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Berekum West farmers receive cashew seedlings

By
FRANCIS OWUSU-ANSAH
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Mr. Oppong Dominic(l) presenting seedlings to a farmer

Cashew farmers in Berekum West district in the Bono region have received cashew seedlings under the government of Ghana’s flagship program ‘Planting for Export and Rural Development’ (PERD).

Following that, the assembly, through its department of agriculture presented about twenty thousand (20,000) cashew seedlings to about five hundred (500) farmers within the district.

Cashew seedlings for distribution

As part of the assembly’s effort to achieve the objectives of the program, it has targeted to support farmers in planting cashews which is the most predominant cash crop with competitive advantage in the district.

In a brief ceremony to present the seedlings to the farmers at the forecourt of the district administrative block in Jinijini, the District Agricultural Director, Mr. K. Danso advised the beneficiaries on the proper planting and supervision of cashews for a better yield.

The District Chief Executive, Mr. Oppong Dominic also acknowledged the stress and cost the assembly endured and incurred in getting those seedlings for the farmers.

He further admonished them to make good use of the seedlings as he looks forward to seeing an improvement in the cashew production in the district.

“I thank the District Coordinating Director, the Agric Director and the staff of Berekum West District Assembly for their tireless effort to get these seedlings.

Our outfit spent much of our financial resources on these seedlings and we can only trust you to plant them well and improve cashew production in the District in the coming years”, he said.

In attendance were the District Coordinating Director, the Presiding Member of the Assembly, staff of the Department of Agriculture, opinion leaders and some cashew farmers within the district.

Ndansimam M/A JHS wins 2023 BGCGA –Maths & Science Quiz

By
NAABENYIN JOOJO AMISSAH
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Ndansimam JHS receiving their prize

The Ndansimam M/A Junior High School has won the 2023 edition of the annual Mathematics and Science competition organised by the Boys and Girls Club of Ghana, Anomabo ‘BGCGA’.

Representatives of Ndansimam

The grand finale, which was the third edition of the highly competitive challenge, was fiercely contested by three distinguished schools that meritoriously made it to the finals.

The preliminary stages of the competition saw schools in each of the three circuits, namely Yamoransa, Anomabo A and B competing among themselves to book a place for the grand finale.

At the end of the preliminary contest, Eguase Good Shepherd Anglican JHS qualified for the finals after topping Yamoransa Circuit, whilst Anomobo Methodist ‘A’ and Ndansimam M/A JHS emerged winners of Anomabo Circuit A and B respectively.

Grand finale

At the end of an intensely contested competition, Ndansimam M/A JHS emerged as winners of the competition after obtaining 63 points and took home an amount of GH₵600.00 and a trophy.

Eguase Good Shepherd Anglican JHS came second with 47 points and received cash prize of GH₵500.00 while Anomabo Methodist ‘A’ placed third with 42 points and took home GH₵400.00.

Anomaba MA school reps

Each of the two contestants for each school received 10 exercise books, 10 note books, pens and a certificate of merit for their impressive performances throughout the competition.

A Lecturer at the Physics Department of the University of Cape Coast Dr. Patrick Essien, who was the main speaker of the event, was full of praise for the teachers who coached the contestants for the competition.

Teachers, he said, were responsible for helping pupils to unearth their potentials in life and, therefore, implored the pupils to give maximum respect to their teachers at all times.

He presented envelopes which contained undisclosed amounts to each of the contestants from each of the schools for their excellent performance.

In his speech, the Director General for Boys and Girls Clubs of Ghana, Mr Stephen Quansah, explained that STEM education was highly significant to the socioeconomic development of the country.

In view of this, he encouraged the pupils to take keen interest in the study of Mathematics and Science so that they could benefit significantly for the numerous opportunities associated with the subjects.

An instructor at the Biriwa Technical Institute, Mr Emmanuel Ayim, who chaired the occasion, expressed a high level of appreciation for all the efforts by BGCGA who organised the quiz competition.

Akatsi-North Assembly supports 123 PWDs

By
SAMUEL AGBEWODE
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Officials of Akatsi North Assembly and beneficiaries in a group photograph

The Akatsi-North District Assembly in the Volta Region has supported 123 People Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in education, health and skills development.

This is part of the government’s policy to empower and provide an enabling environment for PWDs to improve on their living conditions and contribute meaningfully to national development.

