding there had been instances where the judiciary had been manipulated to free drug barons while some judges, out of greed, collect bribes and allow guilty people to go free. He claimed that he had personally witnessed a case where the culprit should have been imprisoned for five years but was only fined and freed by the judge. Mr. K.B. Quantson stressed that the drug menace has a direct negative effect on the economy therefore the government should make sure it does it possible best to clamp down the menace one of them being granting NACOB autonomy to make them more effective. Politics and Cocaine Mr. Quantson also shared his views on the brouhaha surrounding recent comments by the NACOB boss, Yaw Akrasi Sarpong that some politicians intended to use drug money to fund campaigns for the 2012 elections. He stated that lack of effective monitoring mechanisms into the funding of political parties has created the room for suspicion while the amount of money political parties spend on campaigning raises question marks about their sources of funding. He conceded that even though investors and businessmen may sponsor the parties, the lavish scale on which they run their campaign leaves much to be desired adding that he suspects that some of the funds must be coming from ‘under the bag’.

Mr. Quantson called for some mechanisms to monitor elections expenditure of political parties while a ceiling should be placed on the expenditure of political parties so that when they exceed it, they can be open to auditing and investigations and that will also ensure that the country’s democracy is not undermined by criminals and drug barons. The security expert said any government that wants to really clamp down on the drugs trade and use must have a strong political will to put in place the right legislative instruments to check it.

Mr. Quantson also urged all hands to be on deck to help win the war against narcotics since it was not only the problem of government or the security agencies. He suggested that citizen education must be increased so people can appreciate the enormity of the situation and the role they have to play in bringing it down. He also urged the media to assist in the fight against drugs by exposing traffickers and asking the pertinent questions that would bring results.

GIMPA Rector blames government for low standard in education

The Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Prof. Yaw Agyemang Badu has blamed government for doing less in improving the standard of education in the country.

He said teachers previously accepted posting to the hinterlands but now due to lack of government interest to improve the system, teachers are not ready to accept posting to rural areas.

According to him, it’s about time the government strategizes to improve the sector to meet the growing population.

Professor Yaw Badu was speaking to Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Dwaso Nsem programme to mark the 50th anniversary of the institute.

He called on institutions to upgrade their knowledge and skills so that they can abreast with modern trends of education.

Professor Badu stressed that every child has the right to go to school and have a better and quality education.

He said Ghana’s education sector began with countries like Singapore, Korea and Malaysia but now those countries have improved their education system.

He made this remark at the 50 anniversary of the Institute in Accra.

Prof Badu explained that government needs to invest more funds to the sector because the increasing number of children in the country. Budget for the educational sector needs to be doubled so that all school children can benefit from it.

GIMPA law school

The Dean of Law School at GIMPA, Prof Kwame Frimpong announced that the institution has just begun enrolment in legal studies. He said the decision to establish the faculty is a response to the numerous calls by stakeholders to establish it. He said 72 people were shortlisted for the programme but only 28 reported for the commencement of the new law faculty. The law school curriculum is in line with the certified law faculty.

Prof Frimpong explains that the institute will begin a modular programme which will enable those living outside Accra to enroll in the school for the three year law school.

He said they will start a paralegal training for those who might not train as a legal person but someone who will have an insight on the law for their firms.

OLA TRAINING COLLEGE PROTEST OVER UNPAID ALLOWANCE

Students of Ola training college of Education in Cape coast have threatened to boycott their upcoming exams on Monday as a result of the refusal of the school authorities to pay outstanding allowance.

The agitating students accused the school authorities of holding on the monies though they have received it from central government.

They say they can no longer bear the situation which has made life unbearable at the school.

The students singled out the Principal of the school as the main person behind the non-payment of the allowance.

However, the Vice Principal of the Ola College of Education in charge of Academics, Chris Addae says the government settle allowances base on the abbreviation of schools.

He explains that since the school name start with the letter ‘O’ it will take some time for the allowances to be paid.

Chris Addae assures the students that by the close of July they will receive their allowances.