Accra, Nov. 2, GNA – The “In-In-Out,” structure of accommodation for students of the colleges of education, where students spend first two years on campus and the third year on school attachment will change slightly beginning from the 2013/2014 academic year.   Under the new structure, the third year students would spend the first semester on campus for more content study integrated with methodology and spend only the second semester outside campus attached to a basic school.   Mrs Christina Bampo Henaku, Principal of Accra College of Education, said this at the Seventh  Matriculation ceremony of the college where 285 fresh students were admitted made up of 172 males and 113 females.   She said this meant that during the first semester all students would be on campus and called for immediate expansion of lecture halls and boarding facilities for the institute.      Mrs Henaku acknowledged the GETFund yearly allocation to the colleges of education for infrastructural development but however said the amount was too meagre.   She noted that to ensure that the college produced qualified and competent teachers for basic schools, the college had selected the establishment of a demonstration school as its Golden Jubilee project.   “A demonstration school is a basic need for any good college of education,” she said.   Mr Aheto-Tsegah, a Deputy Director General of Education, stressed the importance of the teaching profession and advised the students to embrace it wholeheartedly.   He called on the trainees to be creative, innovative, versatile and smart and be ready to improve on their knowledge.   GNA...

Bolgatanga (U.E), Nov. 2, GNA - A two-day workshop to  sensitise regional and district finance officers, accountants and treasury officers of Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) on the new Ghana Integrated Financial Management information System (GIFMIS),  is underway in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.   The MMDAs are expected to start operating the new computerised financial control system this month.       Mr. Michael Ampau, resource personnel for the workshop, said the GIFMIS was aimed at promoting public financial management reforms and ensuring fiscal discipline and macro-economic stability.       He said the old financial collation method, delayed processing and financial reporting and produced poor feed back for assessing budgetary performance.      According to Mr. Ampau, the GIFMIS would be implemented through  E-Business Financials Suite, and become the official system of recording, to meet Government of Ghana budget disbursements, financial accounting and reporting, internal control, and auditing requirements.      He said the system, which was used to generate annual accounts from January to August 2012, had proved to be an effective and reliable method of ensuring financial control and management.       Mr. Ampau said the GIFMIS would ensure uniformity in accounting and reporting with the introduction of a common chart of account and database for all MMDAs, improvement in accountability, control, monitoring and auditing of governmental finances.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 2, GNA – Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor has restated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) free SHS education is possible and asked the electorate to vote for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on December 7, to implement it.   He said after 55 years of the nation’s independence and more than 20 years of practicing democratic rule there was no need for the country to wait in implementing the Nana Akufo-Addo’s free SHS policy.   The Ex-President made this known when he addressed a rally to formally introduce Oscar Nii Odoi Glover, the NPP parliamentary candidate for La-Dadekotopon to the electorate.   He also launched the party’s campaign at La-Aborm, in Accra.   Mr Kufuor pointed out that a lot of work had already been done since 2004 in the provision of infrastructure and teachers to provide free SHS quality education and therefore appealed to the people to vote massively for the NPP, to propel the country to the next level of development which Ghanaians are yearning for.   The parliamentary candidate, Nii Odoi Glover threw a challenge to Nii Amasa Namole, incumbent National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for the area and Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture to showcase what he had used his Common Fund for, during the past 12 years for the people.   He said La abounds in natural and human resources and therefore there is no need for the area to lack development.   Nii Odoi Glover assured the electorate that when he is given the nod he would ensure that the La 11 million- dollar market three-storey project comes on board, to replace the old dilapidated structure which had been on the drawing board for a long period.   Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Wife of Nana Akufo-Addo interacted with the market women and assured them that an NPP government would renovate the market to make doing business in the area convenient.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 02, GNA  - The Ghana News Agency (GNA), during a visit to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Labour Commission on Friday morning showed that the two commissions were  in an emergency meeting at the Labour Commission.   A similar meeting was also ongoing among the executives of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association–Ghana (CLOGSAG) at an undisclosed location. In both meetings the details were not immediately known.   However, workers were seen going about their normal duties in some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Accra.    The GNA wanted to ascertain the impact of the industrial action on government business, and also to corroborate reports in some regions that government business virtually came to a standstill on Thursday, two days into the sit-down strike.      A related visit on Wednesday by the GNA to some MDAs in Accra and Kumasi showed that the strike could not come off in all the MDAs because members had not received their circulars to that effect.   CLOGSAG declared indefinite industrial strike last Wednesday to pressure government to pay premium to its members.   CLOGSAG has said: “The strike action is in response to failure on the part of government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to address outstanding issues with regard to the payment of premium to its members”.   GNA...