The District Assembly in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development (DSWCD) have provided training in employable skills and income generation activities with start-up capitals, provision of technical aids, devices, working tools, registration under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and supported those at the various levels of education.

Presenting cheques and working tools to another batch of beneficiary PWDs at the district capital, Ave-Dakpa, the District Chief Executive (DCE),  Mr Simon Peter Ofosu said the era when PWDs were only given pocket money was over and that equipping them with employable skills and helping them to establish their own businesses was economically viable.

Mr Ofosu said government policy to address economic challenges confronting PWDs was being implemented at the Assembly through the PWD component of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), which was used by the Assembly to improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries in the District.

He explained that the Akatsi-North Assembly formed the Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) which was tasked to identify PWDs to form a group that would easily benefit from the disability fund and said the Assembly had shown much commitment to the wellbeing of PWDs in the area.

According to the DCE, much as the Assembly was committed to ensuring that PWDs were provided with the needed support, they (PWDs) should support the activities of the Assembly by ensuring that they register with the latter to enable them  benefit from the assistance being given by them(Assembly.)

Mr Ofosu said government’s support for PWDs was linked to the Sustainable Development Goal Eight and Ten, which is aimed at ensuring economic empowerment to improve their livelihoods and mitigate the vulnerability they face in the society among others.

The DCE also appealed to the PWDs who received support in the area of education, to take advantage of the available opportunities they were enjoying to learn hard to justify the investment government was making in them to become successful in their chosen academic careers.

According to the DCE, the Assembly did not impose anything on the PWDs, but tried as much as possible to provide the demands that they made, as some of them requested for corn mills, sewing machines and refrigerators to enable them to sell sachet water, plastic chairs and canopies for hiring, which were provided for them.

Mr Ofosu, however, advised the beneficiaries to put the items to good use that would help transform their lives and cautioned against sale of the items because the Assembly would regularly monitor them.

The Akatsi-North District Social Welfare and Community Development (SWCD) Officer, Mr Isaac Abanga, assured the PWDs who applied but did not benefit yet to be patient because processes to secure their equipment were underway and would soon receive them.

I have no evidence of any plot to overthrow gov -Col Gamali 

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gamali - accused

Colonel Samuel Kodzo Gamali, one of the accused persons standing trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo government has denied any knowledge about the alleged plot.

According to him, as a senior military officer, he needed sufficient or concrete evidence about the alleged plot before he can report anything to the Military High Command.

But in this instance, he did not have any knowledge of the personnel involved, equipment to be deployed, plan and staging areas of the said coup. He said this while being cross-examined by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

Being tried as the fifth  accused (A5) in the case of high treason and abetment by an Accra High Court, Col Gamali said he was taken out of contest during interrogation for the use of ‘H hour.’

Meanwhile, the prosecution claimed that ‘H hour’ means when the people are in the process of carrying out a coup before he will inform his supervisors and that whatever A5 was telling the court is an afterthought.

In response, A5 said ‘My lord, I was taken out of contest. I should know the planning, I should know the equipment involved and the personnel involved. I don’t know anything and that was why I said I was waiting for the H hour.”

The Prosecution insisted that from two exhibits before the court, which are statements of A4, Johannes Zikpi, alleged that Dr MacPalm on three occasions held meetings with him and A5 at the Citadel Hospital where the overthrown of the government was discussed.

Mrs. Obuobisa added that from these meetings, A5 had a sufficient knowledge which should compel him to report the plot to his superior officers and not wait for the ‘H hour.’

She contended that Col Gamali has more information than his junior officers, such as Sulley Awarf and another who reported the plot to their superiors.

Question: In fact, in the caution statement of A4 in the second page, he stated that when Dr MacPalm mentioned the overthrown of the government to you, your response was “fantastic”.

Answers: This is not true.

A5 said the Prosecution’s claim was false “because I didn’t discuss any coup issue neither did I know the personnel involved, equipment involved, staging areas and what his mission was.”

He said among the nine other people standing trial with him, he only know A4 and deceased Dr MacPalm, therefore, he is innocent.

The accused also stated that deceased Dr MacPalm never discussed with him (A5) about the invitation and arrival of the blacksmith, Donya Kafui (A2) to Accra, and alleged manufacturing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and pistols.

