Month: October 2013

Government has rejected suggestions that the decision to install prepaid meters in the residence of Ministers and Presidential Staffers is due to pressure from organized labour.

Members of the executive will now pay their own utility bills following a directive from the President John Dramani Mahama, directing the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to install prepaid meters in the official homes of Ministers and Presidential Staff.

Although some people say the directive is to appease the Trades Union Congress (TUC) which is calling for a downward review of the recently hiked utility tariffs, the Minister for Information and Media Relations Mahama Ayariga in an interview with Citi News denied those assertions.

“I don’t think it is in connection with the demonstrations or set of industrial action by the TUC, I think that it is just to ensure fairness in relation to every other person who has to pay for his own services,” he said.

According to him, the directive is to ensure fairness following the confusion that characterized the policy covering the payment of utility bills by Ministers.

He also revealed that the payment of bills following the installation of the metres would take immediate adding that the directive is not late at all.

“I think the most important thing is that every member of the executive is going to feel the impact of the adjustment the way that any Ghanaian will feel the impact if the person is paying from his own coffers,” he added.

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Manhyia South constituency, Mathew Opoku Prempeh says Economic and Organized Crimes Office (EOCO) cannot conduct any professional investigations devoid of political manipulation.

According to him, EOCO cannot be trusted to prosecute government officials indicted in the infamous Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).

Napo as he is popularly called was commenting on EOCO’s investigation into activities of service providers of GYEEDA. It will soon begin investigating Zoomlion Company Limited, RLG Communications who are service providers under GYEEDA.

The Office has so far questioned twelve officials indicted in the GYEEDA investigative report and is holding some of them.

Executive Director of EOCO, Mortey Akpadzie has told Joy News that dockets for persons indicted in the report would soon be sent to the Attorney-General’s Department for prosecution.

However, on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Mathew Opoku Prempeh described EOCO’s investigations as a “smokescreen”.

He noted that EOCO is a “political organization” which only seeks the interest of the Mahama-led administration.

Citing the infamous Woyome scandal as an example, he said EOCO’s investigation will be a mirage.

The Manhyia South MP said President John Mahama directive to EOCO to investigate the GYEEDA saga smacks of a grand collusion and conspiracy to dupe the nation.

He intimated that the Mahama-led government cannot be trusted to fight corruption because “they are in government to create, loot and share”.

Mathew Opoku Prempeh added that it will take a miracle for EOCO to bring the people found culpable to book.

In a rebuttal, Deputy Information Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu described as unfortunate the comments by Napo.

He said the current government unlike the erstwhile Kufuor administration is committed to rooting out corruption to redeem Ghana’s image.

The Deputy Information Minister is hopeful EOCO will do a diligent job for the law to take its course.

Felix Kwakye Ofosu assured Ghanaians of government’s commitment to delivering a Better Ghana.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu in the Northern Region, Mr Amadu Moses Yahaya, has presented generators and computers to some traditional and state institutions in his constituency.

The generators were presented to the Paramount Chief of Kumbungu, Naa Iddi, and seven divisional chiefs under him while the Kumbungu District Directorate of Health and the District Education Office received two computers each.

Speaking to newsmen after the brief presentation ceremony, the MP said the gesture was aimed at tackling the myriad of development challenges facing the constituency.

“I have been working in the development field in this constituency for over 30 years and if there is somebody who knows the development challenges of this constituency better, I should be the one. I will, therefore, use every resource at my disposal to ensure that this constituency sees an appreciable level of development, and this humble presentation forms the basis of what is to follow soon,” he stated.

Giving reasons for the choice to buy generators for the chiefs, Mr Yahaya said as traditional rulers, chiefs were expected to champion the development of their jurisdictions while ensuring maintenance of law, peace and order.

“And Kumbungu being a predominantly rural area where many people work on their farms during the day, the only time that development forums and cases are held in the palaces is the evening; and, without light, how will the chiefs and their elders be able to handle such matters in the dark?” he asked rhetorically.