Gbefi (V/R), Nov. 2, GNA - Mr Cornelius Kpende, a native of Gbefi-Hoeme has been adjudged the best Municipal Farmer at this year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration at Gbefi in the Kpando Municipality of the Volta Region.      He received a motorised tricycle and a certificate as his award for observing good agricultural practices.      Mr Kpende cropped 54 acres of maize, 25 acres of oil palm, 10 acres of cassava, five acres of garden eggs, two acres each of okro and water melon.      He also owns 12 sheep, six goats, 31 fowls and two operational tractors.      Fifteen other individuals, Kpando Torkor Municipal Assembly Junior High School and two farmer-based organizations (FBOs), namely Elikem Farmers Group of Kpando-Gabi and Volta Lake Fish Farmers Association were honoured for their sterling contribution to the development and production of agriculture in the Municipality.      Mr Lawrence Atobu, physically-challenged farmer was adjudged the best in the category for cultivating one acre of rice, two acres of maize, half an acre of cassava and 50 ruminants.      He received a pair of Wellington boot, three cutlasses, a knapsack machine and a certificate.      The rest of the award winners in various categories such as maize, poultry, rice, cassava and small ruminants received prizes for distinguishing themselves in agricultural production and development.      Mr Francis K Ganyaglo, Municipal Chief Executive said government is poised to strengthen agricultural mechanisation, improve on irrigation and improved seeds and high yielding variety of seed stock.      He said ready markets and storage systems would be available for products and commodities as well as strengthening of the technical and research capacities to perk up production in the sector.   Mr Ganyaglo urged the FBOs to remain organised and institutionalised a measure to keep avail themselves of schemes of training and loan regimes.      He expressed dissatisfaction at the high default rates of the GH¢200,000 Millennium Development Authority scheme urging beneficiaries to honour their indebtedness so that others could be part of the programme.      Ms Cecilia Gboloo, Municipal Director of Agriculture said there are 20 active FBOs made up of 877 individuals who are into crop and animal production.      She said under the Youth in Agriculture programme in 2012, a total of 1,600 fertilisers worth GH¢60,900 was distributed and 245 hectares of land placed under cultivation of mainly fruits.      She said production hinges on technically competent FBOs and is glad that farmers are accepting this concept.      Mr Kpende told the Ghana News Agency that the award would motivate him to increase production in the future and aim at the national awards.      The programme was on the theme: "Strengthening FBOs for market place bargaining power."   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 02, GNA - The Greater Accra Regional Secretary of Civil and Local Government Staff Association–Ghana (CLOGSAG), Mr. Samuel Nii Clottey, on Friday said the strike action embarked on by the association shall remain in force until government gives in to their demand of paying premium to its members.   He acknowledged that though there were “few bad nuts” amongst them who are not observing the directive, the strike action is in progress and is expected to pressure government to yield to their demand.   In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday Mr. Clottey refuted assertion that the association failed to follow due process before embarking on the strike action.   He said “the association has not breached any process pertaining to the labour law on grievances and negotiations before embarking on the industrial action, we followed due processes”.   GNA during a visit to some offices in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies observed that in spite of the strike action some workers were seen going about their normal duties, but at the offices of the Civil Servants Association headquarters all offices were closed.   CLOGSAG declared indefinite industrial strike last Wednesday, October 31t to pressure government to pay premium to its members.   GNA...