The DPP, however, indicated that A5 and Dr MacPalm had a very good relationship and that was why he decided to shield him.

In response, A5 said though he knew Dr MacPalm as a friend, person and family doctor, he did not know anything about him masterminding a coup plot.

Col Gamali added that it was the reason why a worker from Citadel Hospital messaged him about the arrest of Dr MacPalm and he urged her to remain calm and that the deceased has done nothing wrong.

He asserted that before the said worker sent him the message, the news about the arrest was already in the media.

DPP then put a question to him: What do you mean by Dr MacPalm did nothing?

Answer: Because I would have known as a good friend.

But when pushed further, A5 acknowledged that even though he actually knew Dr MacPalm, he didn’t think he really know him more than his family members.

The prosecution then added that A5’s assertion that A1 did not do anything wrong was a wrong assertion.

Gamali also said neither did he know where gota sets are sold nor did he know why Dr MacPalm was requesting for communication equipment.

Evidence-in-Chief 

A5, being led to give his evidence-in-chief, told the court that he was enlisted in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in 1989.

He was introduced to Dr MacPalm in 2015 by a friend, Brigadier General Ntem, to treat him of his severe waist pain. It was through this introduction that A5 got to know that deceased Dr MacPalm was one of his classmates.

Although A5 said he introduced A4 to deceased Dr MacPalm in early 2017, Zikpi earlier told the court that the introduction was made rather in 2018.

However, Col Gamali said Zikpi was introduced to Dr MacPalm when the latter wanted someone to install CCTV cameras at his home at Dodowa. After this engagement, the three became friends and met on some occasions to eat and drink.

A5 said he once chanced on the deceased and A4 talking about communication equipment and decided to find out later.

The court is presided over by three justices – Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, Hafisata Amaleboba and Stephen Oppong.

The accused persons are; Dr Frederick MacPalm (deceased), Donya Kafui, Bright Alan Debrah Ofosu, alias Bright, Alan Yeboah, aka BB, Johannes Zikpi, Col Samuel Kodzo Gamali, and W.O II Esther Saan Dekuwine.

The others are; Corporal Seidu Abubaka, LAC Ali Solomon, CPL Sylvester Akanpewon and ACP Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo.

Editorial: Teachers mass failure a wake-up call

By
THE CHRONICLE
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Editorial

The National Teaching Council is mandated by Section 9 of the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778) to improve the professional standing and status of teachers, license and register teachers in Ghana.

As a result the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination was introduced in 2018, with the aim of ensuring that prospective teachers after graduating from the teacher education institutions were filtered through the license exams.

The examination’s dual goals are to enable qualified teachers to obtain a professional license and also to draw in outstanding young graduates from universities and colleges of education who possess the knowledge, abilities, and attitudes necessary to work effectively in classrooms.

The Chronicle is, however, concerned about the high failure rate, of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination since its introduction. The latest mass failure recorded at the exam is startling.

Out of 7,728 prospective teachers who sat again for the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE) last month, 1,277 passed. The figure represents 16.5 per cent of the candidates who sat again for the examination, introduced to license teaching practitioners.

The Chronicle is happy that teacher unions in the country are already up in arms and are in a crunch meeting over the mass failure recorded by the prospective teachers. According to the Vice President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba, the meeting is meant to allow the unions to deliberate on the possible factors accounting for the mass failure.

The Chronicle also fully agrees with the Public Relations Officer of the National Teaching Council (NTC), Dennis Osei-Owusu, who said the high failure rate in the 2023 Teacher Licensure Examination is a “national security threat” and cause for concern.

This is because we are talking about teachers who are being trained to come and train our future generation and leaders, yet basic literacy and numeracy test is a problem for them.

The minority in parliament have also waded into the discussion by urging the Education Committee of Parliament to summon multiple stakeholders within the education sector to address the issue of widespread failure among teachers in the 2023 licensure examination resit.

The Minority says the National Teaching Council, various Colleges of Education and their affiliates, and the Ghana Education Service ought to brief the Committee on the underlying factors contributing to the failure of the teachers.

As a nation, we must pay close attention to this issue to salvage the future of our young generation. The exam is based on three areas; numeracy, literacy, and essential skills.

So teachers who are going to schools to teach must be conversant with them. The mass failure clearly shows that some of the prospective teachers might just be passing through the teaching profession to aim at other ‘well paying’ careers.

