Month: July 2013

The Member of Parliament for Ho Central,Hon. Benjamin Kpodo says a comprehensive programme launched in the constituency to resolve educational challenges will soon be rolled out seriously to give education a leap in the area.

He indicated that plans were afoot to properly implement the strategies designed under this move which will ostensibly serve as a roadmap to enhance the fallen standard of education across-board.

He claimed performance of pupils who for the past two years have sat for the Basic Education Certificate Exams in the municipality was poor, thus reflecting a decline in the academic laurels of school children.”We are critically not making 50% mark success on our results in the BECE for the past two years”, he stressed.

This came up in an interaction with the MP after the commissioning of a library facility meant to equip the knowledge of school children in the municipality.

The project was realized through Joy Fm’s read 100 project currently being implemented in selected deprived areas in the country.

The project nurtured by Joy Fm had massive funding from the State Insurance Company(SIC),which forms part of its corporate social responsibility in the area.

The MP also partnered the project, as he financed a sum of GHS 1,014 to stock the facility with assorted books from Afram publications.

On the kind of strategies put on the drawing board to secure quality education and also give education a facelift, Hon. Kpodo said he together with the assembly and the Education Directorate will make efforts to improve educational facilities and also retool the skills and capacity of teachers as their roles and input critically forms the bedrock in the performance of pupils.

He reiterated that they will also embark on organizing mock exams periodically for final year students in order to prepare them well for their BECE.

He was however optimistic that this august project (library facility) secured for the area will influence the development of quality education in the municipality.

Jonathan Jeffrey Adjei/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for the Atiwa West, Kwasi Amoako-Attah has called on Metropolitan/Municipal and District Chief Executives to continue with the same humility that they exhibit during endorsements when they are finally approved and are active service.

According to him, the expression humility usually finds its rightful place only when MMDCEs have their fate in the hands of the assembly members where they have to approve or reject them. But the MP noted that if that sense of humility is carried out throughout their duties, the assemblies and the larger population becomes beneficiaries because it create the right atmosphere for accelerated development.

Mr. Amoako-Attah also advised assembly members not to wait until there is time to endorse MMDCEs before raising issues with them. He noted that human as they are there bound to be shortfalls and when such things happen, it is important to bring it to the notice of those in charge for solutions to ensure the district does not suffer.

The MP who was addressing assembly members at a meeting to endorse Mr. Emmanuel Atta Twum, the current District Chief Executive who has been reappointed by President John Dramani Mahama urged assembly members to endorse the President’s nominee since he has been very hard working in pushing the development of the district forward.

The MP also stated categorically that, he has never received any corruption allegation about the DCE from any member of the assembly, which alone is a plus for his endorsement. He also commended the DCE for working together with everybody especially he (MP) in the delivery of his duties.

Ghanamps.gov.gh

Member of Parliament for Bunkpurugu, Hon. Solomon Boar has donated 50 bags of maize and assorted clothing to victims of the recent Kokomba/Bimoba conflict.

He said the relief items are to support the victims in their upkeep as they try to reorganize their lives once again.

The two groups have been involved in a protracted conflict fighting over a piece of land killing and inguring many.

Speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, Hon. Solomon Boar stated that as the peoples representative, who has their interest at heart he had to mobolize these items to seek their welfare.

He was pleased that the feuding factions had decided to smoke the peace pipe and rather join forces to develope the area.

On the issue of extending water to other parts of the constituency, Hon. Boar disclosed that tests have been carried out on 5 boreholes to prepare them for mechanization to serve the people of Nankpanduri.

He noted that he remained committed to ensuring that potable water is supplied to all constituents to ensure they remain in good health.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, has presented scholarships to 99 brilliant but needy students in his constituency at a ceremony on Monday.

Sixty-nine of the beneficiaries are in Senior High Schools (SHS) and the remaining 30 in tertiary institutions and received amounts ranging between GH¢140.00 and GH¢500.00.

Dr. Akoto said the money came from his share of the MP’s Common Fund, the Poverty Alleviation Fund and through personal contacts.

He said he has so far supported about 700 students in their pursuit of academic careers within the past five years.

He underlined his determination to do everything to promote education in the area to help the youth to acquire marketable skills and contribute their quota to the development of the nation.

The MP said he has been investing in infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning, citing, the construction of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres, refurbishment of libraries and the supply of furniture.

Additionally, he has introduced massive tree-planting to serve as wind breaks to prevent the destruction of school structures during rainstorm.

Dr Akoto spoke of efforts he was making to assist in empowering women through trade and vocation acquisition and invited corporate bodies to collaborate with him in this direction.

He appealed to the city authorities to step up efforts in putting roads in the constituency in good shape to facilitate socio-economic activities.

