By Patrick PAINTSIL Annointed Electricals has in collaboration with the Wisewater Foundation, a private non-governmental organisation, donated whiteboards and markers worth GH¢1000 to Odorkor Salleria Cluster of Schools in Accra. The whiteboards will replace the conventional chalkboard, which is said to cause eye-related problems to teachers and pupils. Presenting the items, Mr. N.K Arthur, General Manager of Anointed Electricals, said “as a corporate entity, it is our responsibility to give back to the community where we operate as a way of supplementing government’s efforts.” Mr. Arthur emphasised the need for modern teaching materials in the classrooms to enhance learning and ensure the safety of pupils and teachers. He charged the pupils to take their books seriously so as to become responsible people in the society. Mrs. Bertha Amenor, officer in charge of Ablekuma Sub-Metro, Ghana Education Service, thanked the company for the kind gesture, noting “quality education includes tools and equipment needed for proper teaching and presentations in the classroom.” “The chalk dust has been identified to cause eye-related problems to teachers and pupils and it is about time government took advantage of the technological advancements – especially in the area of education – to aid effective teaching in the classroom,” she saidMr. Emmanuel Amarquaye, Chairman of Wisewater Foundation, said the “Whiteboard Project” was born out of the harmful effects of the chalk dust to teachers and pupils when inhaled. “Studies have proven that chalk dust is an irritant that can trigger asthma attacks, so we think the use of whiteboards in classrooms is more secure,” he said. “The Foundation believes that public schools ought to be community-owned, in that businesses operating within the community must assist in the form of corporate social responsibility. “The way forward to meeting some of the numerous challenges facing public schools is the adoption of business marketing models to raise funds, and this project is one of such,” he noted.

  By Basiru ADAM Nigerian cement giant Dangote, which entered the Ghanaian market in 2010, says it has been restricted to bagging cement produced in Nigeria because the company is yet to get limestone allocation from the government of Ghana to start local production. “If we get limestone today, within 24 months we will be producing,” Alhaji Tajudeen Sijuade, Vice Chairman of Dangote Cement Ghana Limited, told B&FT at the company’s plant in Tema where tonnes of finished cement are bagged for the Ghanaian market.   Ghana’s limestone deposits, he said, have been “encumbered” by people who have applied for mining and exploration licences but do not have money to go into the business of producing cement. “They are waiting for somebody to partner with. But it is dangerous to partner with somebody in the cement business because to produce 6 million tonnes of cement the equipment costs about US$6billion, and that is why we want to get the allocation directly from government – which actually owns all mineral deposits,” he said. A similar situation prevailed in Nigeria until the government ordered that those who had been holding licences for five years without producing should give it up, Alhaji Tajudeen said. Dangote has three plants in Nigeria and produces 20 million metric tonnes per annum.Ghana’s limestone deposits are said to occur in four major areas, including Buipe in the Northern Region – where Dangote hopes to produce from – and serve not only Ghana but the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso and Mali. Limestone deposits occur in other areas like Nauli, Oterkpolu and Bongo-Da. Minor deposits also occur in various parts of the country. Government of Ghana data indicate that since 1916 when the Buipe limestone was discovered, thus leading to subsequent discoveries, various geological exploratory works have been carried out at different periods, leading to the mining of the Oterkpolu deposit as filler for the production of Portland cement. But until Ghacem, the market leader with 55 percent share, set up a US$2million plant at Yongwase-Krobo in the Eastern Region in 2004 to produce cement from limestone, Ghana’s limestone deposits had largely been unexploited. Yet in the main, cement companies in the country import clinker and crush it into fine cement powder. In a rapidly expanding economy like Ghana’s, the demand for cement is huge. “This year alone we are thinking it [demand] should be between 6.5 and 7 million metric tonnes because of the construction work that people promised during the election campaign. And we have been reading in the papers that companies are looking at coming to Ghana to do serious construction work,” Alhaji Tajudeen said. The ever increasing cost of cement in the country, meanwhile, has been a source of worry for many citizens, most of whom would rather put up their own houses, with industry players admitting that demand far outweighs supply in the country. With a current market share of 11 percent, Dangote Cement believes that it could contribute significantly to reducing the supply-side deficit if it begins producing in Ghana. The company says it could also create jobs far beyond the 450 it currently provides, of which only four are non-Ghanaian.   “We will not leave Ghana until we produce cement,” Alhaji Tajudeen declared confidently.  Green View International Company Limited, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, says it has invested over US$28 million so far into its cement-packaging plant in Ghana. Dangote supplied onto the Ghanaian market 545,000 tonnes of Portland cement in 2012, and is hoping to inch it up to two million tons in 2013, noted Alhaji Tajudeen.  

