Sunday, December 9, 2007

Pharmacist Contests For Gt. Accra CPP Chair

By Edmund Mingle

Thursday, 06 December 2007

Susan Adu-Amankwah, a pharmacist, is contesting the race for the Greater Accra Regional chairmanship of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).

She believes she has what it takes to win the leadership slot and to revive the party to become a favourite for the Ghanaian electorate in the region.

The 38-year-old pharma-cist told the Times in an interview that her dynamism coupled with her understanding of the CPP’s ideologies of social justice which she would pursue when given the nod, are what she would use to revive the party in the region.

“Greater Accra Region was once the flagship of the party, and I want the regional branch to regain that status to attract more followers,” she said.
She was optimistic that her age would be of an added advantage since the current thinking of the party is that there is a need for older generation to “take a back seat and be advisors”.

“The CPP is a party for the masses and we have to make it attractive,” she said, adding that it was about time the CPP reflected the reality at all levels of society.

Mrs. Adu-Amankwah, a scientist with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research of the University of Ghana, has an extensive experience in political activism and mobilisation, having been a member of the Patriots, a dynamic youth wing of the CPP.

Her plan towards reviving the CPP in the region included a programme aimed at creating partnership among all the regional and constituency executives.
She also hopes to improve on the governance structure at the regional level and to collaborate with the national executives of the party in making the CPP a credible party for the electorate in the 2008 elections.

Mrs. Adu-Amankwah, who described herself as “a genetically CPP lady” because she was introduced to Nkrumaism at a very younger age, commended the outgoing regional executives for holding the fort, saying it is time for the party to move ahead with young and dynamic leaders.

She appealed to the delegates at the Greater Accra Regional congress of the CPP which would be held on Monday December 10, to vote for her promising that she would deliver to make a difference.

’2007 Best Farmers On National Tour

By Edmund Mingle

Tuesday, 04 December 2007

SEVENTY-two best farmers and fishermen selected from across the country for prizes at the 2007 Farmers Day, have started a tour of some facilities in the country.
As part of the facility visit, the best farmers were taken to Akosombo to familiarise themselves with operations at the Volta River Authority hydro-power generating plant, as well as the Volta River Transport Company.
They are scheduled to visit the Cocoa Processing Company and the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority at Tema today.
They will be honoured at the 23rd National Farmers’ Day to be held at Wa in the Upper West Region on December 7.
It has the theme: "Ghana @50: progress and challenges of sustainable agricultural development."
Yesterday, the farmers called on Hannah Nyamekye, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, at the start of their tour.
During their interaction, Ms. Nyame-kye commended them for their contribution towards national food security. "We cherish your efforts and we celebrate you," she stated.
She said that the awards are to recognise and honour farmers for their contributions to the development of the agricultural sector.
She, however, encouraged them to put in more efforts to achieve adequate national food security, and assured them of the government’s continuous support.
The National Best Farmer will win a three-bedroom house, to be built at a place of his or her choice. It will be funded by the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).
A number of pick-ups, tractors and other farming and fishing implements will go to the runners-up.
Last year, Mohammed Tetteh Akpah, from Afienya- Mataheko in the Greater Accra Region, was crowned the overall National Best Farmer at last year’s celebration at Nkawie, in Ashanti.
Akpah also received a fully-furnished three-bedroom house financed by the ADB at a cost of ¢650 million.
Agriculture contributes about 36 per cent to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employs 50.6 per cent of the economically active population, and provides 52 per cent of Ghana’s total foreign earnings and about 10 per cent of total revenue.

Today Is National Farmers Day

By Edmund Mingle

Friday, 07 December 2007

TODAY is being observed throughout the country as National Farmers’ Day.
The day, has been set aside to honour farmers and fishermen whose toil and sweat have sustained the economy up to this time.

The first Farmer’s Day was celebrated at Osino in the Eastern Region.
This year’s event is under the theme: "Ghana at 50: Progress and challenges of sustainable agricultural development".

The national event is taking place at the Jubilee Park at Wa, in the Upper West Region, where 72 farmers, fishermen and agricultural extension officers will be honoured.

Similar events are being held in the various regional and district capitals throughout the country.

The observance of the day, which rotates among the regions, will be used to highlight some of the challenges and the needed solutions towards achieving national food security.

Prior to today, the farmers who are to be honoured at the Wa national celebration toured Akosombo to familiarise themselves with operations at the Volta River Authority Hydro-Power generating plant as well as the Volta River Transport Company.

They also visited the Cocoa Processing Company and the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority at Tema where some of them had first-hand information on how cocoa and other products are processed and exported. They were later treated to a cocktail party at the forecourt of the State House.

The overall National Best Farmer for 2007 will receive a three-bedroom house to be built at a place of his or her choice. It will be financed by the Agricultural Development Bank.

FIFTY year-old Mohammed Tetteh Akpah, from Afienya-Mataheko in the Greater Accra Region, was crowned the overall National Best Farmer at last year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration at Nkawie.

Agriculture contributes about 36 per cent to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employs 50.6 per cent of the economically active population, and provides 52 per cent of Ghana’s total foreign earnings and about 10 per cent of total revenue.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

ILO Assesses Child Welfare Programme

By Edmund Mingle

Friday, 30 November 2007

A THREE-day workshop aimed at assisting stakeholders of the Lutrena Good Practices and Lessons Learnt Partners, a child welfare prog-ramme, to document the findings and achievements of the programme, started in Accra yesterday.

The Lutrena project, initiated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2002 is part of efforts by the organisation to compile technical notes on good practices and participatory processes towards supporting victims of child trafficking.

Daniel Dugan, Deputy Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, opening the workshop, lauded the objective of the project saying it was important to create a pool of resources from many stakeholders for the fight against child trafficking.

He noted that Ghana was one of the first countries to ratify the UN convention on the rights of the child adopted at the 1990 World Summit on Child, and explained that the ratification of the convention provided a critical policy framework and strategies demonstrating the government’s commitment to meet the needs of children in Ghana.

"Government has been making strenuous efforts to address many factors underlying the child labour problem," he said.

In addition, he said a memorandum of understanding was signed with the ILO in 2000 to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

He said the constitution guarantees the child’s protection from engaging in any work that is considered injurious to his health, education or development.

"The Children’s Act 1998 (ACT 560) seeks to protect the rights of children, including the right to education, health, shelter and proscribes the engagement of children in exploitative labour, which in line with Article 28 (2) of the constitution, is seen as any labour which deprives the child of his health, education or development," he said.

He however said these guarantees reflected the nation’s growing concern about the employment of children, particularly in activities that are exploitative.

Mr Dugan said many institutions in Ghana were also working to combat human trafficking. The ILO runs several programmes that directly has a bearing on trafficking.

Mr Matthew Dally, National Programme Coordinator of the ILO said the outcome of the workshop will be disseminated through a global workshop; to exchange achievements and assess the feasibility of replication at country and project levels.

He said it will also provide the organisa-tion the opportunity for self examination, and critical assessment of their mandate and how they have fared over the years.