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NPP primaries: ‘Sekondi Moses’ promises to transform Sekondi

By
NAABENYIN JOOJO AMISSAH
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Sekondi Mosses

A parliamentary hopeful of the New Patriotic Party in the Sekondi constituency, Benjamin Paa Kwesi Moses has pledged to lead an industrial driven agenda that would rapidly accelerate the development of Sekondi, if he becomes the MP.

The intended development agenda, he explained, would be spearheaded by the youth in the constituency to turn the fortunes of Sekondi around to improve the standard of living among the constituents.

Speaking to the media, as part of his engagement with the delegates to canvass for votes, ahead of the primaries, ‘Sekondi Moses’ stated that transformation of Sekondi would be his topmost priority if he becomes the MP.

He said: “I am particularly focused on the youth because they will be our leaders in the near future so once we develop them, they will come back and develop the constituency”.

He hinted of a strategic development agenda that he intended to set in motion to trigger the rapid development of the area to the benefit of the constituents and, therefore, called on the delegates to trust him with their votes.

“All I need is the blessing of the delegates to lead the party and go to parliament to represent them as their MP. My ideas will definitely benefit all and make our constituency great.

As a business man, I am well connected with a lot of both local and foreign business partners who will gladly welcome my innovative ideas that could transform Sekondi when I get to parliament,” he stated.

Vision for the youth

According to the “Moses of Sekondi”, youth development would be high on his priority table once he eventually gets elected as the Member of Parliament for the area.

“I desire to help develop the youth in skills and vocational training so that each and every youth would be able to have their own businesses as a means to reduce unemployment among our brothers and sisters.

My tailor charges me GH₵1,200 per every dress he sews for me so imagine the amount of money he will make if he does this for about seven people in a month and this is why I am for skill and vocational training for the youth,”he said.

‘Sekondi Moses’ again indicated that the famous Sekondi Market and the Essie Beach would be given attention and fully renovated to meet modern standard and also facelift the Gyandu Park at Sekondi.

“For the Party, I will build a new party office which will create a convenient environment where our constituency executives would work comfortably for the development of our party and the constituency in general,” he added

In his bid to become victorious to represent his party in the general elections later this year, Benjamin Paa Kwesi Moses has been engaging the party delegates ahead of the constituency primaries slated for January 27th

Following his humility and the substance of his core message to the delegates, he has been nicknamed the ‘Moses of Sekondi’, as they expect him to come with innovative ideas that would improve their lives.

Responding to this, Mr Moses said: “Well it means that they have seen something good in me and there’s no doubt about that. Everyone needs someone to support their progress in life.

“Every constituency also needs an individual or dedicated individuals to move it forward therefore I am glad that the people already see me as such and trust me, I won’t disappoint them if they repose their confidence in me”, he said.

‘Sekondi Moses’ has previously worked for the party as a constituency driver, polling station youth organiser, constituency youth organiser, a member of the communications team and deputy Western Regional youth organiser.

Editorial: Ghana FA must copy the Senegal football model

By
THE CHRONICLE
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Editorial

Ghana conceded twice in stoppage time to throw away a two-goal lead to draw with Mozambique and almost certainly exit the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). After picking up just one point in the 2021 Afcon edition, Ghana have fared little better in Ivory Coast and are now winless in their past seven Afcon finals matches – a huge fall from grace for the four-time champions.

The light has gone dim on the once Shining Black Stars of Africa after yesterday’s game. In fact, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) need to start building a new team all over again from the academy level. It might take years to get there, but we have to swallow the bitter pill that all is not well with the Black Stars team.

Ghana has ignominiously bowed out at the group stage of two successive Afcon tournaments and the sorry state of our football can’t get any worse than that. Even if we appoint Pep Guardiola, we do not have the quality to deliver with the current players we have.

The last time this nation made a conscious effort at graduating players from the academy level to the national team, it produced the Dede Ayew team that won the U-20 World Cup. Dede is the last man standing from that squad and this obviously is his last Afcon and marks the glorious exit of that golden generation.

The golden achievement of Under-20 World Cup winners in 2009 was not secured on a silver platter. There was a conscious effort to graduate the players from the feeder teams to the senior national football team. The team, made up of the likes of Dede Ayew, Dominic Adiyiah, Daniel Agyei, Samuel Inkoom, Jonathan Mensah, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Ransford Osei among others, conquered Africa and the world, beating football giants Brazil in the final.

The upcoming batch of players led by Mohammed Kudus are products of private football academies (like Dream Academy) with their own football orientation and training that is not aligned to that of the Ghana FA. This is where the nation and the FA have lost the plot.

