Likpe Chiefs Promote Education

By Edmund Mingle

The chiefs of the Likpe Traditional Area in the Volta Region have renewed their commitment towards the development of education by outlining a number of support projects for the sector this year.

Among the projects, the Likpe Traditional Council plans to initiate an annual inter school quiz competition and other educational programmes to enhance academic performance in the area.

Nana Soglo-Alloh (left) interacting with the other
chiefs of Likpe after the launching

The increased focus on education by the chiefs followed a recent baseline study of pupils in all Basic and Junior High Schools in numeracy and reading, which revealed the need for improvement in those areas.

Nana Soglo-Alloh IV, Paramount Chief of Likpe Traditional Area, who announced the initiatives for the education sector at the launching of the 2016 Lekoryi Festival of the people of Likpe in the Hohoe municipality, in Accra on Saturday, gave the assurance that efforts were being made to consolidate the gains made from interventions for the sector since 2014.

He was optimistic that the quiz competition would encourage the pupils to learn so as to enhance their academic performance.

He explained that an education endowment fund by his administration was yielding results through the provision of support packages for pupils and students in the area.

Nana Soglo-Alloh indicated that due to the importance they attached to education, the 2012 Lekoryi festival, which had the theme, “Education: back to the basics,” was dedicated towards mobilising resources to improve educational infrastructure in the area.

“This was to signal our attention to redouble our efforts to focus on the importance of education in promoting development in Likpe,” he stressed.

Professor Anthony Aboagye, Chairman of the Lekoryi Committee that serves as the development project implementing body, also explained that after the 2012 festival, part of the resources mobilised from the event was used to undertake the electrical wiring of all basic schools, to pave the way for ICT education.

In addition, he said a quantity of dictionaries, exercise books and other learning materials were donated to the schools with the aim of addressing the shortfalls revealed in the baseline studies on the performance of the pupils.

To secure the input of all stakeholders towards the development of education, he said the Committee and the traditional council have been holding public for a to discuss the outcome of the baseline studies and develop strategic solutions to improve academic performance in the schools.

This year’s festival, which would be climaxed with a grand durbar on March 26, 2016, has the theme, “Onward with sustainable development efforts in Likpe.”

Among target for fund raising at the festival, Prof. Aboagye noted that the resources would be channelled towards improved water supply, renovation of the Likpe Health Centre and “scaling up of our educational programmes with inter-schools quiz competition and other educational programmes.”

Mahama Reshuffles Ministers

President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Mr. Kenneth Wujangi, a Management and Integrated Rural Development Specialist as a Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) at the Flagstaff House.

A statement signed by Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, also announced the nomination of the following as Ministers of State.

1.     Prosper Douglas Bani- Minister Designate for the Interior
2.     Hon. Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye (MP)- Minister Designate for Youth & Sports
3.     John Alexander Ackon- Minister Designate for the Ashanti Region
4.     Hon. Kweku Ricketts Hagan (MP)- Minister Designate for the Central Region
5.     Mavis Ama Frimpong- Minister Designate for the Eastern Region
6.     Abdallah Abubakari- Minister Designate for the Northern Region
7.     Hon. Albert Abongo (MP)- Minister Designate for the Upper East Region

The following have also been nominated as Deputy Ministers of State:
1.     Andy Osei Okrah- Deputy Minister Designate for the Ashanti Region
2.     Robert Baba Kuganab-Lem- Deputy Minister Designate for the Upper East Region

The statement also announced the appointment of Hon. Franklin Fiavi Fifi Kwetey (MP) as Minister for Transport while Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna is the new Minister for Food & Agriculture. Hon. Mark Woyongo (MP) has meanwhile been reassigned to the Presidency as Minister of State.

The changes, according to Mr. Debrah, are ongoing and there will be further announcements in the course of the period. 

Gov’t adamant over Energy Sector Levy

 Friday January 15, 2016

By Edmund Mingle

The government yesterday refused to yield to the call by Organised Labour to withdraw the recently introduced Energy Sector Levy which led to a 27 per cent increase in prices of petroleum

At a crunch negotiation meeting between representatives of the government and Organsied Labour, the government stuck to its guns, stating that a withdrawal of the levy was out of the question.