Already students are not performing well in WASSCE and BECE examinations over the past years. Teachers are a contributing factor to these challenges. This is why the Chronicle thinks that the government has to increase teacher motivation to attract quality materials into the profession.

Teacher motivation has been very poor for some time now and improving this will go a long way to attract more qualified teachers to raise the quality of education in schools.

Ghana Cricket Association donates equipment to Anomabo Circuit

By
NAABENYIN JOOJO AMISSAH
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Coach Emmanuel (left) presenting the items to Mr Isaac Kweku Quainoo (right)

The Ghana Cricket Association, through the Mfantseman Cricket Association, has donated equipment to the Boys and Girls Club of Ghana, Anomabo, for onward distribution to the Anomabo Circuit A and B basic schools.

The donation formed part of the decision of the Ghana Cricket Association to make the sport more attractive to pupils at the basic level, so that they would develop strong passion for the game.

An executive board member of the Ghana Cricket Association, Mr Francis Ayikai Okain who briefed The Chronicle, stated that the Association was fully committed to supporting the pupils hence the donation of the equipment.

This, he explained, would go a long way to improve the sport at the basic level of education where those with passion for cricket and would be cricketers would be properly nurtured to become national assets in the near future.

“During the training of teachers to become coaches of the game, I indicated that our decision to assist schools in the Mfantseman Municipality will not be a nine-day wonder, but a sustained one to help develop talents,” he said.

“We have cricketers from the Central Region who are currently part of the national team that has been formed and we are committed to unearthing more talents and bring them to the limelight so that they will become national cricketers,” he added

Mr Okain thanked the Ghana Cricket Association for their priceless support for the Mfantseman Cricket Association and expressed appreciation to the Boys and Girls Club of Ghana, Anomabo, for their continuous support of the sport in the municipality.

A coach, Mr Emmanuel Domie, told The Chronicle that the donated items, made up of bats, bails and balls among others, would serve as a morale booster to the pupils from the various schools, as well as teachers who took part in the training a few months ago.

He added that the zeal and the level of commitment by the pupils were indications that they were ready to give their all to the sports and learn its rudiments with passion and hoped that they would become professional cricketers.

Background

It would be recalled that the Boys and Girls Club of Ghana, Anomabo, in collaboration with Ghana Cricket Association (GCA) and the Mfantseman Cricket Association, recently held a two-day training for trainers’ workshop on crickets.

It was participated by teachers from the Kwegyir Aggrey SHS and some selected basic school teachers in the Anomabo Circuit in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.

The non-residential programme, which was meant to strategically equip the teachers with the technical know-how of the lesser-known sport, was attended by twenty-four teachers drawn from seventeen schools in the Anomabo A&B Circuit.

The focus was to train coaches of the game, who would identify, train and develop more talents from the basic school level for the sport in the municipality and the nation at large.

The trained teachers, who now serve as coaches, have established Cricket Teams in their respective schools and imbibed the pupils with the requisite understanding of the game.

Sunyani East MP cut sod for construction of astro turf at Penkwase Sakora park

By
FRANCIS OWUSU-ANSAH
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Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, Sunyani East MP

The Member of Parliament for Sunyani East, Mr. Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, has cut sod for the construction of an artificial football pitch, with ancillary facilities at Penkwase Sakora Park, a suburb of Sunyani in the Bono region.

An impression of the pitch

The GHc5.5 million project, being financed by the Bui Power Authority, is to be executed by Wembley Sports Construction Company Limited (WSCCL) and would be completed in December, 2023.

The project comes with a football pitch, 500 sitting capacity, a VIP sitting area, a changing room and a flood light system.

According to the MP, the project forms part of his aim of providing sports infrastructure and development to help nurture football talents in the municipality

The Penkwase Sakora Park has produced many football talents including; Saddick Adams and Afriyie Acquah from Sunyani among others.  However, young footballers continue to play on the grass-less pitch.

Dan Owusu, a legend of Bofoakwa Tano football club and Black Stars, described the situation as bad.

He said young players cannot be training on such a pitch in this modern era and be expected to become good footballers. “The sakora park is dangerous. You can have a lot of injuries on the pitch”, he lamented.

Traditional leaders at the sod cutting ceremony

At the sod cutting ceremony for work to commence, witnessed by the chiefs and people of Sunyani, Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh said the project will help bring back the love of football in the community.