Senegal’s national football teams have won four continental trophies in a year – African Cup of Nations (CAN 2022) in Cameroon, African Nations Championship (CHAN 2023) in Algeria and CAN Under-20 in Egypt. Since the arrival of Augustin Senghor to the presidency of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), they have witnessed a structuring of football based on a policy which develops football in a bottom-up approach.

There is also the contribution of football schools which have organized themselves into an association called National coordination of football schools (CONEF), which organizes competitions. A lot of Senegalese players playing in Europe come from these football schools. This is the case of Sadio Mané, the best African player. Senegal is now the third African nation to export the most players to Europe. This is proof of the good quality of their training infrastructure.

The winning team of Senegal’s Teranga Lions is an intentional collaboration between the world class French youth academy development and the Senegal FA. One reason for Senegal’s quality is that majority of their players have benefited from French football’s world-class youth development.

The Senegal model was built over time and needs patience.

What is the Ghana FA’s blue print for developing football in the next three to five years from now?

Embracing Digital Transformation: The Need To Scrap Handwritten Lesson Plans In GES

By
admin
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OPINION

The education sector in Ghana has seen immeasurable transformational changes over the years. These encapsulate: the adoption of modern teaching methods, the revision of the curricula, and the introduction of technology in classrooms, to mention a few. The changes are steps towards ensuring that our educational system aligns with global standards. However, more needs to be done, particularly in the area of lesson planning.

Traditionally, teachers have been mandated to prepare their lesson plans manually in notebooks. A practice that has been in effect for decades. Despite its longevity, this method is fraught with challenges. It is undeniably labour-intensive, time-consuming, and imposes an unnecessary financial burden on both teachers and headteachers. Moreover, it is absolutely out of sync with the digital age we find ourselves in, where efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and technological integration are paramount.

On the contrary, it is commendable that leadership of the Ghana Education Service now permits teachers to submit printed or electronic lesson plans, should they choose to do so. But the time has come to take a more decisive step forward.

It is necessary to completely abandon handwritten lessons in the service and transition to a more tech-friendly method. Instead of handwritten or even printed lesson plans, it should be mandatory for all teachers within the service to submit their lesson plans in an electronic format.

What is the Argument about?

The shift to digital lesson planning will not only drastically alleviate the workload on teachers, who frequently spend their weekends engrossed in planning lessons, but it will also trim down the operational expenses of schools.

The financial implications of purchasing notebooks for lesson plans are considerable for headteachers. Taking into cognisance the number of teachers in a school, and the fact that a single teacher could utilize two notebooks within an academic year, the accumulative cost is astronomical. To advance the argument further, transitioning to electronic lesson plans would eliminate this expenditure.

Teachers could simply email their lesson plans to their head teachers. The headteacher will then review them and send them back to the teachers for implementation at the beginning of each week. The method will not just save money, but also time, as the process is far more streamlined and efficient.

Better still, the use of technology has become a necessity such that integrating technology into lesson planning will not only bring about cost and time efficiencies but will also provide an opportunity for teachers to be more innovative and creative in their lesson planning.

The use of technology will allow teachers to easily access and integrate a variety of resources and multimedia content into their lesson plans, thereby enhancing the learning experience for students. Furthermore, electronic lesson plans can be easily updated and modified, allowing for greater flexibility and adaptability in teaching.

Moreover, electronic lesson planning will lead to more transparency and accountability. Head teachers and SISOs will be able to easily monitor and evaluate the lesson plans and provide constructive feedback to the teachers. Additionally, electronic lesson planning will encourage collaboration among teachers. They can share their lesson plans, resources, and teaching strategies, fostering a collaborative and supportive teaching community.

Implementation Measures

The transition will necessitate meticulous planning and adequate training for both teachers and head teachers. It will be the responsibility of District, Municipal, and Metropolitan directors to ensure the training is provided within their respective jurisdictions, ensuring that all participants are equipped with the necessary skills to implement this cost-saving policy effectively.

Challenges for Consideration

The formulators and implementors of this policy should consider the following potential challenges and barriers. They include: accessibility of technology and internet connectivity, especially in remote and underserved areas, limited training, technological Infrastructure gaps, financial constraints, user-friendly platforms, evaluation, teacher Support, collaboration among others.

Recommendations

  • GES should formulate detail policy on E-lesson plans. It will enable teachers and head teachers understand the parameters within which they will operate. Directives may seem to be inadequate.

 

  • It is essential to provide comprehensive training to teachers, head teachers, and other relevant GES staff. This training should cover the use of the necessary software or digital platforms, as well as strategies for integrating technology into lesson planning effectively.