The meeting followed Organised Labour’s threat to embark on a series of strikes over what it described as “astronomical and unjustified” energy sector levy and hikes in utility prices.

Haruna Iddrisu (at head table) and the other officials
discussing issues the crunch meeting

Yesterday’s meeting, held at the Flagstaff House in Accra, as they expected the government to back down, did not yield much result, as both sides took entrenched positions.

Haruna Iddrisu, Employment and Labour Relations Minister, who led government’s team, told The Ghanaian Times during a break, that “withdrawing the Energy Sector Levy would be highly difficult, if not impossible.”

A source at the meeting told The Ghanaian Times that the government team rather opted to consider proposals from Labour towards cushioning workers against the price hikes, saying it included considerations for base pay increase or Cost of Living Allowance.

According to the source, the government was prepared to consider proposals for reviews of the utility tariffs without hurting revenues.

However, it was made clear that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) would decide on what review level could be accommodated.

As of the time of going to press, the government’s position had not changed, while Organised Labour tried to force their way through, leading to an inconclusive meeting.

The government’s team included John Jinapor, Deputy Minister of Power and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Minister of State at the Presidency, as well as representatives of VRA and ECG, while the Organised Labour team was led by Kofi Asamoah, Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress, backed by the heads of the various unions.

Following the introduction of the Energy Sector Levy and the utility tariff hikes, Organised Labour gave the government up to Wednesday, January 13, to reduce the tariffs and withdraw the levy, without which Labour would embark on a nationwide strike.

“If these demands are not met by the said date, Organised Labour would unleash series of nationwide actions on the government,” it warned in its statement.

The statement was jointly signed by Mr. Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress; Solomon Kotei, General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union, Albert Yamoah, Ghana Federation of Labour; Vida Sapabil, Coalition of Concerned Teachers’, and Kojo W. Krakani of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana.

Others are Derrick Annan, Judicial Services Association of Ghana; Justice Yankson of the Ghana Medical Association; M.V.V.K. Demenya, Ghana National Association of Teachers; Kwaku Asante-Krobea, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association; and Christian O. Odue of the National Association of Graduate Teachers.

The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission, in November last year, increased electricity and water tariffs by 59.2 per cent and 67.2 per cent respectively for residential consumers, prompting anger from the public including Organised Labour.

An energy sector levy also took effect on New Year’s Day January 1, culminating in the increase in prices of petroleum products by between 18 and 27 per cent.

Likpe Chiefs Launch 2016 Lekoryi Festival

By Edmund Mingle

Togbe Soglo Alloh IV (right) launching the festival

The Lekoryi Festival of the people of Likpe in the Hohoe municipality of the Volta region, was launched in Accra on Saturday, with a pledge by the chiefs to rapidly advance the development of the area.

Slated for March, this year’s festival, with the theme, Onward with sustainable development efforts in Likpe, will be climaxed on March 26 with a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the area.

The festival will be used to mobilize the citizens and resources to scale up development projects in the area.

In addition, the Lekoryi, which means “coming together,” would be used to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the area, as well as promote networking among the citizens of Likpe living outside the area and in the Diaspora.

Togbe Soglo-Alloh IV, paramount chief of the Likpe Traditional Area, launching the festival explained that innovative measures had been introduced to ensure that the festival remained a viable channel for the progress of the area.

He lauded the enthusiasm among the citizens to support the development of the area, adding that the prime objective of the festival was to consolidate the gains from self-help projects in the area.

According to him, aside from promoting the rich culture of the traditional area, interventions in the areas of education, healthcare, water supply, road infrastructure and entrepreneurship would be promoted at the festival for the benefit of the people.

He thanked all donors and the Likpe Town associations for their continued assistance, and urged all citizens to actively participate in the festival.

Professor Anthony Q. Aboagye, Chairman of the Lekoryi Planning Committee, giving details of the event, said “this year’s celebration will serve as the backdrop of our efforts for the next two years and beyond.”
Among other objectives, the festival would aim at mobilising funds to undertake a water supply project in which the dam that stores water for the Likpe community, would be dredged.

The aim, he explained was to expand the dam to store more water for distribution to other communities around Likpe.

In addition, he said the resources were expected to be generated to continue with renovation works at the Likpe Health Centre, as well as scale up educational programmes to support schools in the area.

He said planned activities to mark the festival include a visit by the chiefs and people to ancestral caves on the Togo-Atakora mountains, cultural and marathon competitions, and fun games.

The first Lekoryi festival was celebrated in April 1988 under Nana Soglo-Alloh III, the then Paramount Chief of the area.

After a 20-year break, the biennial celebration was rejuvenated in 2008 under Nana Soglo-Alloh IV, and it has since been used as a platform for development, leading to the provision of social amenities for the people of the area.

A section of the Likpe citizens at the launching ceremony

Svanikier aids Winneba Youth Choir

By Edmund Mingle

Mr. Thomas Svanikier, Executive Chairman of Svani Group, has donated GH¢ 50,000 in aid of an endowment fund for the Winneba Youth Choir (WYC), in line with his increasing support towards the education of young people.

Mr. Svanikier (left) presenting the keys to the car to Paa John Yamoah

The amount serves as seed money for the fund, which aims at supporting the education and welfare needs of the members of the choir and needy children.

In addition to the financial support, the Svani Group has donated a saloon car to the Choir Master to help him to effectively manage the music group made up of talented youngsters.

The support package, announced by Mr. Svanikier at the Choir’s end-of-year “Peace on Earth” choral concert in Accra last Sunday, crowned a year-long charity activity by the company in commemoration of its silver jubilee.

Earlier last year, the Svani Group, a leading automobile and logistics services firm, donated a 35-seater bus to the choir to addressing transportation challenge facing the nation’s leading youth choir.

The donations are to express the company’s commitment to its corporate social responsibility in the areas of education, youth development and employment creation.

Mr. Svanikier, together with his wife, Johanna, who is Ghana’s Ambassador to France and Portugal, addressing the concert, commended the management of the WYC for effectively helping to nurture the talents of the youth.

Describing the choir as “ambassadors of joy,” he thanked God for using it to spread the gospel through music

Mr. Godfred Adusei Derkyi, chairman of the Winneba Youth Choir, who launched the endowment fund, thanked the Svani Group, with subsidiaries in the energy, oil and gas and real estate sectors, for the immense assistance towards the choir.

He prayed for God’s blessings for the company, and gave assurance of the choir’s commitment to the partnership with the company.

Paa John Arthur Yamoah, the Choir Master, for his part, expressed gratitude to the company, and gave the assurance that the vehicle would be effectively utilized to advance the performance of the choir.

The concert, which was held under the auspices of Mr. and Mrs. Svanikier, was attended by high profile personalities including Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, Wife of the Vice-President former Chief of Staff, Mr. John Henry Martey-Newman, and former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye.  

Veep galvanises votes for Amenfi West by-election

From Edmund Mingle, Asankragwa

The Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, yesterday appealed to the chiefs and people of Amenfi West to help the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) retain the constituency parliamentary seat.

According to him, the best honour they could give to the memory of John Gyetuah, who was the NDC Member of Parliament for the constituency, was to vote massively for the party during Tuesday’s by-election to ensure the continuation of his good works.

The Vice President made the comments during separate courtesy calls on chiefs in Amenfi West in the Western Region, as part of his visit to the area to commiserate with the family of the late MP, chiefs, party members and residents.

Vice President and Mr. Afful acknowledging cheers from supporters at Asankragwa

The late MP, who was credited for initiating various projects and interventions in the constituency, would be laid to rest at Breman tomorrow.

There would be a by-election on Tuesday to elect his successor.

Four parties, including the Progressive People’s Party and United Front Party are contesting the vacant seat, but the NDC’s Eric Afful and the New Patriotic Party’s Paul Denkyi are the forerunners.