GNA

Member of Parliament for Mfantseman, Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, has said squabble in some constituencies of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) risk affecting the developmental agenda of the government if not immediately settled.

According to him he has reports that there are misunderstandings among party members, a problem that the party heirachy must take immediate steps to solve.

Hon. Aquinas Quansah, who is also Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, made this call for unity when he spoke to journalists after the confirmation of Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron as MCE for Mfantseman.

He emphasized the need for the ruling party to remain united and support the government in its endeavours as it continues to make Ghana a better place and improve the living conditions of Ghanaians.

Mr Quansah said the raging disunity within the party had resulted in some assembly members refusing most of the government’s nominees as Municipal or District Chief Executives.

He asserted that calls for the removal of Municipal or District Chief Executives were instigated by some party executives, adding that this has had adverse effect on government’s policies and called for an immediate stop.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Some fifteen girls in the Manhyia North Constituency in the Ashanti Region have benefited from the benevolence of the Member of Parliament for the area, Collins Owusu-Amankwa.

The girls were presented with sawing machines and are now learning vocational skills in dressmaking.

The gesture according to the Member of Parliament is geared towards ensuring that the beneficiaries who willingly sort such assistance learn skills that will enable them to be self sufficient for themselves and their families.

He commended the young girls for the bold initiative they have taken and urged them to put in their best to achieve their goal.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.gov.gh

In a bid to wage war against the unemployment rate, which continuous to be a major source of worry to many in the country, Hon. Freda Prempeh, MP for Tano North Constituency has initiated measures to curb the menace.

As part of the move to forcefully reduce drastically the unemployment canker, Hon Prempeh decided to equip women in her constituency with employable skills which could help improve their economic lives in the long run.

She however financed the training of fifty (50) women at the tune of Ghs2, 000, to enable them learn the nitty-gritty of soap production for commercial purposes.

The legislator who informed Ghanamps about the move said it was part her vision which was geared towards empowering women to take hold of their economic lives.

Meanwhile, the MP had in a similar manner some few weeks ago sponsored some young girls to receive the same soap production skills.

Participants were taken through five days of intensive teaching comprising theory and practical sessions.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Member of Parliament for Mfantseman, has called for peace and unity within the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He said reports from some of the constituencies indicate that all was not well within the party.

Mr Quansah urged the leadership of the party to take the immediate steps to settle misunderstandings within the NDC.

Mr Quansah, who is also Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, said this when when he spoke to newsmen after the confirmation of Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron as MCE for Mfantseman.

He said if immediate action is not taken to reconcile party members at all levels it would impact negatively on the government’s development agenda.

The MP said that as a ruling party it was incumbent on it to support the government in its developmental agenda.

“How can government’s vision of the Better Ghana Agenda be implemented if the party becomes fragmented?”.

Mr Quansah said the disunity within the party had led to some assembly members rejecting most of the government’s nominees as Municipal or District Chief Executives.

He appealed to the government to institute measures to protect the Municipal or District Chief Executives from machinations of party executives in the constituencies.

He said agitations for the removal of Municipal or District Chief Executives were the work of party executives and this has being affecting government’s programmes and called for an end to them.

GNA

Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wougon, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has said he has conviction that future elections in Ghana will not be the same after the Supreme Court gives judgment on the ongoing 2012 election petition case.

According to him, irrespective of who is declared the winner the hearing of the case has exposed serious flaws in the electoral system which needs a lot of reforms.

The MP who was contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show on Monday, in relation to the case stated that several laid down procedures and legal electoral requirements were not adhered to in the 2012 election, a development which does not augur well for the growth of Ghana’s electoral systems.

Hon. Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, commended the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akufo Addo for rather petitioning the court on electoral dispute and not resorting to arms as has happened in other parts of Africa.

He further condemned the several movement of jailed Journalist Ken Kuranchie from one prison to another in less than a week of his incarceration by the Supreme Court after being found guilty of contempt of court.

The former Food and Drugs Authority Boss was confident that the jailing of Kuranchie would not scare people airing their view freely, adding that ” the day freedom of speech dies, democracy dies”.

Hon. Kyeremanteng Agyarko, found it difficult to understand what the motive was for the shuffling about of Ken Kuranchie, warning that touch wood there may be a price to pay for that ‘harassing’ act by the prison officials.

Ken Kuranchie in less than a week of being jailed has been moved from Nsawam, Ho, Kete Krachi and back to Nsawam Prisons, an action which is viewed by some persons as harassment or persecution.

“No one wishes for any evil thing to happen, but what would the prison officials do or say when in another transfer of Ken Kuranchie to a different prison an accident happens, this would allow room for people to impugn negative motive which may not be the case’’ he said.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh