President Mahama Receives AU Chairman At Castle

Mr Yayi Boni, Chairman of the African Union and President of the Republic of Benin, yesterday led a high-powered delegation from that country to commiserate with government and people of Ghana, following the death of President John Atta Mills.

Speaking in a dual capacity as Chairman of the AU and President of Benin, Mr Boni described the demise of President Mills as a great loss, not only to Ghana but to Africa as a whole. “The whole of Africa and the people of Benin offer their deep and sincere condolences,” recalling that the views and opinions of the late President Mills was always taken very seriously during AU and other regional meetings.

He told President John Dramani Mahama and government officials that had gathered at the Credentials Hall of the Castle that the best way to honour the departed leader was to carry on with his ideals and achievements.

In that way, the AU Chairman said, Ghana would be able to consolidate its riches and improve on the standards of living of its people.

The Beninois President described Ghana as a model of political stability, economic progress, social peace and security, which had made her the toast of the international community.

“Your country Ghana was one of the pioneers of Pan-Africanism, spearheaded by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who still remains the pride of Africa,” President Boni stated.

The AU Chairman implored President Mahama to also carry on with the work started by Pan-Africanist Dr. Nkrumah by helping to deepen regional integration.

President Mahama said the unfortunate incident came as a shock to the continent and the rest of the world as witnessed in the numerous expression of condolences and solidarity to the government and the people of Ghana.

He informed his guests that a committee was working feverishly in connection with the state funeral and added that the foreign embassies would soon be duly notified of the date and other arrangements of the funeral.  “We take consolation in the sympathy we receive from the international community and your country-Benin,” he told President Boni, stressing that “With this heavy responsibility, I can count on your good counsel and advice since you have the experience.”

President Mahama said Ghana and Benin share close cultural and historical relations and share common democratic values. “We will take his death as a signal for our two countries to push for closer relations and regional integration.”

“Ghana will continue to play the role as a leading voice in the Pan-Africanist struggle and to be a leading voice on the continent,” Mr Mahama assured the delegation.

PAP President Expresses Shock of President Mills Death

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Hon. Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi, MP, expressed shock and sadness at the news of the untimely death of H. E. John Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana, which occurred on Tuesday, 24th July 2012.

In a message of condolence on behalf of the PAP, Hon. Amadi expressed sincere and heartfelt condolence to the government and people of the Republic of Ghana and stated that they have indeed lost a focused and visionary leader, a man of integrity and a social democrat who was dedicated to the welfare of his people.

Hon. Amadi said that “while we at the Pan-African Parliament join our brothers and sisters in Ghana to mourn the passage of this sportsman, lawyer, teacher, politician, statesman and great son of Africa, we shall always remember him for his legacy of consolidating democratic norms and values in Ghana”.

He further stated that Africa has been robbed of a calm and diplomatic peace-maker, a leading light of democratic stability on our continent and prayed that the Almighty God will grant his soul eternal rest.

WAEC Releases B.E.C.E. Provisional Results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) last Wednesday announced the release of the provisional results of the April 2012 Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E.).

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Principal Public Affairs Officer, for Head of National Office Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, and copied to the Ghana News Agency yesterday.

It said that one hundred and eighty (180) candidates had their subjects results cancelled for various examination malpractices, which include bringing of foreign material into the examination hall and conspiracy. Five thousand, two hundred and fifty-two (5,252) candidates results have also been withheld pending the conclusion of investigation.

The results for schools would be dispatched through the District Directors of Education. Meanwhile candidates have been advised to access their results on line.

Source: GNA

“Release Dr. Janneh” – Amnesty International tells Gambia President

Amnesty International, an organization against human rights violation in Ghana have called for the immediate release of the former minister of Information and Communication in the Gambian government, Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh who is serving life imprisonment for printing and distributing of hundred T-Shirts in the Gambia.

Dr. Janneh was charged with treason and sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour at the special criminal court in Banjul after he was nabbed in his office on June 7,2011 for being in possession of T-Shirts made by the NGO’s ‘coalition for change- the Gambia’ (CCG).

The T-Shirts at his disposal were witnessed to have been featured the slogan “End to dictatorship now” and that thrived the situation to caused his arrest.

In the nefarious nature of the above Amnesty international considers Dr. Janneh is a prisoner of conscience and is a symbol the frightening human rights situation that exist in the Gambia this day.

“He must be released immediately and unconditionally. Gambia must stop such acts of persecution and allow criticism to be heard in the country”, the angry amnesty international barks at the Gambia government.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International that seems to promote human rights protection have for the past three years raised concerns on human rights regarding The Gambia worldwide ‘Gambia Day of Action’

According to the organization, Gambia Day of Action follows Gambia president Yahya Jammeh’s ‘Freedom Day’ on July 22 he uses to commemorate the day he took power in military coup in 1994.