Berekum, Nov. 2, GNA - Dr Sylvester Anemana, Chief Director at the Ministry of Health (MOH) has observed that 80 out of 1,000 babies die before their fifth birthday in the country.      In addition, 40 out of every 1,000 babies die before reaching their first age, while 350 mothers out of 100,000 lose their lives nationwide through delivery.      Dr Anemana made the observation at the 15th Matriculation ceremony of the Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College at Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region.      They comprised 100 for Registered General Nursing and 50 Registered Midwifery.      He expressed concern about the high rate of infant and maternal mortality in the country and attributed the situation to inadequate human resource to provide the needed services and unequal distribution of health personnel in some areas.      Dr Anemana said even though some of the cases which resulted in these unfortunate situations could not be avoided, health personnel required some efforts to save human life. The situation, he said, was unacceptable and urged health personnel to develop the right attitude to work to improve the quality of health care to Ghanaians and exhibit high moral standards and competence in their profession.      Dr Anemana said government was committed to provide health care to the people to become productive and contribute to national development.      Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, said there had been numerous projects undertaken by Municipal and District assemblies in the Region under the Carma Advocacy Project initiated by Former First Lady, Dr Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills to reduce maternal mortality in the country.      The project includes sponsorship of trainee midwives and nurses, provision of free ante-natal care, training of traditional birth attendants, construction of maternity blocks and Out-Patients-Department (OPD), Community Health Improvement and Services (CHIPS) compounds.      He noted that the poor attitude of some health personnel towards clients had resulted in persistent complaints from service users and the numerous incentive schemes being implemented had had little effect on the people.      Mr Nyamekye-Marfo entreated them to regard discipline as an important tool in their pursuit to become more professional to nurture their character as professionals to render better services to the expectation of the general public.      He said it was disheartening to observe an increasing incidence of lifestyle-related disease such as stroke, diabetes and hypertension which people were diagnosed at tender ages and called for massive and sustainable  measures by all stakeholders to rejuvenate the health of the youth and the productive workforce of the country.      Mr Nyamekye-Marfo called for individual and societal change in behaviour at all levels to salvage the abhorring trend, and urged health personnel to devote themselves to the well-being of the community they were serving, and to educate them on sound health practices and disease prevention.       The Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani Diocese cautioned health personnel against unprofessional practices which could cause people’s lives, injury or render people to permanent disability.       He asked them to be more conscious in their duties since the people had become more conscious of their rights and responsibilities.      Most Rev. Gyamfi reminded health personnel of recent legal cases against health institutions in which relatives blamed individual nurses and midwives for the death of their loved ones.      He urged health personnel not to turn themselves into ‘gods’ who had power over life and death but always think of saving lives. They should also desist from cultivating any negative attitudes that would cost people’s lives since the era when patients and their relatives were ignorant of their rights were now over.      Most Rev. Gyamfi entreated the students to know everything about their profession since their ignorance of procedures could cause permanent disability or injury to clients.      He called on health personnel to resort to the appropriate channels of negotiations for their demands rather than embark on strike action that could result in the loss of lives, adding that "lives lost during strike could not be brought back to life."      Mrs Monica Nkrumah, Principal of the College said 1,569 candidates applied for admissions and 1,117 were short-listed for interviews.      She said 100 students made up of 59 women and 41 men were admitted to pursue Registered General Nursing programme while 50 offered midwifery. She urged them to be dedicated, disciplined and committed to achieve success and become qualified nurses and midwives to provide quality health care to the people.      Mrs Nkrumah advised the students to abide by the rules and regulations governing studentship on campus since the breach of any of the oath administered would attract the appropriate sanctions.   GNA...

Kumasi, Nov 2, GNA - The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) is to train and deploy 4,000 local observers to monitor the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.     Professor Miranda Greenstreet, the co-Chairperson, said they would be assigned to all the 275 constituencies.     In line with this, the Coalition on Friday began a four-day training workshop in Kumasi for the Regional Coordinators to help them to have better understanding of their expected roles and responsibilities towards ensuring free, fair and transparent polls.       Additionally, the programme would provide the platform to discuss planned training schedules for the up-coming election observation exercise.      Prof Greenstreet said the observers would be using coded messages to rapidly collect reports on the conduct of the voting and counting.      She expressed CODEO’s total confidence in the integrity and credibility of the Electoral Commission (EC) to successfully manage the electoral process.      She was, however, uncomfortable with the many legal actions brought against the EC and secret tapes revealing purported plans by some individuals to destabilize the election.       She said they were interested in making sure that the elections were held in an atmosphere of civility and the outcome, a true reflection of the will of the people.      Prof Greenstreet said “as Ghanaians, our commitment and responsibility must remain rooted in holding the belief that, our collective efforts in speaking against any abuse of the procedural mechanism of our democracy will suffice to prevent Ghana from going down on its knees as in many countries in West Africa”.        She thanked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID-Ghana) for supporting CODEO’s election 2012 project.   GNA...

