Month: March 2014

Government’s move to construct 200 Senior High Schools is a breach of the country’s 1992 constitution, a reproving Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central has maintained.

Quoting Article 35 (7) of the 1992 Constitution, the opposition MP Patrick Yaw Boamah told Joy News’ Elton John Brobbey, President John Mahama is violating the Directive Principles of State policy for abandoning a model secondary school project started by the former Kufuor administration.

The provision states “as far as practicable, a government shall continue and execute projects and programmes commenced by the previous Governments”.

President John Mahama last Monday cut the sod for the construction of an initial 50 new community day senior high schools (SHSs) in fulfillment of his 2012 campaign promise.

The aim is to construct 200 by the end of his tenure in 2016. But Patrick Boamah is unimpressed, insisting the constitutional provision demanding continuation of previous projects is “mandatory”.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) under the Kufuor administration introduced the model school concept during his last term in office, 2004 -2008.

The idea was to upgrade at least one SHS into a model school, to give equal opportunity to the youth throughout the country to access high quality education in their respective districts.

The first phase of the project, covered four Senior High Schools in the Western region, including the Baidoo Bonsoe Senior High School in the Ahanta West District, Shama Senior High in the Shama District, Amenfiman Senior High School in the Wassa Amenfi East District, and the Sefwi Wiawso Secondary School were completed before the exit of the Kufuor administration.

However, the second phase of the project, which was to commence in 2009, covering the Half Asini Senior High School in the Jomoro District, Juaboso Senior High School in Juaboso District, and Fiaseman Senior High School at Tarkwa, has been halted.

The MP believes the president didn’t consult directors at the education ministry before attempting to start another infrastructural project.

“If he had consulted well, the ministers and the directors at the ministry could have helped in bringing those two programs together to at least save some cost and also make sure that program is sustainable”, he said.

Joy

Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon Hon. Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko has said the current economic hardship faced by Ghana is self-inflicted.

According to him, none other than the government is to blame for the bad measures and business deals it entered into with some private businessmen which has plunged the country into the economic dire straits.

Contributing to a discussion on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show on Monday, Hon. Kyeremanteng Agyarko asserted that the manner in which government paid dubious judgment debts to some private companies such as Isofoton and Waterville are the result of the economic hardship.

“If you go around sharing money this way to such companies and then turn around to tell Ghanaians you are in court to reclaim the money, are we serious as a country” he asked ?

He noted that the huge monies paid to the said companies could have been used in supporting entrepreneurs some of whom President John Mahama mentioned in his state of the nation address to expand their businesses and employ more people which will reduce the high level of unemployment in Ghana.

Ghanamps.gov.gh

As the missing babies` at the Konfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) saga rages on, Majority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has called for much deeper investigation to be carried out into the matter to ascertain the facts of the unfortunate incident.

According to him, there is the need for public fora to be held in all the regions in Ghana for persons who might have suffered similar fate (their babies going missing at hospitals during birth) to tell their story to inform how to restructure health facilities to prevent a reoccurrence.

Hon. Muntaka Mubarak who is also the MP for Asawase in the Ashante Region said this while making a statement on the floor of the House concerning the issue of still birth and missing babies in Ghana with particular reference to Suweiba, an expectant mother who lost her baby at KATH under questionable circumstances, an issue which has generated national discussion.

He appealed to all persons involve; Doctors, Nurses and the family to remain calm and support the state agencies that are investigating the matter to enable them expedite action on this matter without further delay.

Hon. Muntaka Mubarak further called on the general public to be vigilant and observe to report any suspicious who is found with a baby that might not be theirs to the nearest police station to assist the security agencies to get to the bottom of this case faster.

The apparent mystery surrounding the vanishing of at least five babies born recently at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has sparked national outcry, after one expectant mother went to town over the loss of her baby boy.

Doctors have asserted that Suweiba’s baby boy died at birth but have failed to produce his body, a situation that fuelled suspicion that there has been foul play.