He said the community will wholeheartedly welcome the project because “people have been waiting, expecting and have been hoping for this kind of infrastructure in the community. I am happy that I can help, and this is a contribution of bringing back the love for football”, he said.

He appealed to the chiefs and all other stakeholders, including the community members and the media to do whatever they can do to support the timely completion of the project.

The Bono Regional Sports Development Officer, Foster Boakye, commended the MP for his effort to develop talents.

The chief of Penkwase, Nana Kofi Boadum, also expressed his gratitude to the MP for the project. He, however, appealed to him to help get a befitting venue to host premier league matches of Bofoakwa Tano in Sunyani.

The Sunyani Coronation Park requires an upgrade to meet the club licensing board regulations for premier league matches.

NPP Primary: I’m on redemption mission -Agyepong

By
admin
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Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong

Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says his decision to contest the flagbearer race of the Party is to create the momentum necessary to bring about change in the thinking and orientation of Ghanaians.

“… Mine is a simple humble redemption mission to create a critical mass of public-spirited Ghanaians, which is needed to generate the momentum required to cause a seismic shift in the thinking and orientation of what Party politics and public service should mean to politicians, political appointees, civil servants and indeed all Ghanaians.”

Mr. Agyepong said this after filing his nomination for the contest.

He expressed worry over the state of affairs of the country, saying: “My heart has been troubled over the direction of our country. We must accept that where we are now is not where we want to be. We cannot mislead ourselves with excitable slogans that leads us nowhere.”

Mr. Agyepong said Ghana was at a crossroads and that what it needed urgently was a “new dawn” of intelligent political leadership with a vision that instilled optimism in the youth and rekindled faith in the country’s constitutional democracy.

Mr. Agyepong said his “new dawn” administration would meet the ambitions and demands of the Ghanaian people.

“The new dawn refers to a belief in small, lean government machinery that is efficient, effective and primed to deliver to the aspirations and expectations of the Ghanaian people.”

He said he was, therefore, offering himself for that service because he firmly believed that the NPP needed a leader that was very action-oriented, passionately mission-driven, very demanding of results and eager to pursue progress.

Mr. Agyepong said he was capable of providing the kind of leadership that would enable the Party to achieve the third consecutive victory in 2024.

“I am offering myself anchored in the belief that the NPP needs a leader who is intensely action-oriented, passionately mission-driven, very demanding of results and prepared to chase progress. In all humility, I am equipped to provide that sort of leadership that will restore the Party as genuinely united force that will make it possible for us to win the elusive 3rd consecutive victory in 2024.”

Source: GNA

Hakeem Odumosu clears air on appointment as EFCC chairman

By
admin
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Hakeem Odumosu

Retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Hakeem Odumosu has denied reports that he was appointed as a substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Reports emerged on Tuesday that Odumosu’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu suspended the former chairman of the anti-corruption agency for misconduct while in office.

Bawa was subsequently invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) for questioning.

But in a statement issued and signed by Odumosu on Wednesday, he denied aware of such an appointment.

He described the circulation of the appointment as fake and urged Nigerians to disregard the report.

”Good Morning, everyone, I have been inundated with so many calls and messages between yesterday and today on a purported “EFCC Appointment”. I just want to use this opportunity to debunk this information and say it’s totally untrue.

“This information must have emanated from mischief makers and should be totally disregarded,” he said.

Credit: dailypost.ng

Police rescue kidnapped Catholic priest

By
admin
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A Nigerian Police officer

The Catholic Priest of Otukpo Diocese, Rev. Fr. Anthony Adikwu, who was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen last Thursday, has been released.

Recall that some gunmen stormed Ajegbe Awume in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, and went straight to St. Margaret’s parish, from where the priest was whisked away.

It was gathered that men of the Operation Zenda unit were deployed to track down the suspected kidnappers and were able to rescue the Rev. Father on Tuesday.

Confirming the release of the priest, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, SP Catherine Anene, said the priest was rescued on Tuesday.

The command spokesperson said that after getting a tip-off on Friday morning, the command immediately swung into action and deployed men to the area.

Anene said, “Our team has been in that place for some time chasing after them. It was the pressure mounted on the kidnappers by our team that made them eventually release him.

“They released him out of pressure.”

Credit: punchng.com

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