They hinted that, “The Gambia must stop making a mockery of its international and regional human rights obligations and ensure the human rights of all people in the country are respected”.

Amnesty International noted that after president Yahya grabbed power through coup’detat, the citizens have been subjected to unlawful arrest, torture, unfair trials, rape among others.

Unlawful killings and arrest dominates activities of the day in the Gambia when one flouts the law after the indigenes have been entangled with limitations to freedom of expression and assembly.

This wicked conduct on the part of the Gambian government have impeded journalists in discharging their duties to the required standard, Members of the opposition are harassed, threatened and arbitrary arrested or killed.

Amnesty International and DPP express sympathy

The Amnesty International has expressed its condolences to the family of the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the government and the people of Ghana upon receiving the sad news of his death.

A statement issued by the Director for Amnesty International, Mr Lawrence Amesu and copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra, said Professor J.E. Atta Mills had a listening ear, particularly to human rights issues and efforts to promote human rights and democracy not only in Ghana but the whole of Africa.

It said the former President was a great leader, a democrat and someone “we at Amnesty International and indeed all human right activists have identified as a great advocate for human rights”.

The statement expressed the hope that the immediate and future successors would continue to carry his good work in promoting development and human rights in Ghana and Africa.

It urged all Ghanaians to ensure that total peace prevailed from now, during and after the pending elections in the country since it was the only reward Ghanaians could give Prof Atta Mills “as he passed on from this world”.

In a related development, the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has expressed its sympathy to Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, wife of former President J.E. Atta Mills, his family, the National Democratic Congress and the people of Ghana “for losing a husband, son and president .

A release issued and signed by Mr. T.N.Ward-Brew, expressed hope that the rancor and bitterness that were rife before his death would be a thing of the past and give way to an atmosphere of forgiveness, love and fellow-feeling.

The release advised Ghanaians to rally round the newly sworn-in President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama and give him all the respect and corporation that he needed in order to promote a climate of unity and reconciliation, “which is badly needed by our nation”.

WiLDAF Ghana's letter to the NDC to appointment a woman as the vice to H.E. John Mahama

The Chairperson

National Executive Committee

National Democratic Congress

Accra

Dear Chairperson,

Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) Ghana is following the constitutional processes to appoint a new Vice President to support the new President HE John Dramani Mahama. We have also received information on a list of names which has only one woman. We have the conviction that the effort of the Late President Atta Mills to getting a Law passed on Affirmative Action to increase women’s greater participation and representation in political decision making bodies in Ghana can be achieved even upon his death. We are also convinced that giving the chance the late President would have appointed a woman as his Vice in line with his vision to have at least 40% women in political decision making structures.

We are therefore calling on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress to honour the late President by nominating a woman as the Vice President to H.E. John Dramani Mahama. We are therefore urging the party to foremost consider the worth proven women in the NDC.

We are by this letter proposing the following women as possible candidates for the position of Vice President to Mr. John Mahama:

1.       Hon. Hannah Tetteh – Minister for Trade and Industry.

2.       Hon. Akua Sena Dansua – Minister for Tourism

3.      Margaret Amoako-Nuamah – Former Minister of Education under Former President Rawlings

4.      Madam Faustina Nelson – Former Executive Member of the NDC

5.      Hon. Juliana Azumah Mensah – Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs

6.      Hon. Sherry Ayittey – Minister of Science and Environment

7.      Bertha Ansah Gyan – Executive Director, MASLOC

8.      Hon. Brookman Amissah – Former Minister of Health under Former President Rawlings

We are convinced again that there are other equally qualified women who are members of the NDC who can be considered apart from the unexhausted list of women mentioned in this letter.

We once again express the deepest condolences of Network Members, National Executive Committee, Management and Staff of WiLDAF Ghana to the National Democratic Congress on this sad occasion of the demise of H.E. Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.

For any further information please contact the undersigned on 0302 768 349 / 0244639539 or Frank Bodza on 020 9211 931.

Yours sincerely,

Bernice Sam

National Programme Coordinator

CC.   

1.       General Secretary, NDC

2.       National Women’s Organiser, NDC

3.       All Media Houses

MACRA report rates Airtel as number One network in Malawi

A quarterly Network performance assessment report released by Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) a few days ago shows that Airtel (http://www.airtel.com) is, by far, the number one quality network in Malawi.