“More so, I used to work in close collaboration with the chiefs and I know that most of them are making a lot of sacrifices and playing leadership roles for the development of their areas. And just as a nation, we are making a lot of sacrifices to ensure that our political leaders live in comfort so that they can plan and champion the development of this country, so is my determination to ensure that traditional rulers in my constituency have access to constant electricity so that they can monitor national issues on radio and television to help them in their development planning,” he added.

He mentioned the seven divisional chiefs who were to receive the generators as Gbulung, Zugu, Dalun, Voggu, Zangbalung, Tibung and Singa.

The MP said many of the offices in the district were facing logistical challenges, as they only came into existence following the creation of the district in 2012.

He said the District Health Directorate had only one computer, which got stolen, and officials from the office had to rely on friends and relatives to type and print official documents.

“As for the District Education Office, they have never had a computer at all and you can imagine how an office can run effectively in this era without computers,” he added.

Receiving the items for onward presentation to the beneficiaries, a Deputy Co-ordinating Director at the Kumbungu District Assembly, Mr Charles Akurugu, said it had always been the wish of the district assembly to resource all offices in the district but the inadequate revenue which the assembly had been generating accounted for their inability to do so.

He, therefore, thanked the MP for bringing some logistics to two of the most critical offices in the district.

The Deputy Education Director for Kumbungu District, Hajia Ramatu Mahama, described the resources given to her office as a big relief.

She said anytime they wanted to type or print anything, they had to go to the Kumbungu Senior High School to beg for their computers “and anytime those computers are engaged, we have to postpone whatever we had to do.”

Daily Graphic

Yaw Frimpong Addo, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Manso-Adubia Constituency, one of the newly-created constituencies in the region, is lamenting over the deplorable nature of roads in the constituency.

He has bemoaned the bad road network which has affected linkages of the over 40 farming communities there to other parts of the region. The most affected stretch of the road is the Mim junction-Agroyesum road.

With the assistance of assembly members of the affected areas, the MP mobilised the youth to rehabilitate the roads in their own small way through communal labour to give some relief to the constituents.

Hon. Frimpong Addo noted that as a result of the bad nature of the road, drivers who ply the route take undue advantage of traders and farmers, and charge exorbitant fares in the name of high cost of spare parts before their wares are carted to the urban centres, making life unbearable for the people in the area.

He accused the District Assembly of not addressing this concern to ameliorate the plight of the residents.

The MP hoped his intervention would rekindle the communal spirit in the people to contribute their quota for development without relying on the government for all basic needs.

He lamented on the condition of the roads during the rains, for which reason drivers feel reluctant plying the route, resulting in farm produce being locked up in the hinterlands.

The MP indicated that the Mim junction-Agroyesum road was awarded to a contractor by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) as a cocoa road, but the contractor stopped work for lack of funds.

He said following the inability of COCOBOD rehabilitate the road network, the majority of the roads in area remain unfriendly to motorbikes, let alone vehicles.

The MP pleaded with the Minister for Roads and Highways to reconsider the ban on the award of contracts for new roads until the old ones are completed.

He suggested that the rehabilitation of major roads, especially those in the farming communities, which most farmers rely on in conveying their farm products to the market centers, are prioritised to enable them make ends meet and take care of their families.

Frimpong Addo noted that such a move would serve as an incentive and encourage farmers to give off their best and increase productivity.

The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, says it is the vision of President John Mahama to bridge the rural-urban gap in education delivery.

He said the government would provide basic education inputs such as infrastructure, exercise books, uniforms and computers to achieve that feat.

Mr. Buah, the Minister of Energy and Petroleum Resources, said this when he inaugurated d a-three classroom JHS block and a bloc of six classrooms for the Akoto-Aloakpoke community.

Other facilities include a computer laboratory, an office, place of convenience and a staff common room.

Mr. Buah said the Nzema area was undergoing a massive transformation with the emerging oil and gas industry and advised parents to send their children to school to access opportunities in the area.

He reiterated his commitment to award scholarship packages to needy but brilliant students who excel in the BECE and WASSCE.