Source Trust Ghana Limited has received US$118,000 to construct a six-unit classroom block and two-unit urinal for Aserewadi Primary School in the Amanfi East District of the Central Region, under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme. The classroom block is expected to accommodate 200 pupils.Mr. Naoto Nikai, Japanese Ambassador, said the facility will create a conducive learning environment for the children in the community and surrounding areas. He said the embassy provided the facility with the hope that it would become an outstanding place of learning that would generate school children who would go on to become great educationists, medical doctors among others. “Our intention with this assistance is to support Aserewadi Primary School to overcome the current challenges in carrying out their academic activities.” He said the school currently has an old dilapidated three-unit structure which is partitioned with wooden panels to serve seven classes, including a kindergarten. He added that during school hours, class activities interfere with each other, as neighboring classes are heard loudly over the wooden partitions. “Apart from its deteriorating structure, the overcrowded condition of the school has also discouraged many children from pursuing their basic education within the community,” he said. He said it was his hope that the school becomes the centre of excellence for basic and primary education not only in the Amanfi District but throughout the Central Region. He urged the leaders of the community and other stakeholders to commit themselves to do all they can to ensure that the facility enjoys constant maintenance. The GGHSP scheme was set up in 1989. Since then, it has funded a total of 238 projects country-wide.

By Bernard Yaw ASHIADEY Pay-per-view digital television viewers are in for a change with the launch of a new digital terrestrial television service, GOtv, in Accra. Having met all the regulatory and licensing requirements, GOtv is the first operator in the country to launch a DVB-T2 digital pay TV service. DVB-T2 technology is the most advanced digital terrestrial television technology worldwide.“The launch of GOtv in Accra puts Ghana at the front of deploying the latest digital terrestrial technology and is another exciting milestone in our digital roadmap,” said Cecil Sunkwa-Mills, GOtv Ghana Director. GOtv utilises the DVB-T2 technology standard, which allows not less than 21 channels per frequency. This is different from DVB-T1 technology, which only allows 12 channels per frequency. There is therefore an improvement on the dividend of terrestrial frequencies available when DVB-T2 is deployed. Business Manager, GOtv, Kingsley Afful, said the company is committed to ensuring that only the latest and most advanced technology and systems are deployed. “The GOtv service was specially created to make available an affordable digital television product for all. When people think of digital television they immediately imagine it has to be expensive; this is not the case with GOtv which offers great family entertainment at affordable prices. “Ghanaians are now set to benefit from easy access to an increased number of digital channels, with enhanced picture and sound quality synonymous with digital television. The GOtv channel line-up is also uniquely placed to enable Gotv become the home of African television,” he said. Mr. Afful added that football-loving GOtv subscribers will enjoy the best of live soccer entertainment with all 32 games from the ongoing 2013 African Cup of Nations to be screened live. “One of our goals is to ensure that our subscribers are part of the most prestigious soccer extravaganza on the continent, and we have fulfilled all necessary requirements to ensure that GOtv subscribers will not be left out of the action.” Some of the channels that will be available to GOtv subscribers include Africa Magic, Africa Magic Movies, Blackbelt TV, Disney Junior, CNN, Supersports Blitz, Discovery World, NatGeo Wild, Vox Africa and Channel O.