The MACRA report looks at the performance of the two mobile phone service providers in the months of October, November and December in 2011 and analyses the Key Performance Indicators which have been achieved by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GMS) service in the areas of Radio Network, Call Set up Success Rate, SDCCH congestion, Traffic Channel congestion, Call Drop Rate, Trunk Congestion, and Mobile Switch Centre Availability and Intelligence Network Platform availability. 

The report which was published in the daily press shows that Airtel Malawi is leading in service performance as compared to other networks.  According to the report, Airtel managed to beat MACRA’s call set up  target of 98%  by posting 98.9% in October, 99% in November and 99.2% in December, 2011, whilst all other telecom players were below the target set by Macra. Airtel Malawi also consistently out-performed its competitors as well as MACRA’s targets in the following areas:-call drops, sms success rate, congestion, internet success rate, call handover success rate and network availability.

Commenting on the report, Airtel Malawi Managing Director Saulos Chilima described the report as a vote of confidence and a result of the company’s investments aimed at continuously improving its quality of service.

“We always strive to maintain high standards so that we continuously provide an unmatched customer experience.”  Chilima emphasized. “The report covers the period before we launched our 3.75G network and our customers should expect improved data services as we now have the fastest internet speeds in Malawi of up to 21 Mbps. Its super fast! ,” explains  Chilima.

With this in mind, Airtel has remained committed to deepening its network coverage, bringing communication opportunities to the rural populations that, until now, have been left out of the telecommunications revolution in the country. 

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Bharti Airtel Limited.

WiLDAF GHANA MOURNS PRESIDENT MILLS

Women in Law and Development in Africa, WiLDAF Ghana has learnt with heavy heart, the sudden death of His Excellency Prof. John Atta Mills.
 

WiLDAF Ghana wishes to express the heartfelt condolences of its Network members, Board and Staff to his wife, Dr. Ernestina Naadu Mills and family, the National Democratic Congress and the entire Nation.
 

As we mourn our Late President, we call on all Ghanaians to stand united and be circumspect in this moment of great loss and pain to protect our peace and democracy. We also urge all and sundry to support His Excellency John Dramani Mahama as he takes up the mantle of leadership.
 

The swift swearing-in of the Vice President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama as the new President demonstrates Ghana’s growing democracy.
 

May the soul of the Late President rest in peace, God bless our Home land Ghana, and continue to make us great and strong.
 

WiLDAF Ghana is a pan African non-governmental women’s rights organization committed to the promotion and protection of women and children’s rights.

Secretary Clinton Pays Tribute to President Mills

On behalf of the people of the United States, I want to send my deepest sympathies to the people of Ghana and the friends, family, and loved ones of President John Evans Atta Mills. President Mills made a significant contribution to Ghana’s democracy and development, and forged a strong and positive partnership with the United States. As the third president of modern Ghana, he worked to strengthen his country’s democratic institutions and to expand prosperity for all of its people. He promoted regional peace and reinforced Ghana’s reputation as a leader in Africa. President Mills was a champion for his nation and his loss will be felt around the world. My thoughts and prayers are with all the people of Ghana during this difficult time.

Toyota Ghana tops 2009 edition of Ghana Club 100

Toyota Ghana Company Limited (TGCL), a leading automobile dealer, has been adjudged the overall best company for the 2009 Edition of the Ghana Club 100 Awards in Accra on Tuesday. Nine other companies that made it to the best 10 category include Auto Plaza Limited, Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited, Ecobank Ghana Limited, UT Financial Services and Dan Adams Pharmaceuticals Limited. The rest were The Trust Bank Ghana Limited, Scancom Limited, All-Ship Logistics and Amalgamated Bank Ghana Limited.

"The Ghana Club 100 Awards" instituted in 1998, is an annual event to celebrate the top one hundred (100) companies in various sectors of the country's economy.

The Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) organised the event on the theme: "Enhancing Partnerships between Domestic and Foreign Investors for Sustained Economic Development". This year's awards, which were ranked, based on three factors of the competing companies, such as size, return on equity and growth was unique because rural banks put up a strong showing, sweeping a substantial amount of the awards.

Mr Takahiko Takabayashi, Managing Director of TGCL received the award on behalf of the company and promised to continue to do more to ensure customer satisfaction, which he said, is a core objective of the company. Ms Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry urged companies to continue to focus on what they do and even do it better to enable them to grow. Ms Tetteh said government was aware of the problems confronting the business environment assuring that it would continue to implement reforms to improve the sector. She appealed to the private sector to embrace and sustain the Ghana Club 100 Awards, calling on members to impress on other private firms to join it.