Mr. Buah donated a laptop to the headmaster and one each to the teachers and promised to assist the school to access the school feeding programme.

Headmaster of the school, Mr. John Mark Mensah, lauded the MP for the donation following a request by chiefs last year and appealed to Mr Buah for teachers’ quarters and a set of jerseys to enhance sporting activities.

District Chief Executive, Mr. Daniel K.Eshun, said the Assembly completed 11 school projects in the area last year and six projects this year.

He appealed to chiefs and elders in the area to ensure that children in their communities go to school as the government was poised to assist schools in the area with basic education inputs.

District Director of Education, Rev. Mrs. Elizabeth Akuoko thanked the MP and DCE for their commitment to education delivery in the area.

The Chief of Akoto, Nana Nyanzu Amihere 1V, commended Mr. Buah for bringing education to the doorsteps of the two communities since they had to cover miles before they could access education previously.

He appealed to the Mr Buah to reconstruct the road from Aiyinase-base to Aloakpoke.

GNA

All BECE candidates who passed their exams and have qualified to Senior High School in the Agona East district of the Central Region will benefit from a full three-year scholarship from MP of the area.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area who doubles as the Deputy Central Regional Minister, Queenstar Pokuaa Sawyer, has offered to sponsor the candidates throughout their Senior High School education.

Queenstar Pokuaa Sawyer told Joy News Richard Kojo Nyarko that the gesture is to shore up the performances of the students and to reduce the burden on parents in the district.

Earlier the MP had distributed teaching and learning materials to some basic schools in the Central Region.

She also fed some of the candidates during the entire duration of the examination.

She has appealed to the parents to bring up their children well and make their education a priority.

Myjoyonline.com

Assembly members have been urged to embrace the neighbourhood watch concept in their respective areas to enhance their security.

Ms Ama Pomaah Andoh, Member of Parliament (MP) for Juaben, said the formation of neighbourhood watch committees, under the supervision of the police, facilitates crime combat for the safety of the people, particularly in the face of the upsurge in robberies.

She said maintaining security was a shared responsibility and that leaving that mandate to the police alone would not be enough to enhance security.

Ms Andoh was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Juaben in the Ashanti Region on the sidelines of a donation ceremony which saw some communities receiving street-light bulbs.

The MP, in all, donated 50 bulbs to 19 communities as part of efforts to improve the lighting system in the communities.

She promised to continually interact with the constituents in order to identify their peculiar needs for prompt solution and enumerated various projects she was undertaking to ensure the development of education, health and the infrastructure.

Ms Andoh while advising the beneficiaries to ensure the judicious use of energy, urged the government to invest in research with the view to developing alternative sources of power.

GNA

The Atebubu–Amantin District Chief Executive Mr Sampson Owusu Boateng together with the Member of Parliament MP Mr Sanja Nanja have jointly made a donation to the traditional council in support of this year’s “Foryawo” yam Festival.

At a brief presentation ceremony at the Omanhene’s palace the two parties jointly presented two bottles of schnapps and an unspecified amount of cash to the Atebubu traditional council in support of the festival which ends on Sunday October 13th 2013.

In a brief remark, Mr Owusu Boateng called for an elaborate and timely planning of the festival in collaboration with the Assembly in order to attract government functionaries and also market the district.

He said contrary to what some will want people to believe, he has a very cordial working relationship with the MP which has culminated in the delivery of nine power transformers to the district which among others will help solve the water problem faced by the people living in Atebubu and its environs.

Mr Sanja Nanja on his part recounted the circumstances leading to the allocation of the transformers adding that they were an allocation under Self Help Electrification Project SHEP 4.

He added that he was also working to secure some assistance for the laying of the main transmission pipelines to ensure the people enjoy uninterrupted water supply.

He promised to assist the DCE in every possible way to ensure the development of the district.

The President of the Atebubu traditional council Nana Owusu Akyeaw Brempong II welcomed the suggestion of the DCE and bemoaned the traditional council’s inability to attract decision makers to the festival over the years.

He urged the DCE and the MP to unite for the development of the district.

ISD