Kumasi Nov 2, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has received GH¢4.95 million towards the procurement of logistics to aid voter education in the upcoming national elections.   Mrs Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the NCCE, said they had bought 50 pick-up vehicles, 50 motorbikes, 200 personal computers and other materials for the regional and district offices from the money released by the government.      Additionally, 360 public address systems had been acquired for the field officers to effectively carry out public education activities.      She was speaking at the opening session of a three-day divisional delegates’ conference of the NCCE Staff Union at the Public Services Union (PSU) Conference Centre in Kumasi on Friday.      “Organizing for peace and consolidation of democracy in Ghana” is the theme.      It has brought together 70 delegates to deliberate on issues affecting the welfare of members and plan the way forward.      Mrs Osei expressed the determination of the Commission to reach out to all voters and help them to appreciate their role and responsibilities in the December 7 elections.      She called for team work to ensure transparent, credible and violent-free polls.      Dr. Yaw Baah, Deputy General-Secretary of the TUC, appealed to Ghanaians not to take the peace for granted and called for support for the NCCE to discharge its constitutional mandate.      He said democracy was not only about elections but peace and unity and appealed to the Commission to put up practical programmes to safeguard the peace during and after the elections.   GNA...

Kogni (N/R), Nov. 2, GNA – A 58-year farmer, Mr Imoro Zakaria from the Kogni Community in the Tamale Metropolis, was on Friday adjudged the best farmer for the Tamale Metropolis and received a pocket of roofing sheets, a bicycle, knapsack sprayer, half piece of cloth and a radio set.   Twenty-three other farmers who distinguished themselves were given prices and told to continue working hard to increase food production in the country.   Mr. Zakaria who cultivated maize, rice, yam, livestock including cattle and fowls was elated for the award but appealed to the government to take steps to improve agriculture.   He complained that much of agriculture in the country was largely rain-fed while farming inputs like fertilizer and other chemicals come in late.   The Day was marked under the theme; “Grow more food: strengthening farmer-based organization for marketplace bargaining power”.   Mr. Zakaria appealed to the government to make more tractors and other agricultural implements available to farmers to make farming more attractive. Alhaji Abdulai Harruna Friday, the Tamale Metro Chief Executive, said the government in a bid to increase food production and reduce food insecurity, assisted 1,134 farmers out of which 101 females were assisted to cultivate various crops under the block farming system.   He said 1,176 hectares of maize, rice and soyabeans were cultivated under the block farming system adding that 744,881 bags of fertilizer were given to farmers at subsidized rates.   Mr. Steven Yakubu, Tamale Metro Director of MoFA, said the government assisted 1,700 farmers and under the crop sub-sector, 1,56o acres of rice, 1,225 acres of maize and 156 acres of soyabean were cultivated.   GNA...