She also congratulated the GIPC for maintaining the momentum in the annual event. Mr Ishmael Yamson, Board Chairman of the GIPC observed that Ghana was experiencing interesting times; oil discovery and its attendant benefits among others, adding that the revenue from the sector should be used to create jobs

Mr Yamson called on the award winners to fashion out measures to ensure that they continued to be amongst winners in subsequent years. Mr George Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer of GIPC congratulated all companies that have participated in the event since its inception in 1998.

Mr Aboagye reiterated the importance of the private sector to the country's economic growth and realization of the government's Better Ghana Agenda, adding GIPC would continue to facilitate its improvement. He announced that GIPC would hold interactive meetings with corporate organizations on their perceptions about the awards and how to improve upon it.
Source: GNA

Training programme for Police personnel begins

A three-day training programme for 45 police personnel on international policing, marine law, human rights and how to combat criminal syndicates in the oil find zone opened at Takoradi on Tuesday.

Opening the training programme, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, Western Regional Police Commander, said the programme was the first in a series being organized by the Regional Police to equip policemen to handle criminals when the drilling of the country's oil begins in the last quarter of the year. He said majority of policemen in the region would benefit from the training programme.

Alhaji Mahama, who is a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said those, who would be trained would form the nucleus of a special taskforce to patrol the oilfields with the Ghana Navy and other security agencies. He said the taskforce would be adequately equipped with the necessary logistics and equipment to ensure effective and efficient policing. The Regional Command would also establish police stations at Half Assini and Aiyinase to provide maximum security to oil installations and the entire citizenry. Alhaji Mahama said the Regional Police Command was gearing up to deal ruthlessly and swiftly with miscreants that might disturb the peace and harmony in the region.

He said in this regard, the Regional Police Command was re-strategizing, upgrading and equipping police personnel to meet international standard of policing.
Source : GNA

MTN's George Andah moves to Bharti Airtel (Zain)

Mr George Andah, the multi-award winning Chief Marketing Officer for Ghana's leading telecoms operator, MTN (Ghana), is moving to Bharti Airtel, owners of Zain Telecommunications Limited.

George Andah who was formally at Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited was last year awarded Marketing Man of the Year, along several other awards he has picked up for his marketing acumen.

He has also been credited as having played crucial roles in MTN Ghana's growth and huge success as a market leader in Ghana.

His move could be part of Bharti Airtel’s plan to capture the Ghanaian Market and also make it a leading brand as he has done with MTN and Guinness Ghana Limited.

Andah attained his first degree in Bsc Biochemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah Science and Technology..

He is also an old Student of Achimota College.


Source: Joy News

Transition Bill is to end acrimony - IDEG

Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), has said the Presidential Transitional Bill was to end acrimony that had characterised transitions.

"Transition is not about handing over presidential baton from an out-going regime to an in-coming regime; it has a broader and greater impact on socio-economic progress of the nation and generates uncertainty among District Chief Executives, government appointees in the assemblies.

"Insecurity of heads of boards and institutions creates loss of managerial time, anxiety among public and civil servants.the list is endless, the disjointed way of handling Transition in the Fourth Republic is destructive. The Transition Bill is an attempt to deal with the problem...," Dr Akwetey said.

Dr Akwetey was speaking at Akosombo at the weekend at the project launch and methodology workshop on the UNDP 2010 National Human Development Report (NHDR) for researchers, media practitioners, political economists, security experts and gender advocates. The report on the general theme: "Democratic Political Transition and Human Development," focuses on seven main thematic clusters. These state machinery, governance institutions and security establishment, the economy, social development and national cohesion, public and private corporate sector, general human development and theoretical and analytical framework.

The Presidential Transition Bill 2008 was launched by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP) to end polarisation and acrimony that has greeted transition in the Fourth Republic.

The Bill is aims to make smooth transition from one government to the other and institutionalising a multi-partisan framework and ground rules and regulations to govern and guide transitions. Dr Akwetey said transitions should be viewed in a broader perspective affecting the social life of all Ghanaians irrespective of political persuasion.

He said the lack of a governance political transitional structure had over the years contributed to the increasing rate of corruption among public officials.

Speaking on the 2010 UNDP Report, Dr Kamil Kamaluddeen, UNDP Country Director, said the 20th anniversary edition of the HDR would examine decades of HD data trends, refine the original HD Index with new databases and methodologies and introduce new measures adjusting the Index to reflect gender disparities and other internal national inequalities.