 

  • The government must prioritise improving the technological infrastructure in both urban and rural areas. This includes providing schools with computers or tablets, WIFI facility to ensure stable and reliable internet connectivity.

 

  • The digital platforms used for lesson planning should be user-friendly and easy to navigate for teachers. It should also allow for easy feedback, evaluation, and collaboration among teachers and administrators.

 

 

  • It’s important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of digital lesson planning. This can be achieved through feedback from teachers and students, as well as through monitoring student performance and engagement by SISOs.

 

  • Schools should provide ongoing support for teachers during and after the transition. This could include technical support for dealing with issues related to the digital platforms, as well as emotional support to cope with the change.

 

  • The digital platforms for lesson planning should encourage collaboration among teachers. They should be able to share their lesson plans, resources, and teaching strategies, fostering a collaborative and supportive teaching community.

 

  • Care should be taken to ensure that digital resources and platforms are accessible to all, regardless of their geographical location or economic status. This might involve providing hardware to low-income schools, or ensuring that platforms are usable on low-cost devices.

Conclusion

It’s high time for Ghana’s education system to fully embrace digital transformation. The transition from handwritten to electronic lesson plans is a crucial and necessary. It promises to streamline processes, reduce costs, and ultimately, elevate the quality of education. It’s time to bid farewell to handwritten and printed lesson plans and usher in a new era of digital lesson planning in the Ghanaian Education Service.

By Wisdom Koudjo Klu

(wisdomklu@gmail.com)

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.

Addapath Wellness supports 80 kids with HIV/AIDS with food items in Obuasi 

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admin
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Dr. Enyonam Kwawukume(right)receiving the items from Mr. Richard Opoku on behalf of the beneficiaries

Addapath Wellness, anNon-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Obuasi has provided various food items worth GH¢17,000 for the upkeep of over 80 children living with HIV and AIDS in Obuasi and its environs.

The food items included; bags of rice, milo, cooking oil, canned fish, tin tomatoes, soya beans and eggs.

The food items

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Executive Director of Addapath Wellness, Mr. Okwan John K. Addae, said some of the parents of the said children have died, leaving them in the care of their grandparents who are unable to adequately provide food for them.

Mr. Addae said children living with HIV and AIDS hardly live beyond five years, for the mere fact that they do not get the right type of food to eat and as a result his organisation has since 2019 given food donation to them, with the help of its partners.

Touching on the mode of distribution of the food to the children, the Executive Director said on each drug refill visit, each child living with HIV and AIDS will be given some quantity of food items at the Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) Clinic.

The Obuasi East District Director of Health, Dr. Enyonam Kwawukume, who received the food on behalf of the four health facilities that dispense Anti-Retroviral drugs to the children, encouraged people living with HIV and AIDS to go to any health facility in Obuasi for Antiretroviral drugs.

She also urged pregnant women to attend ante-natal clinics so that those tested HIV positive could be given treatment that will prevent their unborn babies from getting the disease.

The Board Secretary of Addapath Wellness, Mr. Richard Opoku pledged the NGO’s preparedness to go to the aid of the vulnerable in the society and called on corporate bodies and individuals to partner the NGO to meet its objective.

From Frederick Danso Abeam, Obuasi

Fifty 50 Club donates GH¢10,000 to support treatment of 8-yr-old boy

By
ERNEST BEST ANANE
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Edmond-Aquah, President of the Fifty 50 presenting the to Mr the father of the beneficiary child

Fifty 50 Club, an Obuasi-based Non-Profit Making Association has donated an amount of GH¢10,000 to support the medical bill of Stephen Aboagye, a 8-year old boy suffering from congenital disorder, that causes the skull to grow abnormally large and heavy.

The condition affects the patient’s vision, hearing, speech and mobility and puts him at risk of serious complications such as infections, seizures and brain damage.

The latest World Health Organisation (WHO) data published in 2020 indicated that Encephalitis Deaths in Ghana reached 357 or 0.20% of total deaths.

She noted that the age adjusted Death Rate is 1.69 per 100,000 of population, with Ghana ranking 8th in the world.

Members of Fifty 50 Club include employees of AngloGold Ashanti and its subsidiaries, as well as employees of other corporate organisations across the country and abroad. The over 250 members of the club contribute monthly to support the Club’s objectives.

Madam Hannah Amponsah, the class teacher of Stephen Aboagye, explained that the boy was diagnosed with the rare condition, owing to the impact on his sense of vision and hearing which have affected his academic performance.

According to her, the parents of the innocent boy have struggled to find appropriate medical treatment for him, prompting her to seek assistance from the Fifty 50 Club.