Koforidua, Nov. 2, GNA - The Koforidua Polytechnic has received 2,302 new students out of the 3,465 applicants, who were offered admissions for the 2012/2013 academic year, representing 64.4 percent, acceptance rate.      The Polytechnic received 3,609 applications and 3,465 of them were offered admissions into Higher National Diplomas, Diplomas, Technician programmes and Craft courses.      Professor Reynolds Okai, Rector of the Polytechnic, announced these in a speech read on his behalf at the 17th Matriculation of the educational institution on Friday,   He said the 64. 4 per cent acceptance rate dropped from the 72 per cent acceptance rate in the 2011/2012 academic year.      Professor Okai said 1,496, representing 65 per cent of the 2012/2013 fresh students, were males and 806, representing 35 per cent were females.   Prof. Okai said: “Compared to the 2011/2012 academic year, the Polytechnic has witnessed a considerable decrease in the female new entrants from 42.1 percent to 35 percent.         “Management has taken note of this decrease and will work together with stakeholders to reverse this unfortunate trend”.         He said the overall student population now stands at 5,597 for the 2012/2013 academic year, a modest increase from the total of 5,151 recorded for the 2011/2012 academic year.      Prof. Okai said management of the Polytechnic was working hard to increase the number of programmes being offered.       He said currently the Polytechnic was offering Bachelor of Technology, Higher National Diploma, Diploma and Certificate and  “Furthermore, management is working expeditiously to re-introduce professional programmes including ICA, ACCA, CIPS CIMA, and ICB”.        Prof. Okai cautioned that the Polytechnic would dismiss any student caught engaging in examination malpractices.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 2, GNA – The delay in completing the migration of public sector workers onto the single spine structure is partly due to the many later applications by other institutions that opted to be captured.   “In the course of the implementation process institutions, which were not initially part of the list to be migrated onto the structure, kept coming on board, which consequently delayed the completion of the migration process,” the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission Public Affairs told the Ghana News Agency on Friday.   The Commission, which initially targeted December 2011 to complete the migration exercise, said it has so far migrated 98.79% of all public service employees, representing a total of 474, 198 employees. This leaves the percentage of employees yet to be migrated at 1.21% representing 5,802 employees in 19 institutions.   Migrated workers are therefore currently “enjoying” enhanced wages and salaries for which implementation started in January 2012 under late President John Evans Atta mills administration.      Institutions that joined in the course of the implementation included the Gaming Commission, the African Peer Review Mechanism, St. Theresa’s Handicap Centre, Postal and Courier Service, Ghana Cooperative College and the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO. All these institutions have been migrated and started receiving single spine wage and salaries.   The Commission is optimistic that the remaining 1.21% will be migrated onto the Single Spine Salary Structure before the end of 2012.   When the migration process is complete, the Commission is expected to move to the stage of negotiating categories of allowance as well as identifying critical skills in short supply within the public sector that qualified to enjoy Market Premium.   Currently, the Commission is in the process of developing the guidelines for the Market Premium. The aim to pay market Premium is to attract and retain such critical skills in the public sector.   Market Premium was not supposed to be part of the first phase of the implementation (Migration), but the Commission realized that it would be impossible to migrate certain institutions without tackling the Market Premium at least, as an interim arrangement, hence that of the medical and teaching professionals.   The Commission, therefore, is appealing to all, especially unions and associations to exercise restraint as it goes through the various phases of implementation of the new pay policy.   In a related development, the Local Government Workers Union (LGWU) today Friday, appealed to the Commission to consider giving public sector workers some special allowance because of the delay in implementing the Market Premium across board.   It said: “It is the view of the LGWU that payment of what it terms the “special allowance” will prevent sections of public sector workers wanting to embark on strike which does not augur well for the country especially at this critical time the country is preparing to go to the polls in December”.   GNA...

Wa, Nov. 2, GNA – Fifty-nine candidates including five women are vying for the eleven Parliamentary seats in the Upper West Region.     The National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Party (NDP) have fielded candidates in all the eleven constituencies in the region while the People’ Progressive Party (PPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) fielded eight candidates each.      A document released to the media the Upper West Regional Directorate of the Electoral Commission in Wa showed that the Convention People’s Party (CPP) is contesting four seats, the United Renaissance party (URP) has one candidate with the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) registering one candidate while four Independent candidates are contesting in Jirapa, Lambussie/Karni, Lawra and Sissala East constituencies.     Out of the five women contestants, three of them are campaigning to represent the Jirapa constituency which is currently being held by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and looks likely to retain it.     Jirapa, Lambussie/Karni and Sissala East constituencies recorded the largest number of seven candidates each while the least number of three candidates are vying for the Nandom seat.   GNA...

Bibiani (W/R), Nov 2, GNA – Mr Evans Dickson Ennin, the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai parliamentary candidate of the People’s National Convention (PNC), has vowed to win the seat for his party.        He said he was popular with the people in the area and the “person to beat in the December 7 elections.” Mr Ennin is campaigning on education, agriculture, health and environmental sanitation.        He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that his message was being well received by the population and expressed satisfaction with the maturity, peaceful and responsible manner the political parties and their supporters had so far conducted themselves in the constituency.        Mr Ennin said he had no doubt that the general polls would be another success.   GNA...