He said the 2010 HDR also featured the multidimensional poverty index (MPI), which was developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with UNDP support. This new index is designed to provide a fuller and more accurate picture of acute poverty on the household level than traditional "dollar-a-day" formulas. Dr Kamaluddeen said since 1990 the HDR had published the human development index (HDI) which looked beyond GDP to a broader definition of well-being.

He said the HDI provided a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity (PPP) income). Dr Kamaluddeen said HDI also provided a broadened prism for viewing human progress and the complex relationship between income and well-being.

The report would seek to give a coherent and cogent expression to concerns about the impact of democratic political transition on contemporary human development programmes and bring to the fore the need for radical changes for institutionalization of structures to handle the problem adequately.

Source: GNA

International Literacy Day celebrations commemorated with a National symposium and exhibition

The 2010 International Literacy Day Celebration has being commemorated with a Grand National Symposium and Exhibition. The program which was put together by the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED) of the Ministry of Education brought together key stakeholders such as Prof. Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, Director, Institute of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, University of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe, General Secretary, Christian Council of Ghana and Mrs. Gifty Baka, a Program Manager of Action Aid, Ghana who presented papers on the theme of the celebration “Functional Literacy – A Key to Job Creation and Poverty Reduction” and gave a profound insight into what Functional Literacy can do to create jobs and reduce poverty.

Speaking at the symposium in Accra last week, the Minister of Education Alex Tettey-Enyo said his ministry Ministry will support the establishment of a computer literacy and ICT Centers in the districts for the training of graduates of the NFLP as part of its post-literacy Program in order to open up job opportunities for the productive youth and especially women and girls seeking ways of creating wealth to improve their socio-economic conditions. This is in view of the fact that computer literacy itself provides thousands of job opportunities and is also a caveat for poverty reduction. “This era of information technology, literacy has gone beyond reading, writing and numeracy to include the use of ICT to identify sources of information in the global information super highway, the internet”.

“Am happy that plans are far advanced for the commencement of the NFED Vocational English Literacy Project in dress making and hairdressing which is expected to provide a building bridge for the professional development of learners in their requisite trades. If it proves successful, which I know it will, more trades such as masonry, carpentry, auto mechanics, joinery will be added” he said.

Mr. Tettey-Enyo said “it was virtually impossible for them to confidently lead the crusade to sweep illiteracy out of dear country and wish to confidently affirm that m, in order to construct a smooth road for our socio-economic development, it is imperative for all and sundry to put our shoulders to the wheel to ensure that the burden being exerted on the country’s economy by illiteracy is reduced if not totally eliminated. The pace of the NFLP in ensuring the eradication of illiteracy in Ghana is too slow and need to be accelerated a bit faster. I have noted with serious concern the current inadequate budget allocation to the NFED which is making y Ministry will take a critical look at increasing the budget allocation to NFED. In addition, my Ministry is in the process of sourcing external donor funding for the implementation of the Third Phase of the NFLP. We therefore invite all donor agencies interested in the development and progresses of this country to take up the challenge of funding the Third Phase to enable us reduce illiteracy to single digits and also to empower women.”

Talking on some achievements, he said it was gratifying to note that the NFED has provided functional literacy in 15 major local languages in Ghana in addition to English . “Through the development activities of literacy classes, several communities have benefited from the resourcefulness of adult literacy learners. Learners have been able to provide hand dug wells, constructed schools, nurseries, markets and planted trees in their communities in order to facilitate development in their areas of abode. It is reassuring that learners have not kept the skills they have acquired to themselves but used them to the benefit of their communities. Through Functional Literacy, women participants have contributed to family incomes.”

The Minister commended the management and Staff of the NFED, other providers of literacy in Ghana as well us collaborators of the NFLP for their immense contribution to the reduction of illiteracy in our dear country. “I want to extend special felicitations to the numerous volunteer facilitators, chiefs and other opinion leaders and district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies in the country for the contribution they have made towards improving the living conditions of their non-literate brothers and sisters”.

Functional literacy is indispensable in modern society. There is virtually nothing that could be done by an individual without utilizing reading, writing and numeracy skills.

To be literate is to be intellectually empowered. Intellectual empowerment leads to freedom and people who possess individual freedom have been able to discover their own identities and worked towards achieving them.

Functional literacy is the catalyst for realizing dreams, achieving goals and attaining objectives. Without Literacy, the world around us will be static, without promise and hope. There will be no cracking power to spark the engine of individual growth and development. There will be no key to open the door to development and achievement. The whole world will be locked up in a prison of underdevelopment and backwardness.

Countries with high illiteracy rate are at the cross roads of development and have become helpless and powerless to push the agenda of development forward.

BY: Michael Amedor