Mr. Jacob Edmond-Acquah, the President of the Club, who gave details about Stephen Aboagye’s condition and support for the club, said Stephen was admitted to the hospital with a complaint of a progressive mass in the parietal capital region of his head.

He said the mass had been present since birth, but had increased in size and caused headaches and visual disturbances in the past few months.

He disclosed that an MRI Scan revealed a large, well-defined, cystic lesion with a solid component and enhancement after contrast administration.

He said the Club, known for similar support and donations over the years, decided to step in with an amount of GH¢10,000 to take care of the medical expenses and hoped the boy goes through the processes smoothly to enable him live a normal life.

Mr. Edmond-Acquah affirmed the Club’s resolve to continue to make impact in the lives of people, stressing that they have launched a survey to ascertain the impact of the plethora of support it has rendered to people since July 2020.

Founded in July 2020, the Fifty 50 Club has raised GH¢360,000 and made several donations over the past 3-and-a-half years, including contributing to the cost of surgeries or medical treatments for kids and other individuals with various heart medical conditions, supporting community clinics with medical equipment and supplies, providing scholarships to brilliant but needy students.

Stephen Aboagye’s case is the 12th donation by the Club, making it the third beneficiary at a total cost of about GH¢27,600.

The Club also donated GH¢9,200 covering tuition, hostel and other incidental costs for the 2024/25 academic year to Clifford Wilson, who is currently pursuing a BSc. Human Biology (Medicine) programme at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, and GH¢8,400 to David Ababio Awuni who is in the final year of his 4-year Computer Science Programme at KNUST.

Kunle Oluomo impeached as Ogun Assembly Speaker

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admin
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Kunle Oluomo

Kunle Oluomo has been impeached as the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly. Eighteen of the 26 members of State Assembly voted for Oluomo’s impeachment at plenary session on Tuesday.

Oluomo was impeached for alleged embezzlement of funds, highhandedness and related offences.

The Assembly immediately elected a member, Oludaisi Elemide, as the new Speaker.

Giving his maiden speech after the impeachment, the new speaker asked for calm among member.

He said that the impeachment was not targeted against the governor of the state Dapo Abiodun as being speculated in some quarters.

He said that the development is within the constitutional rights of the members to elect those lead them in the House.

The House later adjourned plenary for two weeks, with the new speaker in possession of the maze, the symbol of authority of the House.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on September 6, 2022, arraigned Oluomo before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over an alleged N2.475bn money laundering.

Credit: channelstv.com

 

Nnamdi Kanu requests UK’s intervention in his continued detention, trial

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admin
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Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has requested the UK authorities to intervene in his trial and continued detention at the facility of the Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS).

Since his re-arrest in July 2021, Mr Kanu, a British-Nigerian citizen, has been detained at the SSS facility. He is facing terrorism trial at a Federal High Court, Abuja.

In a letter dated 18 January and addressed to the House of Commons, the lower chamber of the UK parliament, the IPOB leader appealed to the lawmakers to prevail on the UK Government to intervene in his matter in Nigeria.

Aloy Ejimakor, Mr Kanu’s special counsel, who signed the letter, said he had the instruction of the IPOB leader to do so.

Mr Kanu, in the letter to the parliament, detailed how he was first arrested, his initial trial, and how he fled Nigeria after Nigerian security forces invaded his home town in Abia State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The IPOB leader, in the letter, presented some prayers which he pleaded with the parliament to consider for possible implementation.

“Urgently intervene in His Majesty’s (UK) Government, strongly urging it to promptly make demands on the Government of Nigeria to unconditional release of Mr Kanu from detention and repatriate him to the United Kingdom and to levy sanctions against the Government of Nigeria if it fails to comply within a reasonable time,” the letter read in part.

Mr Kanu argued in the letter that his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria from Kenya “inherently destroys every prospect for a fair trial in a jurisdiction that levied the rendition.”

He cited previous court rulings in the UK to support his position.

The IPOB leader said, in the alternative, the parliament should “promptly intervene with His Majesty’s Government, strongly urging it to make binding proposals to the Government of Nigeria to agree to conduct” his trial in the UK instead of Nigeria.

Credit: premiumtimesng.com

Customer sues Electricity Company, demands N50 million damages

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admin
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Abuja Electricity Distribution Company

An aggrieved customer has sued the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) at the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja, demanding N50 million in general damages over alleged wrong billing.

The claimant, Ugochukwu Orakwue, a resident of Kogi State, in the suit filed before the judge, Nicodemus Auwalu, alleged that the AEDC deliberately refused to read his Postpaid Metre for billing him, and instead, imposes outrageous estimated bills on him.