Nkawkaw (E/R), Nov.02, GNA - Kwabena Omari, a 23-year-old farmer, was on Friday remanded into police custody by the Nkawkaw District Magistrate’s Court for butchering his mother in-law to death at Sitey Kese.        Police Chief Inspector Emmanuel Dadey, prosecuting, told the court that Omari and his mother in-law, Ekua Mansa, a 45- year- old farmer, lived in the same community.     He said a quarrel ensued between Omari and his wife and the woman took her three children and went to stay with the mother.     The prosecutor said on October 30 at about 2000 hours, Omari went to the in law’s house and took away two of his children.     He later returned to take away the third one who is four months two weeks old and the deceased and Omari’s wife prevented him from doing so.    That situation resulted in a quarrel between them.        The prosecutor said the deceased left her house and set off to report the conduct of Omari to her husband in another house in the community.     Omari pounced on the woman and slashed her with a cutlass and inflicted multiple cuts on her head, neck, jaw and the left arm and she died instantly.        He said Omari also inflicted cutlass wounds on a Good Samaritan, Mr Maxwel Osei, also a farmer, who went to the aid of the woman when he heard her screaming.     He was taken to the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital but later referred to the St Joseph Hospital in Koforidua for further treatment.        Inspector Dadey said Omari fled into a forest reserve near the community but a search party brought him out and handed him over to the police.   GNA...

Apirede Akuapem (E/R), Nov. 02, GNA - Mr Dan Botwe, the Member of Parliament for Okere, said on Friday that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would win the December election.     “I want to assure you that the NPP, led by our able leader, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, will win this year’s election and form the next government,” he said.   Mr Botwe appealed to supporters of the party to continue propagating the free Senior High School (SHS) policy to the electorate and also defuse the propaganda of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the policy.     The former General Secretary of the NPP said this when he addressed supporters of the party at Apirede after a morning keep fit exercise.     Mr Botwe said the NDC had failed to live up to their campaign promises to the people and that retaining them in government would be very dangerous for the country and its future generations.    He said he was surprised that the NDC had kicked against the free SHS when its leader, President John Mahama, was a beneficiary of the same policy and challenged the NDC to provide any alternative policy to the free SHS education the NPP has promised.         Mr Botwe said the NDC propaganda against the free SHS policy was as a result of ignorance and lack of vision to improve the country’s education sector.     He urged the electorate not to listen to the NDC and vote massively for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP to implement the policy to enable every Ghanaian child to have access to secondary education.     “It amazes me that the NDC as a Social Democrat Party seeks to shoot down free education,” he added.     The Okere MP said Nana Akufo-Addo was unperturbed by the ruling party’s criticisms and remained committed to implementing the free SHS policy.     Mr Botwe said if the NDC had no alternative policy then they should leave the NPP alone and allow Ghanaians to bring back the NPP to come and implement the programme.     He said the NPP would leave no stone unturned to take power from the NDC in December.   GNA...

Kyebi, Nov. 02 GNA - The Abuakwa South Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has refuted claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flag bearer of the NPP and former Member of Parliament for the area, has no record to show as MP for the 12 years he spent as the MP.     Addressing a press conference at Kyebi in reaction to the claims, the Communication Director of the constituency, Mr Julius Okyere, said Nana Akufo- Addo’s achievements during the 12 years as MP was commendable and described him as a selfless, disciplined, benevolent, courageous and hardworking.   Mr Okyere said Nana Akufo-Addo directly contributed towards the construction of many development projects in the constituency including school blocks, health centres and electrification projects.     He said  more than 24 six-unit classroom blocks and five three-unit classroom blocks were built for basic schools at Kyebi Zongo Islamic Primary, Pano, Bunso, Asiakwa, Adortowa, Bomponso, Abesem Yeboah, Apapam, Adadientem, Odumase and Wirenkyiren Amanfrom.     Mr Okyere said 12-unit classroom blocks and a computer laboratory were started for Abuakwa State College and another 12- unit classroom block and girls’ dormitory for Kyebi Senior High Technical School which are ongoing.     He said teachers’ bungalows were also constructed at the Kyebi Unit School for the Deaf, Kwasi Komfo, Bomponso and Obodanase communities.     Mr Okyere said Nana Akufo-Addo supplied more than 3,000 pieces of dual desks and 2,000 pieces of mono desks to schools in the area.        He provided scholarships for needy but brilliant school children in the constituency and not less than 35 students were sponsored every year under the Teacher Training Sponsorship programme.     Mr Okyere said Nana Akufo-Addo also helped in the extension of electricity to more than 19 communities under the Self Help Electrification Programme (SHEP). These include Kyebi (Habitat), Maase, Apapam, Apedwa, Asiakwa, Akooko, Akyem Odumase, Ahwenease, Kwasi Komfo, Potroase, Ntaabea, Bomponso, Adadientem (Habitat), Kwasi Krakye, Bunso, Afiesa, Okanta/Aposs and Akwadum among other communities.     On health, he said the Kyebi Government Hospital was renovated and a first class physiotherapy centre was added to the facility in 2003, with renovation of the staff accommodation attached to the Apedwa Health Centre in the same year.     Mr Okyere said with the assistance of Mr Grant Kesse, the then Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, Nana Akufo-Addo was able to secure support for the rehabilitation of the Akyem Maase Health Centre and the construction of CHIPS compounds for Kwasi Komfo, Bomponso and Apapam.     “It is important that we set the records straight and touch on issues that are relevant and will bring progress and development to our nation and stop attempts to dent the hard won reputation of the next president of our country” he said.        GNA...