“We cannot afford to lose this seat,” the Vice President said, and urged the constituents to show their appreciation to the late MP.

“If you really appreciate his good works, then you need to vote for our man who presents an appropriate replacement,” he said.

He described the deceased as a resourceful person who supported the government and expressed confidence that he would be replaced with Mr. Afful.

In addition, he assured the chiefs of government’s continued support for the development of the area, saying all ongoing cocoa road projects in the area would be completed.

The chief of Breman, Nana Kwabena Amarama II, commended the Vice President for the visit and for his assurance that more projects would be allocated to the area.

He appealed for the construction of a polyclinic to cater for the increasing health care of the area, adding that the clinic would be named after the late MP.

Later at a campaign rally at Asankragwa, Vice President Amissah-Arthur urged the members of the party to work hard to retain the seat.

After observing a minute’s silence for the deceased, the Vice President described his demise as a great loss to the party and nation.

Veep asks Ghanaians to help stock blood bank

By Edmund Mingle

The Vice-President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, yesterday launched the 2015 Annual Voluntary Blood Donation Campaign with a call on the citizenry to actively donate blood voluntarily to save lives.

“Ghanaians must consider blood donation as a civic responsibility,” he said at the launch in Accra, which also marked the 15th National Blood Donor Day.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur presenting 

a citation to Kwesi Agyemang Baffour,

 the best National Blood Donor. 

He observed that for the nation to achieve sufficiency in blood stock, there was an urgent need for more voluntary donations to adequately stock the blood banks for the benefit of the citizenry.

Ghana requires a minimum of 250,000 units of blood annually, but the stock level falls far below that target, promoting the campaign over the recent years to promote donations.

“The country’s blood supply still falls short of the minimum requirement,” he said, adding that it was regrettable that people waited until their relatives were hospitalised before they donated blood to replace the blood given to those relatives.

“This culture cannot sustain our blood bank,” he said, and urged people to donate voluntarily so that Ghana could achieve the 100 per cent voluntary donation target for 2020 set by the World Health Organisation.

He commended voluntary blood donors for their contribution towards the sustainability of the blood bank, but indicated that the responsibility of timely availability of blood could not be left on the few voluntary donors in the country.

“We need to expand the cycle of volunteers,” he stressed.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur also commended the National Blood Service, Ghana and its partner organisations for their contribution in promoting the campaign for blood donations, and assured them of government’s support in that endeavour.

The celebration, which was used to appreciate multiple donors and stakeholders, had the theme, “Thank you for saving my life.”

As part of the celebration, held with the assistance of the Rotary Clubs of Accra and Accra Ridge, best national and regional donors were honoured with awards.

Kwesi Agyemang Baffour, who donated blood 55 times in the year, was adjudged the best national donor, and was given a double-deck fridge for his prize, followed by Ebenezer Kissiedo, who had donated 51 times, he also received a fridge. Kojo Baidoo Keelson, was adjudged the third best donor for donating 50 times in the year, and he received a flat screen television set for his prize.

Alex Segbefia, Minister of Health, for his part, said statistics indicated that an estimated 289,000 women die annually worldwide from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and nearly two-thirds of those maternal deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa with severe bleeding as the leading cause and accounting for nearly 25 per cent of the deaths.

“It is very sad and disappointing that an estimated 26 per cent of these deaths are directly related to lack of an emergency supply of blood.

“These deaths can be prevented if we could have more volunteers to join the heroes we are celebrating today to donate blood at least three times a year,” he said.

Dr. Lucy Asamoah-Akuoko, acting Director of the National Blood Service, Ghana, thanked all the voluntary unpaid blood donors for their gift of blood which has saved many lives over the years.

She explained that the nation’s annual minimum blood supply requirement of 250,000 units could be achieved if one per cent of the Ghanaian population voluntarily donated once a year.

Currently, she noted that voluntary blood donations account for only 30 per cent of the total annual donations.

“While family replacement blood donations continue to be used as a stop gap due to the shortfall in the supply from voluntary donations, this system does not ensure adequacy, safety and timeliness of blood supply,” she stated.