Mr Orakwue prayed the court to restrain the defendant from further issuing him electricity bills based on estimation, but based on the actual reading of his postpaid meter.

He prayed the court to declare that the defendant’s act of issuing him electricity bills based on estimation instead of based on the actual meter reading of his postpaid electricity meter contravenes the regulations of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and therefore illegal, null and void.

His other prayers include: “A declaration that all the electricity bills issued to the claimant by the AEDC based on estimation starting from the bill of 19” Oct. 19, 2015, being exercise or action founded on illegality are null, void and of no legal effect or consequence.

“A declaration that AEDC’s action of concealing the information of the claimant’s status as a metered customer by the wilful refusal to insert his meter number in his electricity bills contravenes the NERC’s regulation and therefore illegal, null and void.

“A declaration that the defendant’s act of disconnecting the claimant’s electricity supply for nonpayment in less than ten (10) days of the bill date, without issuing a disconnection notice to the claimant’s even when the complaint filed by him against the bills remains unresolved and contravened the NERC’s regulations and therefore illegal, null and void.

“A declaration that the claimant is entitled to be refunded the sum of N25,000 and Three Thousand Naria (N3,000) reconnection fee coercively collected from him by the defendant on July 28, 2023, before the reconnection of his electricity supply illegally or unlawfully disconnected by the defendant.”

Credit: premiumtimesng.com

Tinubu justifies large cabinet, says merging ministries will lead to non-performance

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admin
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President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu on Monday justified his 48-man cabinet, saying merging ministries will lead to non-performance. The President, who urged Nigerians to join hands to fix the country and have a change of mindset towards money, spoke when he received a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) led by its President, Daniel Okoh, at the State House in Abuja.

“We have no other country but Nigeria. If you do not preach the sermon of understanding, tolerance, perseverance, and hope for Nigerians, you are doing damage to the country, and nobody will help us repair it,” Tinubu said, according to a statement from his spokesman Ajuri Ngelale.

“I have had a number of criticisms, including the rationale behind the size of my cabinet. If you want efficient, mobile, and resourceful people, we have to give people a load they can carry. If you combine too many ministries because you want to save money, you will have a future of non-performance and no results.

“Nigeria needs to turn the corner to grow, and we must give people challenges they can manage, and that is what we are doing”.

Despite the challenges facing the country on many fronts, Tinubu said his government is unrelenting, promising to be fair to all Nigerians.

“We are here to listen, and if you observe any inadequacies in my government, let us know. I am here today because of your prayers and the will of God Almighty. What I have challenged myself to do each day is to be fair to all Nigerians,” he maintained.

Tinubu was not the only one who spoke at the event. The CAN President said the group believes in Tinubu’s administration and is ready to always partner with it.

Credit: channelstv.com

Miners angry over harassment by state security agencies

By
ERNEST BEST ANANE
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Kwabena Amoateng, Spokesman for the Youth in the Community Mining addressing the media

Some irate youth of Manfo, Subrisu and Fante Communities in the Ahafo Ano North Municipality of the Ashanti Region have asked the government to, as a matter of urgency, stop the state security agencies from unnecessarily harassing them at the community mining site at Fante.

Some of the aggrieved Youth at the community mining site

They have threatened the government not to, in its wildest dream, bring ballot boxes to the catchment areas in the upcoming 2024 general elections, if the said harassment of the local miners continues.

Mr. Samuel Akowuah, an NPP polling station Chairman at Manfo and Chairman for the site at a press conference last Monday at Fante explained that the community mining was officially opened by the Deputy sector Minister, Mireku Dukar and the MCE Matina Nyantakye for the since 2021.

According to him, the youth have been working at the site as mandated, without flouting any of the rules and regulations guiding mining, yet the security agencies, including the Police, Military and Forestry guards continue to harass them on daily basis.

He disclosed that not too long ago, two of their members were shot dead by the forestry guards, and just recently five of the members including the NPP polling station Chairman at Subrisu were also arrested and detained to date, with their whereabouts unknown. He said the military are harassing them at the site without any provocation.

The scene at the Community Mining Site

Mr. Akowuah sounded a word of caution to the government, stakeholders and anybody behind the unlawful attacks to stop immediately, else they may be compelled to stage non-stop demonstrations against the authorities and policy makers in the municipality.

Mr. Kwabena Amoateng, the spokesman for the youth in community mining, also expressed worry over the stress and psychological trauma that the women among them go through, because the military are always on their heels.

According to him, the livelihood of the youth, especially women in the area, is being threatened.

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