It has emerged after Police inquiries that apart from Suweiba’s baby, the hospital has failed to account for four other babies delivered around the same time at the Hospital.

A number of medical staff at the hospital have since been dragged to court to face criminal charges .

Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa (AOB) District, Mrs Georgina Nkrumah Aboah last Saturday said government is committed to providing quality education at all levels and in every community.

She said the provision of computers, libraries, infrastructure, the capitation grant and the school feeding programme, among others, were all geared towards the promotion of quality education in the country.

Mrs Aboah made the commendation at a stakeholders meeting organised by the authorities of Breman Asikuma Senior High School (BASS), to discuss ways of creating conducive environment for teaching and learning.

The meeting was also to inform stakeholders of the school’s activities and programmes, including the celebration of its 50th anniversary and the formal laying of a foundation stone towards the execution of a jubilee complex hall to commemorate the anniversary.

Mrs Aboah commended the founders of the school for their vision to produce people with the requisite knowledge, skills, status and determination to contribute positively towards the development and growth of the country.

She also commended the past and present head, teachers and non-teaching staff of the school for upholding the proud tradition of academic excellence, which has undoubtedly made BASS a torch-bearer in efforts at developing the human resource, as well as a training ground for the future leaders of the country.

Mrs Aboah said 50 years of academic excellence did not happen automatically, adding that, such achievements came about through a great deal of hard work and compromises.

The MP said she had been able to initiate programmes and projects in the area, including the construction of CHPS compound at Suponso, construction of a 6-Unit classroom block at Fannkyenko, installation of new street lights in the district, as well as sponsoring over fifty students from the district to further their education in Universities and other Institutions.

She appealed to stakeholders in education to support the school, and advised the students to concentrate on their academic work to justify the huge investments by their parents.

She later donated 200 bags of cement, towards the construction of the jubilee anniversary complex hall project of the school.

Source: GNA

The Minister for Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has appealed to power utilities to intensify public education on energy conservation.

He said Ghanaians needed to ingrain energy conservation attitudes into their daily activities and help to sustain the supply of adequate power.

“We have had a situation in the early days in Ghana where electricity was so abundant that we missed the opportunity of inculcating energy conservation habits”, he said, adding that the time had come to realize that electricity is now very expensive.

The Minister was speaking at a meeting with bulk customersincluding mining companies and the power utilities– the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)—in Accra.

The meeting was convened to discuss the acute power shortfall during peak periods resulting partly from the erratic gas supply from Nigeria and some generation units shut down for maintenance.

The discussions focused on moves to reduce power supply to bulk customers during peak periods for March after which normal supply is expected to be restored.

This is to prevent any form of load management or load shedding.

The Minister called on Ghanaians to switch off their appliances when not in use so as to conserve power, adding that that was the major way in which citizens can take control of their consumption and help government to sustain supply.

He said one of the challenges the country was facing included the availability of fuel for the power plants, hence the decision to form the first gas task force to ensure early delivery of gas from the Jubilee field.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima Mponua, Hon Isaac K Asiamah has presented building materials valued Ghc 150,000 to support a number of development projects in the constituency.

The items include of 100 bags of cement and 50 packets of roofing sheets. They were purchased with funds from the MP’s share of GETFund.

Mr. Asiamah said a number of the schools have not seen any rehabilitation for a long time so his donations came as a relief to the schools.

Speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, Hon. Asiamah said, the purpose to place premium on education was premised on the fact that education was the cornerstone of development of the community. He pledged to continue to support educational institutions as a way of improving standards of education in the constituency.

Mr. Isaac Asiamah said, as an MP his duty is to see to the improvement in the lives of his constituents, a task he was very committed to achieving.

Mr Asiamah also stated that he would not relent in executing more developmental projects in the area, adding that all would be done devoid of any parochial political interest.

Hon Isaac K. Asiamiah stated that there is more to do to raise the standard of living of the people and he also called for unity in the constituency to achieve the set target.

Afua Yeboah/Ghanamps.gov.gh