Accra, Nov. 2, GNA – The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) on Friday denied that the salaries of teachers in the country have been reduced.   “Rather, the pay slips for October are their real salaries after the completion of the payment of salary arrears under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) and the 18 per cent salary hike for workers”, Mr Paul Krampa, MOE Director of Public Relations, said  in a statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday.   The statement explained that the MOE and GES had noted with concern the compliant by some teachers that there was a sudden decrease in their October salaries.   “But enquiries from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department revealed that the arrears paid under the implementation of the SSSS and the 18 per cent salary increment for the public sector workers had been completed,” the statement stated.   The statement said all GES staff on the government pay roll had from October 2012 been reverted to previous pay slips, which always indicated the base salaries together with arrears being paid for the particular month.   “All GES staff who contracted loans from other third party entities and were previously not being deducted have now been captured and are being deducted from October 2012,” it added.     The government approved the payment of arrears in the single spine salaries in January 2010 while payment of the arrears in respect of 18 per cent salary increment was effected simultaneously and ended in September 2012.   GNA...

Accra, Nov. 2, GNA – Former President Jerry Rawlings has lauded Ghanaian farmers on this year’s National Farmers’ Day, and said their toil, sweat, dedication and hard work to sustain the economy is worthy of celebration.   He said farmers were being honoured for feeding the ever-growing population, providing raw material for factories and contributing substantial revenue, especially foreign exchange, to the national coffers.   Former President Rawlings, in  a statement issued by his office to mark this year's Farmers' Day being celebrated on Friday at Abokobi in the Greater Accra Region, said any country that was not capable of feeding itself could not  talk of economic development.   “It...

Bolgatanga, Nov.2, GNA -   Mr Cletus Abang, Upper East Regional Director for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), on Friday advised Ghanaians to critically examine the manifestos of various political parties contesting Election 2012, to enable them to make informed choices in December 7.       He stressed that the electorate needed to make informed decisions because the polls border on the country’s socio-economic development.         Mr Abang made the call in a speech read on his behalf at a forum organised by the NCCE on the theme: “Civilian –Military Relationship in an election year”, in Bolgatanga.            The forum brought together representatives of political parties, security agencies, civil society organizations and the media, to discus ways of ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections.      Mr Abang appealed to political party leaders to educate their followers on the political code of conduct to prevent any electoral violence.       He said that the NCCE had educated party executives, faith based organisations, communities and school children on the rights and duties of the citizenry, political tolerance, national Integration on how to and how to ensure peaceful elections in the region.       Mr Abang said the Commission had also empowered women and youth groups to take part in the electoral process.        The Regional Staff Officer of the Upper East Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police Charles Obiri, gave the assurance that the security agencies would ensure law and order before, during and after the election.        He said: “Close monitoring of the political situation in the region will be undertaken prior to January 7. Mobile and foot patrols will be intensified both day and night in the Bolgatanga Municipality as well as Bawku and other district capitals to ensure incident-free and a smooth transition in the region..        Participants appealed to security agencies to check the removal of political party posters by some people.            GNA...